A postcard from the Palace
by Julie Meader'I'VE SEEN YOUR FACE BEFORE...'
We've had a quick look as some of the men, so it's about time us girls got a look in. Today, I'm having a Fantine Day. No, I haven't decided to join the Lovely Ladies, but I will give you my opinions of the interpretations of Fantine, my favourite non-male in the show.
The character of Fantine can be either simplistic or complex. Or both, it depends on who is playing her. She can be portrayed as the desperate mother, her all-consuming love for her child being her primary concern. So much so that she is oblivious to all else. After all, surely, you might think, she must have *known* that the Thenardiers were con-artists. Thwarted on all sides, finally descending to where it does not seem possible to get any lower, things turn from bad to worse. Turning to prostitution was a necessity rather than a choice. She had nothing and no-one else, until it was too late.
I am glad she makes a brief re-appearance for the Finale to see her grown-up daughter happy, having been brought-up by the saintly Valjean. The fact that Fantine always refers to him as Monsieur I find interesting. Although she entrusts him with her daughter, having only really just met him, and seeing what a great job he's done with her little girl, she says 'Monsieur, I bless your name' but doesn't use it, although he calls her Fantine. Strange.
The general theme of Fantine's plight has not changed much over the years, and today's society is not really very different from Nineteenth Century France (or anywhere else for that matter). Therefore, Fantine is really the only character that I can identify with in modern times. I'm sure we all know people with a little of Valjean or Javert in them, and lots of girls find a soulmate in Eponine and a hero in Enjolras or Marius, but for me, Fantine is the one I see as the most tragic. Better get cracking before this becomes even more depressing.
Lindsay Danvers.
Lindsay was the first Fantine I saw and I was awe-struck. I Dreamed a Dream has become one of my favourite songs from any show and Lindsay's delivery was terrific. I remember thinking what a nice song it was, and then later, Come To Me. What I never thought would happen was that she dies. All my previous musicals had been happy, jolly occasions. I mean, she DIES. And it's so early on, too. This, coupled with the very nature of the song, really knocked me sideways. The second time I saw her, I was sitting much nearer the stage and so I was treated to, what seemed to me, a personal rendition of Come To Me. I was sitting to the left of the theatre (known in our house as the Fantine side, the other being the Javert side) in direct line with the bed, and her beseeching glances in my direction endeared her to me for evermore.
Grania Renihan.
Again, a 'new' Fantine for me, although Grania had appeared in the role at the Palace before. Her first exchanges with the factory girl and the foreman were delivered in rather hushed tones and I thought that when she got to her main song, she would be struggling. The first lines - There was a time�.again were rather restrained. Struggle? You must be joking. Grania soared away into the song with an emotional rendition second to none. When she reached 'But there are dreams that cannot be' I thought I might have been asked to leave by the nearest exit. Reading her programme notes, it states that Grania used to be a singer in a Country band. Obviously, all those cheery lyrics about dead dogs and drunken husbands have rubbed off and she is able to strike a chord somewhere on the emotional scale between tragedy and near-hysteria.
Her Come to Me again was nothing short of stunning, even if my seats was never as well-placed. She dies beautifully and has a nice rapport with Valjean, not only because for the most part, Valjean was played by a certain person. In fact, once, my sister informed me after the show that Grania had sung the wrong verse in Come To Me (apparently, she'd sung 'Take my hand, I'll lead you to salvation', instead of 'The night grows ever colder'.) I was so wrapped up in the overall performance, that I hadn't even noticed. That either shows that Grania is just so good, she could be singing her shopping list, or I am even more unobservant than I thought I was.
I also noticed Grania on the barricades making bandages, so she didn't really die. You could even hear her voice if you listened close enough. It is rather unmistakable.
Her interplay with Javert is the best I've seen too. On one occasion, playing opposite Hartwig Rudolz, she was holding on to his boots during the arrest scene, and he was trying to shake her off like, well, like something you scrape off your boots. Even rolling around on the floor she still manages to express such emotion.
Silvie Paladino
Another newcomer to the role, having been a previous Eponine. I had heard a brief snippet of Silvie's singing as she duets with Anthony Warlow on Somewhere on his Centre Stage CD - available from all good shops - highly recommended.
I don't know what she was like as Eponine but as Fantine, she is well and truly in her element. She can belt with the best of them, and is suitably restrained for the quieter moments. Her voice can be trembly or calm, depending on the song. She is wonderfully calm for Come to Me (moreso than I was listening to it) and her face lights up when she 'sees' Cosette. She also falls out of the bed onto her backside. She actually breaks the fall with her leg, but you can only notice that if you're watching closely. I wondered how she could to that night after night and not wince.
She has a perfect face for the role too. What I mean is, she can convey that sweet smile without looking like a simpering idiot. I've never actually seen anyone looking like a simpering idiot as Fantine, but it's only a small division between contented joyousness and inane grinning at being re-united with Cosette, and 'seeing' her just before her own death.
After her social descent, (how nicely put) she looks suitably grotesque and her taunting of the Captain is very self-mocking, lifting up her skirt for the 'Don't it make a change to have a girl who can't refuse?' line. Later, when Bamatabois is on the prowl, she delivers a swift knee in the nether regions which always gets a silent cheer from the audience.
