More than anything, as far as entertainment goes, 2012 will be the year I discovered Les Miserables. Anne Hathaway impressed me in Rachel Getting Married, so I found out about Les Mis through hearing she would be in it. So I gathered more and more interest for it as the months went. I then read the novel to prepare myself for the film adaptation of 2012. By the time I saw the film, I was in love with the music, and so this was the first real musical version I saw besides the new film. Yes, I saw it on Youtube, but what a beautiful, magical event. I feel like it's so much a part of me now. It's such an emotional experience that nothing I say can describe what it is to watch it for the first time.

The 25th Anniversary concert of Les Mis was put on at the 02 Centre in London in front of an enthusiastic crowd. The production was outstanding in almost every respect. The lighting was dramatic and set the mood, the costumes brilliant, the orchestra and chorus were brilliantly directed and there were some wonderful surprises at the end.Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean and Norm Lewis as Javert were perfectly cast. Mr. Boe mastered a very difficult role requiring great range, sensitivity and feeling and he nailed the performance. American-born Norm Lewis, a Florida native, captured the tormented essence of a man obsessed with a mission that never ends, that is relentless and life-draining, with grace and style.Katie Hall shone brilliantly as Cosette and Samantha Barks brought Eponine to life in a series of brilliant duets and arias. Their voices were clear and pure and could not have been more stellar. Matt Lucas and Jenny Galloway tried very hard to steal the show as the conniving but comical Thenardiers.The only weak spot in the production was the casting of Nick Jonas as Marius. In a show when one is surrounded by professionally-trained and experienced West End and Broadway performers, Jonas' lack of training, experience as a garage band musician propelled to "stardom" by the "magic" of Disney was the dinosaur in the room. His voice was weak, nasal and frequently off-key. Even the young boy who played Gavroche, Robert Madge, outshone the Jonas Brother. Mr. Jonas was clearly out of his league, good intentions notwithstanding.Overall the production was brilliant and vastly entertaining, a performance to be savored over and over. If only Mr. Jonas stuck to performing with his brothers ...

I had mixed feelings about this rendition, but after much thought, I think my opinion is rather favorable. Alfie Boe was definitely a strong point, and is definitely a rival to Colm Wilkinson in fitting the roll. Norm Lewis is also very good, though when compared to the 10th anniversary version, I'd have to place him below Philip Quast in his solo songs (Stars and Javert's Suicide), but otherwise, he is much better, especially in The Confrontation, and he did incredibly well in Javert's Intervention.Jenny Galloway really is the only person I've ever seen do Mme. Thenardier as well as she does, so I'm glad they brought her back. Matt Lucas does very well as Thenardier, though I prefer Alun Armstrong for Dog eat Dog, since he seems much more slimy and sociopathic. Also, though Matt brings a better personality to the role, Alun more looks the part.I have never really liked the Marius-Cosette-Eponine characters, in any of the times I've seen them in the musical or in the book, though I think this does better for Eponine, as this is the first time I've actually felt anything for her other than contempt. Not much to say about Cosette. She's as boring as ever, and for that I blame Victor Hugo, for making her character just so boring. Katie Hall did well in the role, but for me, it's still not enough. Nick Jonas was pretty awful in the role. I'm not going to say anything like "I hate Nick Jonas" "He's a terrible singer" or anything like that, since I just don't really care enough about him to see what else he's done, and see is he is any better, but I do think the role was wrong for him. He doesn't harmonize with any parts he is traditionally supposed to, and he is about as stiff as cardboard, but that also may be the character of Marius in general.On to L'Amis de ABC: I don't understand the reason everyone seems to love Ramin Karimloo as Enjolras. To me, his voice didn't seem to evoke the idealism, passion and god-like strength of personality that defines his character. His voice seemed much more human and more romantic than that. In the 10th anniversary version, when ever he started his part, it felt like a call to arms, whereas here, he doesn't have nearly the charisma for that. Grantaire here was alright, though he's not all that memorable. The rest of L'Amis are decent too, but non-distinct. I don't really count Gavroche as one of L'Amis, though I know other people sometimes do, and I will include him in this paragraph: I really liked the portrayal of Gavroche in this one; The only thing that would have made it better would be Ten Little Bullets. I don't understand why they never use that song. It's not a very good song, but it is much better for the story.But the thing that I think really sold this for me was the story. The story of Les Miserables is really incredible, and there's a thing to be said about having such a multi-faceted story work in a musical, like this. The changes they make from the 10th anniversary version are for the better, be they adding songs (the Robbery/Javert's Intervention) or fixing up lines (ie making Marius the one who asks who the "swells who run" the slums are, rather than Enjolras, since Enjolras is supposed to be leading the revolution). Most of my mixed feelings were in comparing it to the 10th anniversary version, but in a vacuum, it's well worth the 8 I gave it.

I have avoided Les Mis over the years, under the impression that it held nothing which would appeal to me. I noticed that this 25th anniversary concert presentation was being broadcast live from the O2 to our local cinema and, knowing that my wife was a big fan, I booked tickets. I got into trouble for various reasons: a) why are you wasting money on that, b) you know I like the show, not a concert performance, c) I get a headache at the cinema.... boy, these women can give you a hard time, can't they? I was blown away. With the exception of Nick Jonas' thin, weedy, nasal Marius, I thought all the performers were first rate. But I have to single out Samantha Barks' heart-breaking Eponine, Matt Lucas' assured, hilarious, and wholly unexpected Thenardier, and Alfie Boe's astonishing Valjean. The ovation at the end of Bring Him Home has been cut down for the DVD: it went on so long during the live performance that he finally had to break character to smile and acknowledge it. I am pleased to say that I have now seen him on stage as Valjean, and it is every bit as hair-raising live in the show.This is a remarkable record of a remarkable event.