Saturday Matinee

I’m really behind on this, but might as well post it late than never. Last weekend in Los Angeles, I flew down for my two day summer vacation, and I caught the all-star cast of Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl. I can’t even remember the last time I was here – it must have been six, seven years ago, but here are a few thoughts. It was a completely sold out show on a Saturday night, and it’s an awesome thing to be inside of a packed stadium that holds over 17,000 people. We were all crammed into our seats but it was cozy, sharing wine bottle openers with our neighbors. I also expected a rowdier crowd, with people eating and socializing, but it was surprisingly very quiet and well behaved – more than a lot of the indoor theaters I’ve been in, in fact. I didn’t hear a single cell phone go off. We also weren’t sitting in the cheap seats but somewhere in the middle, which was perfect. In a big outdoor stadium such as this, I was expecting sound problems but it still caught me off guard. The sound was very tinny, and it took a while to get used to.

In all, it was a breathtaking spectacle. The musical in itself is a wonder, but place it outdoors under the stars with a stellar cast, and it was the can’t-miss event of the year. Directed by Richard-Jay Alexander, even thought it wasn’t, the performance felt fully staged. For instance, the rail that separated the orchestra from the front of the stage served as the barricades, and a fun moment had the students firing their guns directly into the orchestra. The musical was slashed brutally to make it about two hours long which was unfortunate, but I’m assuming that the cuts were necessary.

The cast was made up of a mix of Broadway stars, and typical of many Hollywood Bowl performances, a few famous names from movie/TV/music are mixed in. Melora Hardin (aka “Jan” from NBC’s The Office) was a powerfully dramatic Fantine, where her emotion overpowered her singing even to pitchiness, but a moving portrayal nonetheless. Rosie O’Donnell cancelled her appearance, and an enthusiastic Ruth Williamson took over seamlessly as the very funny Madame Thenardier. Brian Stokes Mitchell as Javert was an intimidating figure, even more so with his awe-inspiring deep voice. He kept on doing these odd slides though in between notes sometimes however, which added an uncharacteristic jarring jazziness to his singing. The standout of the cast was Lea Michele as Eponine – she wasn’t the scrappiest of Eponines that I’ve seen, but Michele emphasized Eponine’s vulnerable side, as a young girl in love. Her “Little Fall of Rain” was sweetly trusting, yet had that heartbreaking desperate air of her impending future without Marius, as she grasped at him with all her strength. John Lloyd Young played the role of Marius with an introverted intelligence and detail in every moment, characterized by a cool stark simplicity that was moving beyond overt emotion. J. Mark McVey as the lead, Jean Valjean, made admirable transitions between Jean Valjean the prisoner, the mayor, to old age, and his “Bring Him Home” brought everyone to tears. The stellar cast served the material well, and the overall effect was magical.

Forgive the quality of these vids.

If you haven’t gone to the Hollywood Bowl, do so immediately! It’s a Hollywood must-see and a singular experience. Bring a few of your friends, pack lots of wine and food and don’t forget a wine bottle opener. I also learned that two bottles of wine definitely wasn’t enough for five people.

Do you prefer outdoor venues like the Bowl or do you prefer more traditional indoor venues? If you’ve been to the Hollywood Bowl, what was your experience with the audience members sitting around you?

Full cast list here on playbill.com

For some much better video footage, check out broadwayworld