Les Miserables 25th Anniversary [DVD]

Wow! What an outstanding concert presentation of this opera-like musical adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel "Les Miserables", which has been a worldwide sensation for over 25 years. This 25th anniversary concert, taped before a wildly enthusiastic audience of thousands at the cavernous O2 Arena in London, was simply superb--the production values (state-of-the-art lighting, audio, and video), the fantastic talent assembled on the stage, including performers from several companies--all in costume--and a huge back-up chorus all contributed to an amazing performance. The grand finale alone is the worth the price of the BD: members of the original cast (and other previous and current cast members) sing duets and medleys, including four different Valjeans, all incredibly awesome. Their performance of "Bring Him Home" will bring tears to your eyes. The other cast members including Lea Salonga, Katie Hall, and Norm Lewis were equally impressive and emotional. The Blu-ray Disc's video and audio are both excellent--you will not be disappointed in the sharp, pristine video and the impressive, full audio. If you have a surround-sound system, you are in for a real treat. Much unfair criticism has been heaped on pop singer Nick Jonas, who plays the part of Marius, the young student who falls in love with, and eventually marries, Cosette. While his voice is not operatic (and the other cast members have such voices), his voice is nonetheless fairly good and with his boyish good looks, he is very convincing as the young idealist student who becomes the love interest of Cosette. Also, this BD, which I ordered from Amazon.uk, is region-free: It will play flawlessly on Region A (U.S. & Canada) Blu-ray players. I live in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA--and this BD, which is not yet available on Amazon in the U.S., was a bargain, at less than $23-US, including shipping. This BD is a keeper--you will watch it over and over again. Highly recommended!

I saw this on TV recently and had to get the DVD. I first saw the stage production in London in 1994 and one other time, and I have the original cast recording. It's hard not to love any production of this fantastic musical, the music sweeps you away. Alfie Boe is phenomenal - the power of his voice blows me away. Many people like Colm Wilkinson but I love Alfie's opera style and what it brings to the role. The emotion is different to that of musical theatre and when he sings, it makes my skin tingle and gives me goose-bumps. At the end where he sings with 3 previous Jeans, he's in his own league. His emotion in the track with Fantine and Eponine brings tears to my eyes. I hadn't followed AB previously and am VERY late to the fandom of Alfie but I am playing a fast catch-up. I saw an interview with him where he described his emotion on singing Bring Him Home - makes it all the more poignant watching it knowing how he felt. On the downside of this production - Nick Jonas!! What were they thinking casting him? Weak all around. Bad choice in casting - so not his fault. Spoils the production for me. The duet with AB highlights his inadequacy. I agree with another reviewer "Hazell" on her assessment of him. I'm not a fan of Michael Ball but he shows what should be done with the role. Love all the extras of this DVD set. Very happy that I had bought it (FYI - when I was buying it there were a few choices - I bought the 5th Anniversary Edition one dated 2013 and the illustration shows the Special Edition)

Since Amazon sometimes uses the same review for several different editions of both CD and Blu-ray versions, please pay attention. This review is valid only for the Blu-ray discs. There are two quite different versions: one sold as a US Import with a higher price, the other a UK edition with a bargain price. Contrary to the information given by Amazon both versions are region free. The US import is not region 1 only. You do not need extra equipment to play it. I first bought the cheaper European version but was dissatisfied because you cannot at all hear the very large (300 singers) offstage extra chorus, which is clearly visible above the orchestra. The effect is comic when you see the mouths of the chorus move but hear nothing. In the editing room the tracks of those mikes have been left out, by mistake I believe. All you hear are the soloists and smaller chorus onstage. Things like this, I agree, do not bother most people; however, for me the addition of hundreds of extra voices at the climactic moments gives a powerful additional sonic experience. In the US Import version the sound has been remixed, the volume levels on both audio channels 2.0 and 5.1 are the same. The sound is clear and vibrant with a much wider dynamic scale. The orchestra sounds thunderous at times, close to a theatrical movie version. The offstage chorus can be heard clearly. Especially in both momentous finales the difference is striking. How to tell the two versions a part from each other except for the price? The US Import version: in the Amazon product information the studio is Universal Studios, the release date 22 Feb 2011. There are subtitles in English SDH, French, Italian, Spanish (Castellano), Spanish (Latin America), Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Icelandic, Dutch, Portuguese, Hungarian, Polish, Turkish, Mandarin and Kantonese. On the box the number at the bottom of the side title says Universal 61118326. The picture quality of the special features is also 1080p, like the main feature, and the special features audio is in DTS 5.1 Surround. On the back cover below the Universal logo there is a text: Universal, A division of NBC Universal. www.UniversalHiDef.com. On the back cover there is an ad on a blue ribbon across the whole page saying: Perfect Picture and Purest Digital Sound Available. In this case it is true. The UK version: In the Amazon product information the Studio is given as Universal Pictures UK, the release date is 29 Nov 2010. The subtitle languages are English SDH and German. On the box it says Blu-Ray Disc 8280887 in the side title, on the backcover 8280887-11. In the special features the picture quality is 1080i and the audio is English 2.0. I now have both records, is the US import version worth the extra cost? Absolutely! For audio lovers and people who want to hear every note of Les Misérables it is a must. The acoustical experience is simply quite different. The musical and other virtues of this performance have been praised in hundreds of other reviews so I’ll only say 5 stars, absolutely fabulous.

