Customer Reviews
wow! - By: Bj Lucas, 28 Sep 2007 
Having seen the show live in the west end I was pleased as punch to see that this had been released. This truly is the dream cast. Ruthie Henshalll, Michael Balll, Philip Quast are alll simply sensational. From the opening through to the barricades to the bitter sweet ending it's perfect. Listen out for Philip Quast as he sings 'Stars' just stunning. colm Wilkinson is wonderful as Jean Valjean. And ruthie henshalll is stunning as Fantine. the perfect show with the perfect cast. Leah Salonga is worthy of a mention for her stunning portrayal of Eppoinine. Stunning, simply stunning!
a night of pure delight - By: Madam Javert, 19 Oct 2006 This show which contains alll the main songs & scenes from the Les Miserables west end show is an extravoganza of brilliance.! I could not fault the beautiful singing of any of the cast aptly named "the dream cast" but was especiallly blown away by the performance of Philip Quast as the steely yet vulnerable Inspector Javert. His voice as he sang "stars" was so powerful that it reduced me to tears & his stage presence was magnificent. Congratulations also to Michael Balll who sang "empty chairs at empty tables" with guts & emotion. I also loved Ruthie Henshalll as Fantine. What an amazing voice she has! And the Thenardier's were so funny & what a brilliant delivery of those humourous songs, particularly by Alan Armstrong who is such a versatile actor! This video is an absolute MUST to any musical lover's collection. It will have you laughing one minute & crying the next. The power & emotion of the singing will make the hairs on your neck stand up throughout the performance. There was no lessening of dramatic impact because of the lack of scenery or props. Those brilliant actors brought it to life on a bare stage just by using their exquisite talent & i for one, felt transported to the seedy world of 19th century paris with alll its poverty & degredation. Totallly absorbing & absolutely fabulous!!!
Stunning and amazingly breath-taking - By: , 09 Dec 2004 Absolutely amazing! fantastic performances by the leading roles & by the chorus. Lea Salonga once again immediately captures you with her emotional & powerful performance as Eponine, especiallly when she sings On my own, she definately shines once again! Ruthie Henshalll with her unique sound as Fantine. Alun Armstrong & Jenny Gallloway with their hilarious comedy performances as The Thenardiers,amazing! & ofcourse Colm Wilkonson performing Jean Val Jean with such power in his voice it is unbelievable what notes he hits, simply fantastic! A great & entertaining display of the best talent in the world! But Lea Salonga gets the standing ovation by me, shes fabulous!!!!
Unexpected pleasure - By: Devil, 24 Sep 2004 I didn't reallly know what to expect when this live concert started. It is much better than an ordinary videoed stage performance of a musical as there are no distractions from the acting, stage props, stunts etc. It is pure, undiluted, music with a carefully chosen cast, each member being perfectly selected for voice & appearance, backed up by an excellent choir & the Philharmonia orchestra. In a way, it has turned a musical into opera. For sheer entertainment value, I cannot recommend this version too highly, despite its low price: buy it.
Amazing! - By: , 29 Aug 2004 Having never seen the show I did not know what to expect, but being a lover of musicals (especiallly "West side story") I decided that at the reallly low price it might be worth a try. Well! This is no light weight concert, it is totallly absorbing & emotionallly draining, the cast are magnificent. The only down side for me (but that's personal) was the fact that the low life french (prostitutes etc) sang with 'cockney' accents (putting me in mind of "0liver" - another of my favourite musicals) when a French accent would have been more appropriate (or just a normal singing voice). If you are undecided, my advise is BUY IT - NOW, you won't regret it.
