Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary vs. Leap Year

vincemale

on 3/14/2011

Alfie Boe plays Jean Valjean in the 25th Anniversary Concert. He's a former opera singer who's made the transition to musical theatre, which is kind of like bringing a gun to a knife fight: if everybody gangs up on him you might stand a chance, but odds are he's the one walking away the winner. Listen to Boe sing Bring Him Home, and you'll agree that his voice is weaponised. Some nations' governments refuse to let him travel there without the accompanying permits. At times, Boe's voice can be a little distracting, especially during the songs that don't require a level of control not seen since Colm Wilkinson, and doubly especially so if you've grown up with the Colm Wilkinson recordings for the last 25 years. Alfie Boe has a style all his own, but after a few minutes you'll absolutely love it. It's, um . . . it's better than Leap Year.