“A Little Fall of Rain,” London, 2004. Gemma Wardle as Éponine, Gary Tushaw as Marius.
Here we have another cast I saw in person! It was my third time seeing the show and so far the only time I’ve ever seen it in London.
This is definitely a more dramatic rendition of this song than the more understated Broadway one I just shared. Éponine is thoroughly drenched in blood, loudly cries out in pain toward the end, tries to reach toward the sky on “The skies begin to clear...” but collapses just from that small assertion... Yet it never crosses the line into melodrama, because both performers are excellent.
Gemma is a longtime veteran of Éponine’s role – from what I’ve read, she was 29 years old here and had first played the part at age 19 in 1994 – and has honed this scene to near perfection. Her pain, her feebleness, and her sweet, gentle joy at being in Marius’s arms are all completely believable. Even though in my comments on the 2002 Broadway clip, I just praised Jodie Langel’s long, passionate kiss at the end, I love Gemma’s gentle, brief kiss just as much. It feels like the visual equivalent of “You know, Monsieur Marius, I believe I was a little in love with you.”
Gary does a fine job too. His voice is very much like a lighter version of Michael Ball’s (just like Gemma’s voice is a bit like a clearer, sweeter version of Frances Ruffelle’s) and his tender comforting and quiet grief are very touching.
Another beautiful rendition.