Since the re-vamped version of the show was opened in London, I find that the violence in that scene has increased somewhat. What used to be a fairly light-hearted piece has now turned into a very nasty section - and I think it works better. Fantine gets quite a few whacks from Bamatabois' cane, and there is another girl in the background being beaten to the floor in an earlier moment during 'Lovely Ladies'.
Her all-round acting is great. She develops a convincing hacking cough which must play havoc with her vocal chords - but it doesn't seem to hamper her singing in any way.
Her interaction with Valjean is wonderful for the arrest. She holds onto his lapels while singing 'You let your foreman seeeeeeeeeeeeeend me away' before spitting and he (Stig) shouts 'Let her be' in his strictest voice as the police officers present move towards her. Isn't that just your favourite Fantine line?
Cornelia Drese.
I've never actually seen Cornelia, but I can't discuss Fantine without giving her a mention. She's the one on the Duisberg cast recording, and is my favourite recorded Fantine. Her voice has all the qualities that are important in the character, and although I can only understand a handful of words of German, she still has the ability to make me cry. I know it's not really that difficult, but no other Fantine can reduce me to tears while I'm driving along. And my German is improving nicely - I just need to find a situation where the words 'Come on, Captain, you can wear your shoes' might come in handy :)
Palace Theatre - March 9, 1999
It seems ages since I last reported from the Palace, and checking up, I find that it�s been almost 6 months, during which time the cast has been chopped and changed somewhat. So before they all leave yet again, here�s the latest.
The review I�m concentrating on from my recent forays into Row F is the performance from March 9th. This was the week Mr Owen Jones chose to have a quick vacation, so for the first time ever, I had the dreaded notice which read �at this performance the role of Jean Valjean will be played by - Paul Vickers�. So, not a great start, then, but hang on! All the other principals were on that evening, so there was some good news. So, there I was, the seat in front empty so an almost unobstructed view of the stage - result! And a result in more ways than just the view. Valjean�s first line, hmmm, not bad. The Palace Fairy Godmother had waved her wand over the cast, and the magic dust had settled firmly on Paul Vickers - he was absolutely stunning!
Silvie was back as Fantine this week, the previous time I�d seen her understudy, Dianne Pilkington who was more than capable. I really liked her, her voice and general acting were wonderful. But seeing Silvie again after such a break was almost too much to bear. She has grown in the role and made it her own and with each performance I�ve seen her in, she acts the part to utter perfection. Her version of I Dreamed a Dream is heartbreaking while her acting skills are so honed, you find yourself completely drawn into her plight. By the time Come to Me was being performed I was �gone�! Paul continued in the �caring� Valjean tradition of Cavill, Rossen and Jones which I like so much. Tim Morgan was back as Javert this time, and he is also a very capable performer. The week before I�d seen his understudy, Eddie Burton, who, while he was OK, was in my opinion not quite old enough, and also seemed incredibly nervous. And the costume department must surely be having a laugh with the hat for Fantine�s arrest - it was just about the size of the Runaway Cart! Tim however, was dressed normally and makes a fine inspector.
Little Cosette was really tiny. I won�t mention the fact that she sang �Aren�t any floors for me to sweep� in both verses, I think she got away with it, but all credit to her professionalism - she carried on like a little trouper! Liz Ewing and Teddy Kempner as the Thenardiers are just impossible to describe. They find something new every time - and I must mention Liz�s new method of relieving the choking man! She bumps into the back of him using her biggest assets and I�m sure half the audience miss it because there is too much going on. Teddy�s very dry humour is more than hilarious and he now plays it completely sozzled when Valjean returns with Cosette. The Waltz of Treachery is also very nicely put together - with Valjean�s beautiful pleading and the Thenardiers whining asides - Teddy�s comment of �Shocking� while Liz is bemoaning the cost of medicine. I think it�s just as well Valjean is not facing the audience during the early part of this scene as he must be tempted to burst out laughing. Or do they do it so often it becomes less funny? It doesn�t work with the audience though, and each time I find myself giggling away.
This time we had a great little Gavroche who introduced us to the delights of Paris, 10 years later. The ensemble let rip with Look Down mark II and I missed the rat-catcher yet again! Eponine is now played by Amanda Salmon who on stage looks around 15. She�s very feline in her appearance and I�d read some comments about her, one saying she was whiny and one that she was scary? Oh, well, you can�t please everyone I guess, but there�s no way she�s either as far as I�m concerned. I�ve never seen a duff Ponine anywhere and Amanda�s performance can be filed in the box marked �great�. She�s fabulous.
