Minnie Driver isn't an opera singer, hence my saying she is an alto is correct.

Eddie may not have been the right choice for Marius, but dear god, is he gorgeous...

I wasn't sure about him at first, but he grew on me as Marius.

I had reservations going in, but felt it was a success.

Alto isn't a voice type, regardless of genre. It's very commonly used incorrectly in this manner.

"Alto is the term used for a designated vocal line in choral music based on vocal range. The alto part in choral music may range as much as two octaves, approximately from G3 (the G below middle C) to F5 (the F in the second octave above middle C), though not often in one work, and is usually sung by female voices."


Either way, if the producers said Minnie has the chops for Carlotta, she's very likely not a contralto. I can't find any reliable reference to her voice type at all.

Real people very often refer to female singers as altos, seconds, and firsts. Maybe it isn't technically correct, but everyone knows what they mean. What is the big deal?

Wow lets freak out because I'm not an vocal officienado. Really, is it that big of a frickin' deal that I called her an Alto?

I am a first soprano, but I'm sure to you that is incorrect as well.


/please return to the regularly scheduled thread because I am officially done responding to this argument over vocal types.

FWIW (and not touching the alto-contralto controversy :D), Les Mis would be classified as a sung-through (or through-sung, or through-composed) musical. The lines between a sung-through musical and an opera can be blurry --- really blurry -- but the best explanation I ever heard is that in an opera, everything, including the story, serves the music, while in a musical (including a sung-through musical) everything, including the music, ultimately serves the story. So, for example, in a musical, the director will have the final say, while in an opera, the conductor will have the final say.

Somewhat arbitrary, but the best way I have come across to describe the difference.


Ugh! I hated that about the movie of Rent.

Haven't seen the movie of Les Mis yet, but I hope I can before too long. It's not my favorite musical by a long shot -- I like it okay, but I never really got all the hype about it -- but I'm always happy when a movie musical comes out.

I went to see it this afternoon with my sister; we both loved it!

A lot of the reviews I read were critical of the way it was filmed, that is, with so many close ups. Those reviews felt like that made it lack the epic quality a story like Les Miserables should have. While there were a few scenes where I'd agree ("One Day More") I generally really liked that. I felt like the close ups were very intimate and helped to personalize a very large cast of characters for the audience. I also loved the way "At the End of the Day" was staged in that tunnel/corridor.

They made some changes in the order of the action, but I thought they were appropriate. Moving "I Dreamed a Dream" after "Lovely Ladies" was a great choice. I started to worry that they had cut the first "Do You Hear the People Sing?" when it didn't come after "Red and Black," but I loved what they did with it!

I thought Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were just incredible. Every scene of Anne Hathaway's was a knockout. "What Have I Done?" and "Bring Him Home" were real standouts for Jackman. I felt Eddie Redmayne was both fantastically cast and nice to look at as Marius - "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" made me cry. I liked Amanda Seyfried too, even though Cosette is a character I don't particularly care for. I found her to be a very likable Cosette. Russell Crowe's Javert was disappointing for me. His singing was not on the same level as the rest of the cast, but I would have forgiven him Rex Harrisoning it if his performance had been less stoic.

I will definitely buy the DVD!

OMG I when I saw it yesterday, I too was like "OMG they took out Do You Hear the People Sing" but then they did it during the funeral, so I was relieved.

Hugh Jackman was amazing as Valjean.

Amanda was okay as Cosette, but Cosette is truly my least favorite character of the play. I'm a huge Eponine fan.

Poor Cosette. It's not her fault. She just really doesn't have much to do other than be beautiful.

You're right SWTXBelle, poor Cosette doesn't have a lot to work with. I haven't read the book, but I imagine there's a lot more room for her character to develop in a thousand or so pages.

I've read the novel - but it's been years - and Cosette is not a character who really stands out compared to the others. Curse of the ingenue and why I hated always having to play one.

OK am I the only one that thinks Hathaway was less than stellar in her singing?? I really felt they should have chosen someone else for that singing part--I was so disappointed. Her acting was great but I just didn't like her singing. Having said that, I've seen the Broadway version and I think the movie would be a let down to anyone who's seen it live.
I thought everyone else did pretty well. I saw it with my husband and he absolutely hated it, thought it was too long and stretched out and he hated how the speaking parts were sung. I thought the children in the film did amazing!

Off to see it in a couple of hours - I can't wait!

If hubby hated the speaking parts that were sung, and that he thought it was too long, don't take him to see the musical because the whole thing is sung and it is much longer than the movie.