Theater Review

Back to Review Index Go to the Home Page

    How was the performance in...
Detmold
Lüneburg


Les Miserables  Schonberg & Boublil
Landestheater Detmold, 09.04.04, and many other dates.
 
  The big old musical. I will not write about all the experiences I have had with this. At the moment, i want to tell of the last performance:
  There was a different Eponine than I am familiar with (and totally dedicated to. She has such a beautiful, tragic roll. She does it excellently, and I devotedly watch her solo every opportunity I have.) Well... it's hard to see someone else in the roll then. And I could not stop myself from ever-so-many comparisons. What I most was struck by (and dissatisfied with, truth be told,) was the over playing of the tragic. Her "On my own" was not too bad, but I still like the interpretation more of stiff upper-lip, and a cool, self analysis of how sad and hopeless -yet pitifully dreaming, her situation is. I didn't like the "feel sory for myself. Look at how sad this all is!" approach to it.
  And then there's her death, a duet with Marius. This always brought tears to my eyes. She... is brave. she is dying, but has such joy, at being in his arms. She is exactly where she would most like to be, to die. It is perfectly bitter-sweet. She achieves a purity in this scene. Perfect innocence, after a dirty, horrid life. And her "don't fear, Marius" line is so heartfelt; in the sense of "I am going to die... but - don't fret my dear one. No. I'm with you right Now... so you make death ok."
  Anyway, I can not describe all the ways that this scene is wonderful to me. And... all these little, indescribable feelings were not there with the guest Eponine. It was... less a grasp at a last second of happy bliss... and more a thrashing out at the departing world. It was 2 and a half minutes of death, with gasps, shivers, and broken voices. It was overplayed. More than anything else, I felt it was overplayed. It has more, much more effect, when it's 2 minutes of -imagining it's all OK, and 30 seconds of the world slipping away, than the whole thing a terror and last second struggle. The last catch of breath in the body is all the more effective, if it wasn't preceded by so many other gasps and coughs.
  I write about this so much, because it's something that I know I must learn; I have been known to overact before. (to the degree of "Stop it Stop it Stop IT! For this part, don't think of anything. Review your shopping list, think about when you'll do your laundry, I don't need Any facial expression at All." -That was Jean Grand Maitre, in his wonderful "Ouroboros.") So... this soloist made it clear to me how... grotesque it can be, to give the feeling all your heart and soul, and just keep giving end giving. I am grateful to her for that. And I need to tell you, in all fairness (though I realise how belated it is at this moment,) that she really is a fantastic singer. Her voice is truly wonderful, and SO expressive (it's just that she used too much expression here.) Also, she never had rehearsals, and was thrown into the part, so no one has worked with her on how to best portray this role.
 
  Generally though, I find Les Mis to be a powerful work, which begins approaching the perfection of the book. It's a heart wrencher, to be sure, but has warmth as well. -Now if only it was enjoyable to Dance...


Les Miserables Theater Lüneburg, 18.11.05
(The last Dress Rehearsal.)