I'll get right to the point .... THANK YOU THANK YOU Amazon.co.uk!!!! You made this US LES MIZ fan extremely happy this holiday season. To start out with I was extremely jealous that we here in the US were not able to see this concert "LIVE" in the Cinemas when it was originally broadcast in the UK ... we had to wait over a month before it showed up on this side of the pond. Then it was announced that it would be available on dvd at the end of November but, alas, only in "Region 2" which means it is not playable here in the US. I began searching the internet trying to find any information on an expected US dvd release but found NOTHING!! Finally, I happened to stubble across a posting on the LES MIZ Facebook page where someone had responded to another unhappy US fan's plea for any information regarding a US release. This person replied that they were pretty sure that the Blu Ray version was "Region Free" and should be playable in the US. I immediately logged into Amazon.co.uk and took a gamble and placed an order for it. It arrived about a week later and played perfectly!!! THANK YOU AGAIN!! My only suggestion to Amazon.co.uk would be that you should make the "Region Free" aspect of the blu ray a little more visible so that other customer's like myself who aren't in a "Region 2" zone would be aware that this blu ray (and any others you might offer) are playable for us. I'm sure I'm not the only US fan that was anxiously awaiting the release of this concert. As for the dvd itself ... what more can I say that hasn't already been said in other reviews ... it was FANTASTIC!!! The HD picture and sound were incredible. The performers were fantastic ... Nick Jonas, eh ... ok, but WAY OUT HIS LEAGUE!! The encores at the end were icing on the cake. Someday I hope that there will be a "Definitive Collector's Edition" that will contain interviews with all of the original cast and creative team. I would love to hear their stories about the shows beginning and how it feels to have been a part of something that developed into the phenomenon it has. I admit I'm one of those people that finds all the "Extras" and the "Behind the Scenes" features on dvd's just as interesting (sometimes moreso) than the feature itself. If you're in the US and can't wait for an official US release then hop on to Amazon.co.uk and order this edition ASAP ... you won't regret it!! :-)

Amazon delivered my blu-ray Les Mis yesterday and we watched it last night. Absolutely stunning! Both video and audio quality are truly excellent. Inevitably people will want to make comparisons with the 10th Anniversary Concert and in particular if the new performers are as good as the earlier version. As far as I am aware Jenny Galloway is the only artist whose role is common to both performances and I am happy to confirm that she is just as good as before. It may take a few viewings to settle into the different interpretations but irrespective of individual preferences the concert was superb and the dramatically improved technical qualities will, for me, ensure that this is my preferred version. I did have a degree of trepidation with regard to the role of Jean Valjean. How would Alfie Boe compare with the wonderful Colm Wilkinson? The latter's voice is quite unique and perhaps no one can meet that excellence. However, Alfie Boe makes a very good fist of it and it was interesting to have the opportunity to make direct comparisons in the epilogue of the performance. What a lovely touch to see and hear some of the original artists at the end of the show! I did miss Philip Quast's in the role of Javert and 'Stars' was not as dramatic as before - that wonderful stern face which he held at the end of the song! Thoroughly recommended and looking forward to seeing it again. A commemorative booklet would have been nice and the menu system (chapters/songs) could have been better - but this is just nitpicking. Edited on 19/2/11 Having now watched this production several times I thought that I really ought to give Alfie Boe the credit he deserves. It took a little while to get used to the the new Jean Valjean after being so used to Colm Wilkinson. However, more and more I appreciate the skill and artistic interpretation given by Boe. He is simply fabulous and a worthy successor to Wilkinson's 10th Anniversary performance. The niggles about the menu system remain. Why oh why didn't the engineers spend a bit more time producing a modern, navigable menu system?

