seen from Netherlands
seen from Singapore
seen from Germany
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Latvia
seen from Malaysia
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seen from T1
seen from France
seen from Malaysia
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seen from T1
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seen from Singapore
Phantoms who return the embrace, part 2 (part 1 here)
Sandor Sasvari & Andrea Maho | Budapest 2003
Josh Piterman & Kelly Mathieson | London 2019
Josh Robson & Georgina Hopson | Sydney Harbour 2022
Tim Howar & Harriet Jones | Thessaloniki 2023
James Gant & Holly-Anne Hull | London 2023
Kevin Greenlaw & Emma Kajander | Helsinki 2024
Nadim Naaman & Georgia Wilkinson | Lisbon 2024
Jon Robyns & Lily Kerhoas | London 2024
Tim Howar (with Kelly Mathieson)
Tim Howar and Freya Eliza Perrins in the Middle East/European Tour.
Is it true that the recent West End deformity has gotten less bulky?
I believe the sculpt itself is the same, but that it depends on the makeup artst and/or head of costume how pronounced and (pun intended) fleshed out it is. For example, there is quite a difference between the official photos of Killian Donnelly and Jon Robyns - both from the West End revival:
Killian Donnelly's deformity makeup was more red in the "wounded" area and toned out towards his skin. This was pretty much the same style as seen before Covid closed the production.
Jon Robyn's deformity makeup was more beige in the "wounded" area, and with white contours. But to my eye the sculpt itself looks rather similar. As a comparison, here's Ben Forster from before the production closed down:
It is however true that the makeup on the "good " side is much duller today than in the past. The "good" side used to be accentuated, with a defined or lifted eyebrow, noticeable eye-makeup and contoured chins. Sometimes also quite red lipstick. The whole face was also usually pancaked. Here's James Paterson in the original West End production:
John Owen-Jones in 2003, when they really accentuated the eye and eyebrow:
And West End's next-last original Phantom, Tim Howar:
As a contrast, Killian Donnelly, the first Phantom in the revival:
And Jon Robyns, who left just a few days ago:
I mean, it is a choice, and it does make the "good" side prettier for photos. Still... maybe I'm just used to the good ol' days, but I do think the current look is too discrete for stagewear. I wish they'd funk and contour it up just a tiny bit. But the whole production has this "more natural" philosophy in both makeup and wigs, so I'm guess the new look is there to stay.
UM…?!
More Phantoms in 1-2 Sentences
[These are like my 'unpopular opinion' Phantoms?]
Josh Piterman: He cheated the unwritten final lair rules by actually embracing Christine back, but I am SO glad he did! He has the voice and natural intangibles for Phantom.
Greg Mills: Love him as a person (on social media at least) and want to love him as the Phantom, but inexplicably...don't and I don't know why *crying emoji*.
Stephen Buntrock: Inexplicably do love him and don't know why. The voice, the vibe, and the choices just work for me and I wish there was more of him to see.
Franc D'Ambrosio: Serving face, serving drama, always so extra, but I have to be in the mood for it.
Peter Jöbeck: I truly do not understand the hate he gets; his voice is so perfectly disturbing and Joker-esque!!! And he actually seems to regret his actions at the end, not just losing Christine.
James Romick: He's very forceful/on the nose (vocally + acting), and I think the Phantom is more than just "commanding." That being said, his "I love you's" are beautiful.
Géronimo Rauch: He's scary and sexy in equal measure. Elements of his performance remind me so much of JOJ.
Jon Robyns: Don't know much about his Phantom, but want to get to know more lol.
Tim Howar: He seemed very violent with Amy Manford's Christine in the final lair, and that turned me off. The Phantom is already "yikes" so let's not add unscripted physical aggression to the equation.
Brad Little: I live for the way he's so bossy and booming in "Phantom mode" but such a damn softy during the AIAOY reprises and final lair.
Standout Moments from "Les Misérables" Recordings, #33
1999 3rd National Tour video bootleg
Eric Buckley (u/s Jean Valjean), Todd Alan Johnson (Javert), Joan Almedilla (Fantine), J.P. Dougherty (Thénardier), Sharron Matthews (Mme. Thénardier), Sutton Foster (Éponine), Tim Howar (Marius), Kevin Earley (Enjolras), Regan Thiel (Cosette)
“How to Build a Memorable Marius/Éponine Friendship”: A Guide by Tim Howar and Sutton Foster.
This is cheating again; it’s not just one moment. But with a young Sutton Foster as Éponine and Tim Howar as Marius, there are too many to choose from. They have the best chemistry of any Marius/Éponine pairing I’ve seen so far. She can be rough, he can be oblivious, and they both annoy each other at times, but all the same, they share a true and firm friendship: a cross-class brother/sister-type of bond, never flirty, yet full of unique touches and moments of connection, which would be engaging even without Éponine’s secret romantic love.
