iTunes Exclusive Episode Les Miserables

If you are hearing the sound of my voice it means the following conditions have been met
at least once in your life you have listened to the club house podcast live every Sunday
night 70s during four pacific your one stop shop for all things pop culture it also means you
check us out in your favorite podcast that because it's time for another hot coals number three
seventy four how about that welcome my name is Rob I'm the executive producer of the club house
podcast and I dreamed a dream and it was good it's good but I'm not alone joining me across the
desk in the co-host chair as he tends to do is my co-host and a man who refuses to pronounce it
miserably because he is not Alex Trebek he is Chad welcome sir no no I'm not gonna overemphasize
next to him is the official fact checker of this show and the only thing he likes fronters potatoes
you may know him is fond on go but his mama name him don't for don't call him don't for to
welcome sir hey I like the escort got that's your boy no no no no stop right now
right now this is the lady of the house and probably the only culture one amongst us
which is why she didn't have to be with us for this because she's already cultured enough and we
need the culturing she is general welcome friend good evening everyone whenever we do one of these
is to review something and this is no exception we're going to the stage kids because it's time
to talk a little bit of it a miserably all right for we start this whole thing yes sir we got
think Paul that everybody at Dallas summer musical we are such fans of everybody at Dallas summer
musicals they do such amazing work not just on stage backstage for the community we love that they
let us come and see their production so that we can review them for you guys pack house I when we
were there I was going to say that we've been doing about DSM for what four years now probably
creeping up on four four something like that at least for about six weeks away from the fourth
anniversary I mean I'm gonna fact check that you keep talking have we ever seen that place that
packed ever maybe once or twice maybe we're but that whole four the whole yeah I mean it was it was
definitely a thing for sure man I felt like sardines in that okay so if you've never heard of
Les mez first of all welcome back from the cave we appreciate you joining us and the fact that
you've actually found a way to do a bit of technology to get you there god love yeah even I know
the story I know you know the story this takes place in early 19th century France by the way
done I'm fact checking you right now and fourth of June will be our fourth anniversary of our first
stage show I know hi oh believe me we all remember yeah I'm still working through that and you have
a guy by the name of Jean Jean Jean I've always had my hear his name it makes me think of like
Keenan Thompson saying it I don't know why that's right and he is played by Nick cartel and he
is serving 19 years in prison for stealing bread and he's getting paroled by the by the guard Javier
played by Josh Davis and basically he's on parole so he's got you know Don one point was a
parole officer in his life probation probation same thing but you know there's yeah there's follow-ups
that have to be done but what was what Jean finds out is that he can't really find good work because
of he has been in prison so he's taken in by a bishop in that bishop is played by Andrew Morgan
I hope I got that right and may you g h a n by one and he kind of reverts to his always a little bit
the the bishop kind of keeps him from going back to jail as Javier comes from him again but he goes
look just go get your head right right become a better man he ends up violating his parole and going
basically running away and changing his identity from there he becomes a factory owner and a mayor
of a small town in France and winds up through certain circumstances befriending a young lady named
15 played for for what we saw I have to actually do the math on this was Mary Kate Moore played in
our because there's two different ladies playing her actually three it looks like who he finds out
is terminally ill and as she is passing he asks her to take care of her daughter collect and so we
have about a 15 year span that takes place from beginning to end of this particular story originally
written by Victor Hugo and what's 11 Tony's total out of 19 nominations over two different
revivals of it very popular one of the longest musicals in history but I'm not going to call it a
musical because honestly this is not a musical this is an American opera that's an operating
and I say that I don't know I don't say operative because it's got some distance to it
because there's maybe two or three lines of actual spoken dialogue in this entire thing everything
is sung so this is not musical is an opera right just cause for what it is
I will tell you and I'm just going to say this up front whether you see it here in the
Dallas for earth area where it plays until May the 6th or wherever you see this national touring
company be on time yeah because they there's signs in the window that says this thing starts exactly
the time it says on your ticket normally when you go to show sometimes there's a little five or five
seven minute buffer this thing happened right on time and if you're not there when the lights go
down you're waiting 15 minutes to get in because the the prologue to this is it's important that
