UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!
in 1962, french author victor hugo published les mis.
completely subjective ranking of les mis cast recordings
1. 10th Anniversary Cast Recording
Colm Wilkinson has been played Valjean at this point for more than ten years, so he’s pretty much got it down to a science. Michael Ball, Phillip Quast, and Judy Kuhn also give great performances, although there’s no one that doesn’t. It was recorded live as a staged concert so sometimes the volume of the mics can be a little finicky (like with Javert in One Day More) but it’s really not that noticeable. Lea Salonga is my favorite Eponine of all time. My favorite version of both One Day More and the Epilogue, which are both incredibly impactful and emotional. If I had to pick out one moment I don’t really like it would be the exchange between the two women in Look Down that lasts for about thirty seconds, but that’s it.
2. 2010 London Cast
This one surprised me with how much I liked it. One thing to note is it’s a recording of a live performance and not a staged concert, which doesn’t make a huge difference but is still noticeable. Some of the scenes (Fantine’s death, a Little Fall of Rain) are more interesting and dynamic as a live performance. The main cast is really great; I think Gareth Gates is my favorite version of Marius, he sounds so youthful and his whole performance is amazing. I don’t prefer Valjean’s actor to Wilkinson but he still is good. Not my preferred Enjolras actor but he and Grantaire have some brief interactions in Drink With Me which is cool. I actually really enjoy Rosalind James as Eponine, especially her rendition of On My Own (I liked her riff on ‘pretending’) and a Little Fall of Rain, which is my favorite version of that song. I dislike how they cut off Gavroche’s Little People verse, though.
3. Original Broadway Cast
This the best example of classic Les Mis. Due to it being a non-live recording it is missing some of the lesser important tracks. The cast is pretty strong here; Colm Wilkinson is obviously very good and although I prefer Quast to Mann he’s a good Javert. I especially like Enjolras’ actor, although I just do not like Frances Ruffelle as Eponine. Some other highlights are Master of the House, Castle on a Cloud, and the surprising amount of electric guitar.
4. Complete Symphonic Recording
I really enjoy Gary Morris as Valjean; he’s my second favorite after Wilkinson. Phillip Quast is good as always, and Enjolras’ actor is strong here too. I don’t prefer Fantine’s actress that much. I have similar feelings towards Eponine in this and in the OBC. There are new verses at the beginning of Master of the House which are kind of cool, and Gavroche’s death gets a lot more time. Non-live recording but includes all of the tracks, unlike the OBC. I’m pretty comfortable putting this solidly in the middle.
5. 2020 Staged Concert
This one’s a pretty mixed bag for me. There are some really strong performances— Fantine is fantastic, and Cosette and Marius are pretty good. Alfie Boe as Valjean is okay, but something about his version is just off for me. It might have something to do with his tempo and inflection. Additionally, Michael Ball plays Javert here, which was not the move. I’m no expert, but his voice sounds pretty damaged from his more than forty years belting Les Mis. Eponine’s actor wasn’t bad, but I don’t like the tone of her voice and she did a similar but worse version of the 2010 ‘pretending’ riff in On My Own. There’s been some lyric edits which are generally fine but kind of boring. They cut part of Little People (boo).
6. 2012 Movie Musical
Objectively, the movie is the worst version. But this list is not objective. Getting the obvious stuff out of the way: some of the performances here are really, really bad (poor Russell Crowe sounded like he was being held at gunpoint every time he delivered a line). Is Hugh Jackman good? I guess. As good as any of the other Valjeans? Not at all. Anne Hathaway is pretty good comparatively and I generally like Cosette, Eponine, and Marius’ actors. I like how they got Colm Wilkinson to play the Bishop, that was nice. Aaron Tviet is a good Enjolras, it’s good that they got at least a few Broadway actors. Extra points for George Blagden as Grantaire but those points are immediately taken away because Hooper cut his verse in Drink With Me (I'll never forgive you Tom). They did a lot switching the tracks around, which sometimes makes sense and sometimes doesn’t. I like the choice to switch I Dreamed A Dream and Lovely Ladies (which they title The Docks for some reason) and I’m okay with the switch of Stars and Look Down. However, Do You Hear the People Sing and On My Own should not be before One Day More.
7. Original 1985 London Cast
This was pre-broadway, so there are a lot of differences between this and the version that eventually came to be famous, which is probably why it’s last on the list. It feels very unpolished and I could be wrong but it sounds like there are less people in the ensemble, which wouldn’t be surprising. Colm Wilkinson gives a good performance but it’s the worst out of the three. Also, apparently Patti Lapone originated the role of Fantine, which I absolutely did not know. I liked Javert and Enjolras; Frances Ruffelle is Eponine again, and she isn’t my favorite. There are more missing tracks than in the OBC, as well as several songs that were cut after the transition to broadway (Little People, I Saw Him Once) which are pretty boring. They also put Stars before Look Down, which is interesting. Overall, it’s the one I would like to relisten to the least.
les mis 1972 𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡
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