What can I say that hasn't been said already. This concert performance of Les Miserables is simply superb and one of my personal favourite performances of any musical to date. The story and characters are vivid and the music is magnificent and one of those musicals where there isn't a single bad tune, Stars, Bring Him Home, On My Own and Empty Chairs and Empty Tables always had the most impact on me.The performance is shot excellently, and while not the most visually appealing of all Les Miserables the settings and costuming are appropriate. The orchestral playing and conducting are superb too, and the performances are faultless. Michael Maguire and Judy Kuhn mayn't be completely ideal age-wise but I can forgive that when I hear how well they act and sing.Michael Ball's Empty Chairs and Empty Tables is heart-wrenching, Lea Salonga is a lovely Eponine(though I couldn't help thinking that Kuhn would have been better suited while Salonga sang Cosette, but it doesn't hurt the performance at all) and Alun Armstrong is perfectly cast and very funny. Colm Wilkisnon is an expressive and dynamic Valjean, complete with a very moving rendition of Bring Him Home. Phillip Quast is superb as Javert, conveying his harshness as well as making him a sympathetic figure. Stars is also a contender for the best rendition of the performance, it was very commanding and magnificently sung.Overall, a superb Les Miserables. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I love this show completely I can't say anything bad this concert production I love how they mix in some of the scenes from the show and the cast picks blow me away and I loved how they end this with the all of the around the Valjean's and the overlapping part of "One Day More" (which is one of my favorite songs in the show. I loved the Eponine in the show she was in MISS SAIGON and the Fantine. And how they follow the show still and the score how they played it was amazing in anyway. A really great gala concert ever.An Amazing concert to such an amazing show."ONE MORE DAY ALL ON MY OWN"

The first million times I saw this on tape and DVD, I was entranced from the very first drumbeat. This tale of the redemption of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict breaking his parole, features heart-felt lyrics covering a full range of emotion- hope, despair, love, hate, pity, wrath, etc.The performance begins in a prison when Valjeans receives his yellow ticket of leave- he is on parole. He finds that he cannot make a living unless he stops showing the ticket, as the law requires, so Valjean breaks his parole. Eventually, he becomes mayor of a town and adopts Cosette, the daughter of a dying prostitute. Eventually, Cosette falls in love with Marius, a revolutionary fighting for the impoverished lower classes while Valjean attempts to reconcile with his past."Les Misérables" is often seen as a depressing story (the title tells all, I suppose), but the musical does a good job of providing some comic relief (especially from the crooked Thenardiers) without compromising heavier scenes, such as the songs "Look Down" and "Empty Chairs, Empty Tables." The production also benefits from scenes with Enjolras (the revolutionary leader) including the uplifting songs "Red and Black" and "Do You Hear the People Sing?".I cannot imagine a stronger performance of "Les Misérables," since the performers were the world's best at their respective parts. This is one of the most classic tales of redemption, up on the list with "On the Waterfront."

SPOILERS Recently celebrating it's 20th Anniversary, the famous musical "Les Miserables" is a magical story based on the novel by Victor Hugo. As fresh today as it was originally, the story and the music are powerful and pull at the heart strings from the start to the brilliant finish. With recordings like this one, anyone can witness the miracle of "Les Miserables", but ultimately there is no replacement for actually being at the theatre itself.Arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean (Colm Wilkinson) is eventually released from the control of the law. Promising to live a better life, Valjean flees his bail to Paris and a little girl called Cosette (Hannah Chick and later Judy Kuhn) who he promised her dying mother he'd care for. Valjean is never truly free however, because a ghost from his past in the form of Inspector Javert (Philip Quast) is never far away.Billed as staring all the masters of the production, this version of "Les Miserables" is magnificent. Culminating in an extra special of 17 Valjeans from around the world singing a song in their own languages, it is well worthy of possession.As Valjean, Wilkinson brings the play to life as we witness the evolution of his character. Ultimately though, it is Quast as Javert who steals the limelight. The character of Javert is one of those individuals in plays and musicals who you find yourself loving, even though they are meant to be evil. It's a role everyone wants to play. Like Iago in Shakespeare's "Othello", it's not the main character, but it's the one that everyone remembers. Everyone wants to be Inspector Javert, and in this performance Quast emphasises that with a skilled and luxurious attempt.There is a major flaw however with watching this DVD or VHS, and that's the simple fact that it's just not the same as being there. Like watching a sporting event on television, or watching a historical moment on a news channel, so many things are better seen in person. Whilst we can watch Valjean's adventures and we can sing along, watching them on DVD is not as much fun as making the effort to go to the theatre. The tactile nature of an event matters.As entertainment, this production of "Les Miserables" is outstanding. It captures the beauty of the story and it has you trying to singing along. With superb performances by all cast members, it is an event to watch over and over again. Sadly though, it doesn't quite have the same aura about it as actually being there.