What's weird about the casting of Russell Crowe is that Javert's role is scored for baritone - i.e., the most common male voice type, so it should be relatively easy to find someone competent to fill it compared to Jean Valjean, which not only requires a tenor but one with a pretty large range. So I can understand why…

What's weird about the casting of Russell Crowe is that Javert's role is scored for baritone - i.e., the most common male voice type, so it should be relatively easy to find someone competent to fill it compared to Jean Valjean, which not only requires a tenor but one with a pretty large range. So I can understand why…

Yeah, this too. Some of the rhythmic "choices" from the actors were just sloppy.

Yeah, this too. Some of the rhythmic "choices" from the actors were just sloppy.

As others have said, it was probably just so that it didn't overpower the singers, since these singers are not the big voices you usually get with a Broadway or West End production of Les Mis.

As others have said, it was probably just so that it didn't overpower the singers, since these singers are not the big voices you usually get with a Broadway or West End production of Les Mis.

Aaron Tveit was far and away the best. What's weird is that he originally auditioned for Marius and didn't get that part, even though I thought he was better-looking and would have made a better romantic lead than Redmayne.

Aaron Tveit was far and away the best. What's weird is that he originally auditioned for Marius and didn't get that part, even though I thought he was better-looking and would have made a better romantic lead than Redmayne.

Is that really what Hugo meant, in that social change needs to come from "enlightened rich guys"? He apparently did base Marius on his younger self, and Hugo visited/helped out at the barricades of the 1832 June Rebellion (the event Les Mis is centered around) in a similar matter to how Jean Valjean does in the…

Is that really what Hugo meant, in that social change needs to come from "enlightened rich guys"? He apparently did base Marius on his younger self, and Hugo visited/helped out at the barricades of the 1832 June Rebellion (the event Les Mis is centered around) in a similar matter to how Jean Valjean does in the…

I think with both the Marius's grandfather plot and the downplaying of Eponine and Marius's friendship, those were both things where they would have made more sense if they either made it exactly like the novel, or exactly like the musical. Choosing this weird in-between version, where the grandfather thing is only in…

I think with both the Marius's grandfather plot and the downplaying of Eponine and Marius's friendship, those were both things where they would have made more sense if they either made it exactly like the novel, or exactly like the musical. Choosing this weird in-between version, where the grandfather thing is only in…

If they had put McCarthy in that role I would have loved that movie regardless of anything else that was in it.

If they had put McCarthy in that role I would have loved that movie regardless of anything else that was in it.

I think Cosette ended up pretty happy. (I would say Marius as well if not for the fact that he lost all his buddies.)

I think Cosette ended up pretty happy. (I would say Marius as well if not for the fact that he lost all his buddies.)

Yeah, I think they just cast Jackman because he's probably one of the first people who came to mind for the casting directors when they thought "big Hollywood actor + tenor + Broadway/West End experience." But not all tenor roles are created equal, and Valjean requires a much bigger range than Curly does - which the…

Yeah, I think they just cast Jackman because he's probably one of the first people who came to mind for the casting directors when they thought "big Hollywood actor + tenor + Broadway/West End experience." But not all tenor roles are created equal, and Valjean requires a much bigger range than Curly does - which the…

Re: "theater/voice nuts," this is actually one of the cases where the theater and classical singing people I know are pretty divided on this. The classical singers I know hate it, the theater people I know love it.

Re: "theater/voice nuts," this is actually one of the cases where the theater and classical singing people I know are pretty divided on this. The classical singers I know hate it, the theater people I know love it.