  Oh my, oh my. Well. What can I say? I would like all my criticisms to be constructive, but I don't know if I'll be able to manage that.
  Most of the soloists were very good at... well, honestly? Over-acting. I hope that you've just read my review from Detmold, because then I won't need to explain about how the Death of Eponine should be played gently, and without too much panting, gasping, and grasping of other people. And for that matter, Javert shouldn't have a permanent scowl on his face, and Jean shouldn't be at every moment in great torment... well, he could be, but it should be INNER torment, and not expresses by passionately spitting out his words, (and heavy breathing, and scowling, and so on.) Much much much too much of this production seemed over played to me. Part of the problem with that could be that the characters become less like people, and more like... players. They loose all touch with humanity, when they are portrayed so, -in such an extreme stylisation. ("Hear me gasp! I'm distraught!")
  So, my constructive criticism is for the soloists to hold much, much more of it in. It will be MORE clear to the public that way. (There WERE exceptions, I'm glad to say. Much of what Eponine did was good. The first half of her "all Alone" solo was divine, -and it was only in the middle that she went too far with the "Yeah. I know; he doesn't love me!" Also, the Cosette was faultless, but that's not such a difficult role to play; She only has to be good, cute, and innocent. And that's something that's very hard to get completely wrong. So, she was fine. And Marius was also Al right, though he could have been rather better. He was Neutral, to my taste. -and that meant that he was rather good compared to the others.)
  And the Others weren't always bad either. Jean had his moments where I thought he played it well. They just never lasted long enough, -before he again put every bit of passion into it, and made it... fake. Hmmm... and I thought that Monsieur Thenardier was rather decent. His wife was... peculiar though. I didn't like the way her role was given to her.
  Some of the blocking, -the directions and movements for the singers, was UTTERLY unnatural. Fantine was the worst. There was one point, where she's standing up, and spits in the face of the Mayor. And then promptly falls to the floor... Why? Well, it seemed that the only reason for it, was that it was a more dramatic place to sing her song from. So, she falls to the floor. Much worse still, was when she was very, very sick in bed. And she's worried about her daughter. So, she lifts up the covers, falls onto the floor, and starting singing about it. It was just SO contrived. She could have at least STARTED singing while she was in bed, an then, when she was reaching out to the thought of her daughter, fallen out. But no; It was "Time to sing a sad song. Let's lie pitifully on the floor to do it." That was, for me, the most terrible moment of the evening.
  Pant pant. Well, have I been entirely too cruel? Let's hope I have Something else to say as well.
  The Tavern scene was alright. I thought it had a good feeling to it. And some parts at the barricade as well. Ah, and at the death of Eponine, which she overplayed, but not Too exaggeratedly, she had some nice blood on her. I just thought it was a little too much: She is meant to have been just shot. So, they had wet, glistening blood on her neck. Which I thought was VERY well done. It looked quite real.) But then, it also went up, and covered one of her cheeks. And both of her hands. Now, some smears on the cheek would have been fine. And one hand could be soaked with blood. But not both! If you've just been shot in the shoulder, you'd clutch it with the hand of your Good arm, and let the bad one just hang at your side. And if it was a stomach wound, it would be one hand clutching it, (and perhaps the other hand lying on top, but then that hand wouldn't be soaked all over with blood.) Anyhow, I know it's a little detail, but it's one that struck my attention.
  Hmmm... The wedding was alright. And I enjoyed the little, and I mean LITTLE,) choreography that was done for the choir at it's end. That worked well. It was organised. It was simple enough for the choir to do, but also made a very nice, ball-room like effect. Ah! I also disapproved of how Jean lifted the cart off of a poor cart-man who was being crushed. It wasn't in a way that would have worked, if it had been real; He didn't lift in such a way as to use all his strength. (True, it looked... like a strainfull lift to the audience, but it didn't look REAL.) A somewhat similar thing, was on the barricade. Heck, the barricade it's self!!!
  It was not the sort of barricade that would have stopped a single bullet. Or even a child, if the child felt like pushing his way through it. It was mostly wood, with a predominance of chairs, and other things which are mostly air. Try making a wall out of chairs, and cart-wheels. You'll notice that there's a lot of gaps, and free space. Well, that's how the barricade looked. Quite insubstantial. Very, Very picturesque. That's true. It was the Prettiest barricade I've ever seen. And the students who were manning it... were a bit the same. I mean, come ON! When you're a bunch of revolutionaries, who are facing the army of the city, you don't stand on top of the barricade in full view to see what your enemy is doing! You crouch down behind your cover! At the same time though, I'll admit that it was a striking, Striking pose! It would make a lovely, lovely poster! It would be such a stunning painting!
  But, how many military paintings are realistic? They always seem to leave out the mud, the disorder, and the patches in the clothing. They are pieces of art, and are composed entirely, from start to finish, on artistic principles. That's how this pose was on the barricade. It had NOTHING to do with reality. But... it was a beautiful, wonderful pose. (Direct from a photo studio, as opposed to a revolution.)
  Hmmm... so, I didn't feel it was as good as Detmold. And now, I really have to get to sleep.
M.