there's no lights coming in the room or any instructions because they're setting everything up right
I read your review currently located at www.theclubhousepodcast.com
that's our website yours as in you mine you you and you make some very valid points
but I think you and I see it from different angles because I am I'm like you in the fact and I
say this in my written review currently located also at www.theclubhousepodcast.com that's our website
that in the pantheon of productions that are on what you could call my bucket list one of which
happens next season when this icon comes to town this isn't at the bottom of my list
but it's also not real far towards the top of my list this is one of those I hear people talk
about all the time I have a very good friend of mine from high school who was big into drum and bugle
core after high school and they did lay miz as a show one year
but it wasn't anything that I'd been clamoring for real fast at 1 8 out of 12 Tonys
okay I had to thank you thank you thank you see the fact checker doing what he does
but when I saw this now I should have known going in that something was different because in the
program there's something different so if you go to your program right before the who's who
they give you a full synopsis of everything that happens that should have been my first clue
that this was going to be more of an opera because that's what they do when you go to opera
because a lot of times they're singing you can't quite understand what they're saying because
they're singing in a certain fashion or they're singing in a completely different language
in Italian or something and I was like hmm but then about five minutes in it locked in okay this
is what we're doing this because we saw a different version this is the wily yeah almost four
years ago that was a modern version right like but swap police and all that thought so it is a new
twist but not originally so once I locked in with that especially having seen that version of it
because I've never seen it in its purest form until now I never saw either of the films that were
done we own the book I've never read it uh because you know I can't read but makes two of us
knowing what I knew going in helped me it helped me kind of of sort through what was going okay this
is where we are in the story this is where it's going things of that nature but where do you and I
differ I really really enjoy this and let's let's put this out there on front street from what I've
read that you've written it's not that you didn't enjoy the experience it just am I correct the
thing you just didn't connect with you yeah yeah I mean it's technically it was astounding
absolutely beautiful from a technical standpoint the production itself is a top notch production
there's no denying that there's a couple of moments in this that visually I was like okay that was
kind of cool the the the sewer escape that that's exactly what I'm talking about was one of the
cool really done on stage it's just that this story it's got nothing to do with the well maybe
partially something to do with a couple of the performers but for the most part it's got nothing
to do with the performers it's all about what's on the page and this this story is such an incredible
downer yeah it's not the feel good story the year and and and I've I've sat through the one
of the wily I've sat through the the the theatrical release with the 2012 version yeah with with
you jackman and no no no no that was a non musical version yeah and Russell Crowe singing and
lead we say more but hey that means rock star sir okay he has a band thirty thirty-five foot
of grants but it's just Schindler's list is more uplifting than the story is I mean it's
but it's it's it's not something that you enjoy it's something that you kind of survive
but who says every production has to be no no no no we don't we also knew that going in yeah yeah
so but the interesting thing for me was it wasn't like Chad went into this prepared to be let down
or prepared for whatever like he went in open-minded yeah he went in like this could be the thing
that turns the corner for me and again I agree with him fully and wholeheartedly his
non-connection because I can't say not in joy because there was a certain level of enjoyment
because you you acknowledge the beauty of it and you knowledge the technology of it and you
knowledge the performance of it it's just this story yeah it's that's that's really the
main thing that puts me off so it's just it this wasn't the thing that turned the corner for you
no I mean I like I know that a lot of people look at cats the exact same way
I love that it was better than cats I would see it over and over I've never seen it yet
it's about cats okay I've seen it and had a cat on my lap I'm alert to the cat probably not
in the theater we oh no yet one of the members that's one of the cats members was saying
I actually came in this that I'm okay she goes to see cats she gets one of the cats members in
life we go see hair somebody's doing cro- uh latch hook with her it's very strange I should get
to the theater more it's kind of entertaining especially knowing the story it helped me a lot
just to sit back and enjoy the presentation itself the own one of the things that kind of took me
out of it was the amount of people that didn't take the look beyond time seriously uh-huh that was
disappointing to me but that didn't take me away from what was going on right I mean this thing
