I recently went to see Les Miserables, albeit in seats which meant some of the production was obscured for me. They were fancy seats - chairs which you could move around! - but it did mean some of it wasn't visible. Only a bit however.
I've watched the film production of Les Miserables before, and have never read the book itself, and having seen the musical I doubt that experience could be bettered. It was very enjoyable hearing all the songs, which included very passionate vocals from all the actors. All in all, quite an enjoyable experience from an audience perspective, especially if you're not familiar with musicals as I am.
I could imagine being confused if I hadn't read up on the musical beforehand - every moment is described in song and so it's easy to be swept away by the immense beauty of the music, though obviously the words take precedence at every moment. Jean Valjean, the protagonist, goes from criminal to mayor between songs, and obviously all you'd need to do is notice the actor was the same and you'd notice that. Those who are less keen may be more confused, though this is more a nitpick than anything.
Otherwise, the plot is very moving, and is ultimately about redemption and morality. Every character has their own perspective on what is morally right, whether it's the revolutionaries fighting for their country or Javert wanting to capture Valjean due to his crimes, and as such every character is extremely developed over the course of the 150 minutes, and it's easy to become attached and mourn one's death. The sense of hope at the end is bittersweet, as no one truly wins out in the end - the characters have to come to terms with their loss and the revolution fails, for instance, so even if you can hear the people sing, I'm not sure whether they're as triumphant as they were before.
I Dreamed a Dream is a great song, and the vocal performance was so exceptional I'm giving it an entire paragraph. But that's not to forget that every person involved with the production held up their own, and the music was one example of that. I found myself noticing the odd motif repeated throughout and thus found it more enjoyable and interesting than I may have otherwise done, and some songs are also quite catchy, it's not just endless operatic ballads.
I could review the costume design and lighting and makeup and whatnot as I should, but that can wait in the future. All I know is that I've only been to three musicals and this one is probably the best I'll ever see in my lifetime, for various reasons. Go and see it if you can.
Excellent👏
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