I loved it but the problem was I was spoiled because I downloaded the original 1985 soundtrack and the singing was far better. The reason I only gave it a 4 was the part Matt Lucas played. I got the impression that he thought it was all about him and he was the only one who reacted with the audience too much whereas the rest of the cast didn’t. The audience was partly to blame for this as they gave him a standing ovation every time he waddled onto the stage. All the rest were excellent and I loved it. The end where some of the original 1985 cast came on and sang some of the songs was emotional for me. I now have the original soundtrack and the 2010 dvd. Am now considering the version with Hugh Jackman in the lead but it has very poor reviews. I shall see.

I'm from Southampton and I have seen a lot of shows as we are lucky that we have the Mayflower Theatre. Even though I have seen a lot of shows I only became aware of Les Mis when Susan Boyle sang "I Dreamed A Dream" on Britains Got Talent. I had heard of it but it wasn't until I found out about the story and then bought the 10th Anniversary DVD that I got hooked. The story is of the life of a man who comes out of prison and starts a new life and vows to be a good person. The story is superb and the singing is fantastic. My personal favourites are "Stars", sung by Javert, (Philip Quast), and "On My Own", sung by Eponine (Lea Salonga), although all the singers are superb. I have always liked ABBA and have been up to London to see "Mamma Mia" but when I watched the 10th Anniversary DVD of Les Mis it topped even "Mamma Mia". I have since been up to London to see Les Mis and when it came to the Mayflower in September 2010 I went to see that too. When I saw that the 25th Anniversary DVD was being released I pre-ordered it straight away. The 25th Anniversary show at the O2 is superb as is the 10th Anniversary one at the Royal Albert Hall. The voices of the performers are superb and that is the main reason that I like to see shows, that mostly they are people you have never heard of but they have fantastic voices, (unlike a lot of these high paid people who can't sing and call themselves "pop stars")!! In the 10th Anniversary DVD it is nearly all of the original cast and in my opinion the singing is slightly better than the show at the O2. But the O2 show has a fantastic atmosphere as there are almost 16,000 people in the audience! I have watched the DVD time and time again and never get tired of it. And to think that up until 2 years ago I didn't even know what the story of Les Mis was. If you like shows then get either (or both) of these DVD's. You won't be dissapointed!!

Fantastic

DVD importado dos EUA, não pega no aparelho brasileiro! Não reportado isso no anúncio

Vale la pena! Llegó antes de lo esperado.

私が、この作品を観たのは、NHKのBS放送でした。その時、普段はオペラなどは観ませんが、これは、別でした。 初めての人でもきっと、感動できるコンサートでした。感動的なストーリーに生演奏、そして、何より、迫力のあるキャストたちの歌声、特に主役の人は圧倒的に迫力がありました。観た後も興奮さめやらぬ、良い作品でした。少しお高いですが、ミュージカルが好きな方など、私は普通の人でも楽しめる作品ではないかと思います。時間が長い作品ではありますが、一日の休日にゆっくり鑑賞してみてはいかがでしょうか。

Très bien

I own almost every recording of Les Miserables as well as the 10th Anniversary DVD and now I have the 25th. I absolutely loved the 25th. It is a thrill to compare all these recordings and each one brings something special to the table. The camera work in this version was excellent. This is my first time hearing Alfie Boe sing and he handles the role of Jean Valjean really well. He is a strong singer, almost as good as Colm Wilkenson in his prime. How wonderful to hear Lea Salonga perform the role of Fantine, what an amazing singer and what emotion, The role of Javert was also well done, but Philip Quast in the 10th was stronger. All the performers held their own, but I did find Nick Jonas as Marius a bit weak. I admit I am comparing him to Michael Ball and in my opinion, no one can hold a candle to Michael Ball. Overall, the cast in the 10th are better, but true Les Miserables fans will want this one as part of their collection. All that is left now is a musical movie version of Les Miserables. So bring it on, I am waiting. By the way, grab the 25th CD recording while you are at it. It's a totally different cast and another opportunity to compare recordings. Oh yes, there is a great surprise at the end of this DVD. 5 stars without hesitation.