Another 2 cast members I hadn�t seen before were Enjolras and Marius, now played by Paul Manuel and Tom Lucas. What is there to say about Tom? Firstly, he was once in a pop group, but don�t let that put you off in the least! As far as Marius goes, it helps if you�re cute - he�s cute. It�s a great advantage if you can act - he acts. And you�re voice needs to be something special too - yep, it is. OK, I admit it, Tom is great! I haven�t quite got to the stage where I�m getting up early on Sundays to watch No Sweat on BBC2 but once he dons the black suit, he�s up there with the best. Paul�s Enjolras is��..is��.what is it? He�s good, he has a nice voice, he acts fine, he looks fine (better without the awful �tache I think. He looks like the original Martin Guerre logo!) but there�s something missing and I don�t know what. He�s a good leader, he rallies the troops well, takes care with Marius, doesn�t shout at him for being late, is great with Grantaire, who in James Doherty is definitely one of the best. Perhaps Paul�s problem is he�s not David Bardsley but that�s more my problem than his. He did have to hold the string on the cart though! I think it might be because he didn�t add anything different - oh, sorry, he did! He made a nice sign of the cross just before the final battle, and was pulled from his religious reverie by Grantaire. Liked that bit. I didn�t get the same brothers-in-arms feeling I usually do, though not always, and the rapport with Grantaire was far more evident in the touring production I saw in Southampton last year. I liked him a lot more the second time I saw him anyway, so perhaps it really is just me.
Rebecca Vere makes a nice, if slightly mature, Cosette. She had perfect diction and a nice slow style. A bit different to her belting out �River Deep Mountain High� the last time I saw her a concert! Wonderful street scene where she and Marius both end up on the floor. It was a relief to see that Paul, while inheriting the Rossen serenity, didn�t have to put up with the hideous wig. It was so much better to be able to enjoy the scene without wondering if the dreaded hair-piece was going to last the pace and not wander of in search of a nearby tree!! Tim performed Stars with his usual flair - and held the last note beautifully. And what was this? The music before �Cosette, now I remember� is back? They�re pulling out all the stops tonight! We might even get the Castle in a cloud piece after the second Drink with Me?!!
The students were all in top form for their caf� scenes. James running round the stage with Andrew Keelan on his shoulders was rather amusing, and their was a nice mixture of �studious� and �larking� from them. Paul was quite commanding here, delivering his lines with the right amount of gravity, and Marius� face conveyed all the emotions of his new found love. Awww!! Remember that thing I said about the tour cast, where Ponine calls back Marius through the gate at the start of A Heart Full of Love? Well, it�s HERE! Amanda also does it - so a huge thank you to whoevers idea it was to include it. It�s only a small thing, but it�s so touching. Right, here�s a tip. If, like me, you spend the last 10 minutes of Act One snivelling into a tissue, try kitchen roll next time! You don�t get those nasty pieces of fluff like you do with ordinary tissues stuck all over your face and clothes. The love triangle was, as ever, just eye-wateringly wonderful! Who do you watch? Ponine lamenting her lot, or Marius and Cosette falling deeper? Oh, boy, tear off another sheet!
One Day More soared round the auditorium. Pleased to report that Paul did the doll thing wonderfully, despite previously dumping the clothes into the case very unceremoniously!
Act 2 was continued in the same vein as the first. Paul�s version of Bring Him Home was delivered with class in spades. I was pinned back in my seat, from the first few lines, sung in very restrained tones until his voice soared into The summers die. I was slightly concerned after he took his flight right at the start, as he just sang it normally, not the high-pitched, angelic squeal that you-know-who does, but there was nothing to worry about, it was just oozing compassion and the deeper meaning shone through. Even the audience clapped! Earlier, Amanda�s On My Own had a few cheers too from the reluctant audience, but it was all thoroughly deserved. Some have been critical of her smiley approach, but I didn�t really find it destracting enough to even notice. I found her completely sympathetic and resigned to her life without Marius, and her smiling I saw as sardonic acceptance of her lot.
A Little Fall of Rain made me cry (again) largely due to the quality of the acting between Tom and Amanda. Tom�s mixture of panic and comfort for his dying friend are a joy. And a nice Grantaire moment after, too, with James pushing the hopeless Enjolras out of the way to take Tom in his own arms. I don�t mean Paul is hopeless, I mean the character!
Empty Chairs was once more sung with feeling and Tom even got 3 syllables out of Became! He could do no wrong by this time, he was Marius! For Every Day, the 2 young lovers were wonderful, and by the time Paul came on, noticably aged, I was in need of another sheet of kitchen roll. That bit always gets me. Tom also managed some classic expressions during the Confession, and was much kinder to Cosette. Javert�s suicide was handled very well, with Tim maniacally striding round the stage in turmoil rather than what can seem like childish frustration. Now for the Finale, Paul�s face had taken on a look which was either supressed giggles (the Wedding was being cleared away very noisily) or something like imminent Cannonisation! He was so laid back and peaceful, that he wrung out even more emotion. By the time the two girls came on, there can�t have been a dry eye in the house. The ensemble now sing the first two verses very hushed which sometimes works, sometimes not, but this time it did. The whole show had been almost perfect in every way and there came an almost immediate ovation. About time some of my fellow viewers showed some feeling! The cheers got louder and more prolonged for each person taking their bows, and by the time Paul came out, it was tumultuous! He looked a bit shocked, but it was no more than he deserved. Top cast, top night, top show - top that? I doubt it;)
Any comments? Julie would be glad to hear from you.
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