Here are some of the highlights:
*In “The Robbery,” Sutton takes advantage of her 5’9’’ height and holds Marius’s books out of his reach above her head. Tim’s Marius – who has been trying to get his books back with a helplessly annoyed expression – responds by gracefully holding out his hand, with a little mock-gentlemanly bow on “…in books like these,” and Éponine finally gives them back with a warm smile.
*In “Éponine’s Errand,” Marius gently touches Éponine’s chin on “Don’t let your father know,” then shocks her by giving her a passionate, pleading hug on “‘Ponine, I’m lost until she’s found!”
*In “In My Life,” Marius somewhat rudely pushes Éponine away from the gate so he can see Cosette through the bars. But then he makes up for it by tenderly touching her face and then exuberantly spinning her around as he thanks her for bringing him there (in exactly same way he later spins Cosette around in their wedding dance, making that moment seem like a bittersweet callback to this one), and then he boops her nose on “Waiting near.”
*When Éponine reaches out to console Marius at the beginning of “One Day More,” he gratefully strokes her hair.
*When Éponine enters in “Upon These Stones,” she purposefully gets Marius’s attention by touching his back. She wants him to know she’s there – maybe she even hopes it will make him see her in a new light. And when instead he asks her to take a letter to Cosette, she’s angry. She snatches the letter out of his hand and storms away, setting up the rage in her rendition of “On My Own.”
*Finally, there’s “A Little Fall of Rain.” Sutton’s dying Éponine reminds me of Richard Armitage’s Thorin dying in Bilbo’s arms in the last Hobbit film: at first, she’s very tense, struggling to hide her pain, and anxiously clinging to Marius’s arm, but then she slowly relaxes into gentle joy and peace, quietly fading away. (But gathering up the last of her strength to kiss Marius’s lips.) Meanwhile, Tim’s Marius gently rocks her, strokes her face, rubs her shoulder, and finally hugs her body in quiet yet deep grief.
It’s a good thing Tim was dating his Cosette, Regan Thiel, in real life at the time, and has accordingly good chemistry with her too, or these interactions might have thrown the plot out of balance.
Honorable Mentions (i.e. the standout moments that involve the other characters):
*Joan Almedilla’s Fantine stumbles backward in startled horror as the whole factory sings “Sack the girl today!”, then approaches the Foreman’s desk doubled over in anguish, desperately holding out her hand for her pay, only to be coldly dismissed.
*At the end of "Fantine's Arrest," Joan's Fantine reaches out into the distance just before the constables carry her away, as if she's already slipped into delirium and is seeing Cosette.
*In “The ABC Café,” the uncredited Grantaire gropes Marius’s nipples through his clothes, causing Marius to provide the “AHH!” in “…ooh and ahh,” then chases him around the tables, holding his rolled-up newspaper to his crotch all the while. Then, as Enjolras sings the first lines of “Red and Black” as a direct rebuke to Grantaire, the latter points at Marius as if to say, “He started it!”
*Tim’s Marius kisses Regan Thiel’s Cosette on the cheek after their shared lines in “One Day More,” and then Regan desperately clings to his hand with both of hers and tries to hold him back as the invisible forces of fate draw them apart.
*This is the first bootleg I’ve seen with good quality stage business with Valjean, Cosette, and her childhood doll in “One Day More.” Regan’s Cosette is standing alone, lost in thoughts of Marius, when Valjean shows her the doll. She takes it, sinks to her knees, and spends a long while cradling and gazing at the doll, fondly remembering the past. But then she gently hands the doll back to Valjean to pack away: she’s no longer a child. Yet this nostalgic moment has also reminded her of all her father has been to her, and when they both stand up after closing the trunk, she runs to Valjean and hugs him. The fact that she was angry with him in “In My Life” makes this warm reconciliation especially valuable.
*In the first battle, Kevin Earley’s Enjolras, up to this point so stalwart and strong, falls backward in mute, stunned terror when he’s almost shot by the sniper, and needs Valjean to help him up.
*After Grantaire’s “Drink with Me” solo, Kevin’s Enjolras angrily grabs Grantaire’s shirt collar at first. But then he softens, and they stare at each other for a while, Enjolras briefly turning away but then looking back again, and finally, Enjolras offers Grantaire his hand, and he grasps it.
*Toward the end of “Every Day,” Tim’s Marius and Regan’s Cosette have their hands clasped and their faces almost touching, when suddenly they notice Valjean and draw apart, trying to be seemly in front of Papa. But Valjean lovingly joins their hands back together.
Tim Howar and Kelly Mathieson still the best final lair I’ve ever heard in my life…….gutted I didn’t get to see them two together
