Eh????

Our flesh is weak and getting weaker by the minute. See, us fairies were at the O2 for the Concert of the Century but have yet to buy the DVD. We assume our families know us well enough that a copy (or two) should drop in to our respective stockings on Christmas Night and then, the arrangement is, that we will get together and spend a day or two camped on the sofa with the biggest box of Quality Street we can find, a few chocolate oranges, a few bottles of fizzy pop and a box of tissues and relive the spectacle that was the Les Miserables 25th anniversary concert. And we can barely wait. The temptation to just buy the DVD and watch it is so strong...Everywhere we go, there it is. All the shops, even food shops. Just chuck it in with your brussel sprouts...how easy could it be??? Advertised on telly, spoken of on the radio, twittered about regularly...yet we STILL HAVEN'T BOUGHT IT OR SEEN IT. Time goes by so slowly when you're waiting. It really isn't fair. But arrangements have been made to rectify this situation between Christmas and New Year and this is what we are aiming for.

In the mean time, the Royal Variety Performance had a little something we both watched with much anticipation...there it was! Les Mis on TV!!!!! Seldom has a section of this show been so eagerly anticipated in fairyland. And it did mean that our urge to rush out and buy the DVD was momentarily eased, as we knew we would be seeing something of the magic in our homes and on our tellys! Nice long slot as well. Not just a measly 2 minute gallop through one song (the mind wanders back to christmas last year, ITV, the overrated  and the marvellous, wonderful  rather handsomely talented  David Thaxton (and the rest of the Queens cast) gallantly speed singing and speed marching to 'One Day More'...the memories remain...), but a proper little segment. And we do like a proper segment.

You can tell there's going to be a moan.

What went wrong? Nothing. it was fine. It was 'nice'. But...just that. Les Mis is so spectacular, overwhelmingly so, but that did not translate to the stage of the palladium. Or onto our tv at least. Where were the huge songs? Far be it from us to be predictable, but if you are going to show case Les Mis, where was 'One Day More'? Where was 'Master of the House'? What about 'Do You Hear the People Sing'? For one dreadful moment we did think they were about to do 'I Dreamed a Dream' as the cast parted to make way for...The Four Valjeans. Thank heavens. We thought Subo was about to do an entrance. It really was a bad moment and still brings us out in a cold sweat......So. It was all very adequate, just didn`t blow us away. Samantha Barks was lovely, but we've heard her sing better and she was just ever so slightly 'shouty'. Alfie Boe sings technically like a dream, faultless. But as Tamsin put it: 'He's singing the 'Soliloquy' the same way he would sing 'Just one Cornetto'...'. And he did, even with a hint of an Italian accent?? "He told me that I have a sol...."  WHY??? Even more so in the Four Valjeans rendition of 'Bring Him Home'. What's with the little key change thing as well? Just asking. Considering you had four magnificent singers on stage, and we had seen them perform this same song amazingly at the O2, the performance was ever so slightly lacklustre. Maybe it was just one of those 'on the night' things.

And as a little footnote, Enjolras. A curly haired, lanky looking Matthew Gent who just didn't look right for the part!!! At all!!! Where was our Enjy??? Enjy isn't curly! Sorry to be 'curlist'...

Les Mis at the Royal Variety Show. What do you think?

Despite that we still adore our Les Mis and everything associated with it, you know this.  To see it celebrated on telly is a wonderful thing in our opinion.  25 years young and still packing them in.  We love it, and we promise our review of the concert will be epic. In the meantime we dream.
That's right. We dream a dream (somebody stop us...) of...
Drew Sarich coming back to Britain as the ultimate and definitive Jean Valjean;
Of David Thaxton reprising his role as Enjolras for another year or so until he becomes a Javert to be reckoned with;
of US ON STAGE in the ensemble doing whatever is required.
Oh yes.
We dream.