Can You Hear The People Yawn

There are a few shows out there in the realm of theater that have a bizarre effect on people, no one knows why, people are just drawn to them like a magnet. Les Miserables, now enjoying a open ended "revival"(I use the term loosely) at the Broadhurst Theater, happens to be one of these shows.

The musical which is very loosely based on Victor Hugo's massive novel has a strange appeal that I have yet to understand. The whole show is filled with sentimental songs and emotionally maniplutative material. I went because it is one of those shows that you are supposed to see much like Phantom(which I will be seeing within the next month or so). But I could not get over how much of a letdown the show as a whole was. It was too dramatic and over the top, and we were supposed to feel bad for the characters and connect with them, but most of them left me feeling cold.

I also couldn't get over the fact of how the police officer Javert, could not let one stupid ass grudge go, he seemed too desperate, and when he offed himself at the end, I was glad to see his character be gone from the stage, I only wish he had done it sooner. And can someone please tell me how Jean Val Jean could keep getting out of being arrested? He would just be like "Oh I left the stove on, time to leave!" Whaaaaaa? The whole thing was too unbelievable and stupid that I was just waiting for his next excuse, and if Javert was so intent on capturing him, then why did he keep letting him go? Uh durrrrr, he's right there, it's not like he called you on the phone.

The performances were good, I have to give a huge props to Ivan Rutherford as Jean Val Jean, to sustain that level of performance night after night, amazing! His rendition of "Bring Him Home" was probably the highlight of the night. The whole cast deserved a round of applause, except for Ali Ewoldt as Cosette, her voice was grating and not up to par with the rest of the cast, and Ann Harada as Madame Thénardier, while I enjoyed her in Avenue Q, she was miscast here as the innkeepers wife.

Another plot nitpick was the fact that Cosette and Marius fell in love within two seconds, wtf? And the fact that Cosette was something like 8 when Jean Val Jean took her away, yet she seems to have amnesia and doesn't remember when he took her. Yeah I believe that, I remember stuff from when I was 4 how could I not remember a huge life changing event from when I was 8 or 9? Surely you jest! Also, why was there no explination about Gavaroche being Eponine's brother? Hurrrrrrrm?

The show was what it was supposed to be, big sets, big songs, big costumes, bit lighting, and a big disappointment, much like Wicked, the show is meant to be consumed like soda and not wine.