beautiful tragically beautiful yeah yeah or beautifully tragic depending on how you look at it
yeah from either way now Don wasn't unable to say for the whole thing we hope your wife is feeling
better sir please please tell us please let her let her know that we're thinking of her so you
but you made it through the first act you guys had to leave it in your mission right because
well the the second act probably went about an hour yeah yeah but still this
so you have about 20 minutes difference between acting on that too let me say like first up let's
talk about that big elephant in a room about being on time because I knew when that first song bit
was over it was like a rush it's like it I think it was so sad that the people that were there
in time it disrupted them the people that were singing at that table it's like it's a bigger thing
you see people stand up I mean half the theater stand up because I'll use you know let's put
beyond that that's not the and it made me sad for the people that were outside because they missed
a beautiful pro long that's what they get yeah I agree but so many people bad for them not me that's
for you for being late but I mean let's talk about I thought about this visually beautiful absolutely
beautiful this was a production that it had the full Broadway it will compete with any stage set of
the of any production I've ever seen in rival anything we see this is absolutely the opera that we
sought the wind spear I mean it the sets are coming back to Dallas summer musicals next season as well
yeah the thing though like I really enjoyed was that backdrop and now that even changed and you saw
the smoke coming from a backdrop so I really love the visual the sets you really felt like you were
in France at the time it's immersive it's very immersive and there's one piece of it that you
haven't mentioned that's in your written review currently located at WWW dot the clubhouse cop
podcast dot com I swear at that time see I've been sick let me okay I just want to make sure because
there's another piece of this that you put in there that neither one of us did that I want to make
sure you cover one thing I really liked is this film no production that's what I said you see
the that's production it was dark most of the time and it had that lighting like you were in
France where the lighting was in the 1800s was just candles and fires and they used real fire that's
what I was waiting on that was like well they actually used real fire on this open flame it's like
and very I guess you could call it muted lighting yeah would that be a good way because if you were
in 1800s at the time in all you had was candle lights and stuff around the sky slide everywhere
yeah it had it was dim most of the time which I really liked I like that dimness the darkness
because that's what it's like and there's like about three four scenes where the lights were really
on I mean it was so dim that you can see all the side lights and I really enjoyed that aspect
because they try to make you feel you were there at the time and it's not a bright film it's not
I mean production it's not a happy go lucky thing and so the lighting was like that through the whole
production and a great task to oh the singing cartel and Davis I think we're very very good as each
other's foils um let me get out that I did have to leave at the intermission because the fantastic
faith forth was not filmed that that fantastic that night so so my wife comes for us I apologize
yeah she should come first yeah but I would like to say that when it comes to the acting though
in a singing when Davis did that song stars oh oh we're he plays December and he said I mean you
felt the whole crowd go well this guy well you I wish you could have seen him in act two when he
does his soliloquy when javair's character arc but you know the character who I can give the
shout out that was not a great visual to you by the way is Alison Gwynne who played the madem
the innkeeper's wife okay for those of you that you may have now just figured out the whole
culture thing I mentioned earlier I think you now get it don't did not just have a seizure
uh I like french fries well here's here's the thing about her and the the gentleman that played
her husband because uh and that would be Jay Anthony Crane their roles walk a very thin line
to portray though that couple who you have to hate because they're the people that mistreat
co-set when she's a child and Jean Valjean adopts her they take advantage of everybody right
but they also they also function as the only comic release true in this entire story and to be
able to walk that line that I want to ring your neck but you're entertaining me at the same time
that's a very delicate balance and I think both of these individuals did that very well I heard
you're in a little lake thing and all that yes I mean that's where the real that's basically the
only comedy we had was from them when it comes down to it so I mean I loved her role she was so
funny but I mean the singing was incredible the sound was incredible I there was nothing about
this I did not love the sets I was visually and audio league just blown away from this thing
well I want to I want to throw some more love around here too because Emily Bautista as epinine
she really did Dave okay come on sir you knew that was gonna happen I was hopefully the moment
you mentioned her name I'm like here we go in the immortal words of Brian Rian I was wishing
