Les Miserables (Highlights from the 1987 Original Broadway Cast)

Colm Wilkinson, Les Miserables (Related Recordings), Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 28, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca U.S.
• ASIN: B000084TRM
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,952 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

While not overly generous at 55 minutes, the highlights album of the 1987 original Broadway cast recording of Les Miserables is intelligently selected and likely to prove satisfying to most fans. It includes the best-loved numbers of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's score, beautiful ballads ("Bring Him Home," "I Dreamed a Dream") and rousing anthems ("One Day More," "Do You Hear the People Sing?") alike, but eliminates some choral numbers ("Lovely Ladies"), redundancies ("Red and Black"), and connective tissue that propels the plot along ("Valjean Arrested," "Come to Me (Fantine's Death)"). Sure, a more perfect selection could have lasted longer than half of the two-disc set's 104 minutes by adding "At the End of the Day" and "In My Life," among others, but it's still a good representation on a convenient single disc. Of course, those who always want to re-create the theatrical experience will never be satisfied with a highlights album.

Re-creating their roles from the London production, Colm Wilkinson plays the heroic Valjean and Frances Ruffelle is the despondent Eponine. Randy Graff (Fantine), Terrence Mann (Javert), David Bryant (Marius), Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Michael Maguire (Enjolras), and Leo Burmester and Jennifer Butt (the Thénardiers) fill out the cast. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Score, But Highlights Missing Critical Songs, August 5, 2005

By	AJK (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Composers Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's score for "Les Miserables" is simply brilliant and the spectacular Broadway cast, led by Colm Wilkinson, Randy Graff, Terrence Mann, and Frances Ruffelle, help bring this incredible music to life!

While I normally enjoy "highlight" cds, this one clocks in at a mere 55 minutes and could have easily included a couple of additional tunes (thus losing one star). Most notably missing: "At The End Of The Day", "Come To Me", "Red And Black", and "In My Life". The show's most memorable songs, however, are included.

Best tracks:

I Dreamed A Dream
Master Of The House
Stars
Do You Hear The People Sing
On My Own
A Little Fall Of Rain
Bring Him Home
Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

Great cast, great score ... even a good buy. But I would suggest the full double-disc score instead.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Buy the full version, please, January 19, 2005

By	Winterhart (High Ridge, MO) - See all my reviews

Highlights are never worth it. You will never get the little in-between songs which make a show complete, montages will be cut together badly instead of being full songs as they should be...so much is left out. This is a fantastic show and deserves to be heard in full.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't even bother to get this, February 4, 2004

By	charter (the US) - See all my reviews

Les Miserables is an outstanding production. With so many excellent versions out there (particularly the 10th Anniversary Concert recording), you'll be missing a lot if you get only the highlights. Get any of the full recordings, so you'll have a true feel of this great show.