on a stall um she is what a pure voice yes and there's there's a there's a moment where she goes
from very very loud to very very soft that I thought she just absolutely destroyed it like you
talk about sticking the landing also Robert Arisa as Marais Marais Marais I never say his name right
at one of the revolutionaries that they get caught up in with the big scene at the barricade he was
I thought his his chemistry with Jillian Butler's cassette was very very good really good balance
with each other there was a lot of really good give and take there a lot of great emotion
from these these stage performers that really comes through and a really rock solid pit orchestra
in this thing yeah I mean let's let's that nail it from the opening note the people who are not
the culturally endowed sometimes like me for instance the song they know is I dream I dream
because of the you know the Susan whatever name is boil boil answer but that was not no like not
but there are so many songs that even out did that one hmm I was surprised on this everybody's
but her performance was still good don't get me wrong is one of the anchors of this entire which
one I dreamed a dream oh okay you're talking about team yes Mary Kate Moore to me she was the the
shining star of this old thing Jen any questions you have before we get to the final analysis how
is master of the house that's my favorite I mean it's fun it yeah it was it brought I mean for
no pun intended it it practically brought the house down because it was much needed it was that
exhale it was yeah it was that it's a weight lifted off your shoulders it's yeah but you still
want to throw something at these absolutely yeah but it's my favorite song in the whole
scale yeah same here same here it's it's it's it's it's fun it was very well put together all right
let's get the final the way to the final analysis on the show we're not going to give you thumbs up
thumbs down we're not going to give you letter grades numbers baguettes anything like that French
fries those there's aren't French down they're named after a guy whose last name is French okay
that's our boy we're gonna ask up to two questions question number one is will we see this
production again if the answers know then we're done here but if the answers yes then the follow
question is since this is a stage production we need to know where are you going to sit because
the closure you sit the higher the ticket price don't let's start with you would you see
they means I rub again yes I would where you're sitting um what we call the river dance spot the best
spot available there was nothing of his coveted riverdale spot deal I'm very proud of river dance river
riverdale I'm I've got riverdale on my brain but you know what there was a musical at one point this is true
this is true it's a French toast only if it's sung by Haywood Banks you'd a French kick a
chat would you see this again I don't think so okay but we've we've explained why yeah you know
it's not like you didn't like it there's just this the story it's not a story I enjoy I can't say
that I wouldn't see it again but I wouldn't rush to see it again does that make any sense
yes it does it does like you said this is this is a journey this is not like you by the end of it
you're just spent yeah and it's it's wonderfully done it's gorgeously presented but I'm like it's
just that story you're just like I need to go home and watch a Disney movie just to kind of get
my head back on straight just yeah but but if you know that going in but then you should be fine
it this this production has been fighting that battles it's a debut I agree the critics hated it
when it first opened but it just it just kept making money so it just but you know on riverdale
they did carry the musical a couple yeah I would say I mean I this is this is something I've
seen in the four different rooms yeah because I've seen the the you see the live production and
the two movies now this one yeah yeah so I mean I like to hold it but I was just a beautiful
visually beautiful it is in Dallas fair park music call until May 6th it is it means a replica again
we got to thank Paul layup and everybody at Dallas summer musical thank you guys so much for
less and we're looking forward to seeing you again in about six weeks brother we are full steam
and remember go to Dallas summer musicals dot org and find out everything that's not only coming
up the rest of this season but they've released all of next season and one show for the following
season that about a year ago at this time there were a lot of high school kids that were like I've
got to give you one show that's the one it's always coming and maybe we'll see them here in about
three weeks we'll see we'll find out very very soon that being said let's do the plugs
visit our website we mentioned it a couple times and I think I actually completely blew it up at
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i am chat at theclubhousepodcast.com charlotte parkers on pinterest goes we're morally obligated to
say that jules woma hanging out the house probably waiting on her husband fabulous faith forward we
hope you are on the mend my friend we're going to see what you've seen our normal show every Sunday
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general for dawn for chat and the empire i'm rob clubhouse is closed i mean bringing
promise you to be there it's cool you know i'm just saying