Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Michael Ball & Nick Jonas Duet from Les Miserables

[Virgo4u]

Michael is by far the best this song has a meaning n u need a lot of sadness in ur voice the poor Guy lost all his friends in a war nick is ok but I still hear pop n he is trying way to hard I love the way it just flows out of Michael such sadness n beauty makes me cry I didn't feel that from nick

[jimsed1964]

I'm not a Nick hater BUT I am Les Mis fan. I fell in love with the show when I bought the original London Cast Album back in 1985. Michael Ball was on that album singing this same song & he was flawless! Important note here: Michael had NO voice training what so ever. He didn't sing in a band or receive voice lessons. He was a natural & only twenty three years old. Les Mis was his second West End Theater Role. Hardly a veteran theater performer!!! I think Nick will be fine after some training.

[vickiegardiner]

I think Nick definately sang it in a different way, but you really can't compare the two.

[slooshywarbles]

@vickiegardiner yes nick sang it in a different way because his voice is so weak. he cant hold the high notes and put any emotion into this emotional song because he is used to singing simple pop songs.

[saravutfrank80]

Nick is out of his element. We wouldn't ask Michael Ball to become a US pop star, so why the hell are we asking Nick Jonas to be a UK theatre performer? Freaking painful.

[DanieleJonas01]

I think Michael did a very great job, really, so did Nick. But, Michael has a more mature voice, more... stronger than Nick, so it sounds like Michael is SO much better than Nick, and that is not THAT difference. Of course, Nick has to pratice and mature his voice, but you can see that Nick put his feelings when he sings, what Michael don't do it very well. They're BOTH great Marius, but I prefer feelings and good voice...

[jbu088731]

Nick jonas sounds like , the high school musical version of Les Miserables. Wheras Michael Ball sings like a professional. I understand teenage girls are all excited about Nick Jonas, but seriously next time just cast him in an episode of Glee and keep him away from Broadway.

[darXpunk420]

@jbu088731 I'm not a teenage girl and I thought he did a fantastic job. He did Les Mis when he was younger and did Broadway long before The Jonas Brothers, he deserved to play this part. Yes Michael Ball is amazing I won't disagree but Nick was brilliant, his voice is very mature for his age. Your entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. They are both fantastic but don't slam Nick just because he's in a boy band.

[xRainbowColorzx]

Hmm.

Well, see, I think Micheal Ball has an amazing voice. It's glorious. :D But he is a bit older sounding and is a bit old to pull of Marius. BUT, he is still wonderful and spectacular.

Now, for Nick...

His voice, singing for Broadway... compared to everyone else, was very weak. HOWEVER, you have to cut him some slack. For what he did, with the lack of training he had, was pretty good. He just needs to work on his voice--breath support, and such. He does have the talent. Just needs practice

[SteveAndrade623]

To the creator of this video. I've seen more videos and soundtracks combined than I can possibly count. I have NEVER found one that was even worth watching to the end until now. Like everyone I have my opinions on which "Marius" I like better and why but I just want to comment about the actual video itself. VERY VERY well done. The cuts were flawless both visually and more importantly, the audio. The audio was also seamless. An incredible job. Well done.

[zebrabubble22]

I know I'm gonna get a lot of hate for this, but I actually liked hearing Nick more on this :) I think he does well, he is only 18 for goodness sakes!!! Plus, Marius isn't supposed to be old, he is supposed to be young. I think they both did a great job and I'm so proud of Nick for coming back to his broadway roots :) I could listen to him all day :)

[devineFADS93]

nicks a good singer but definitely not fit for this song... or this genre of music in general..

[jessiekim9]

if you see how young nick is in the picture and hear how mature his voice is on screen its like way off ...he literally blew me away with his voice....it scared me. I was to the point of crying when I heard his voice..so scary :D

[jorduvall]

@creativezone09 micheal ball is alot better than nick jonas with out any doubt but nick gained a lot of respect from me because this is not his usual voicing and to do as well as he did was kinda cool to watch. you also have to look at the age differences between the two micheals voice is obviously more mature because he is older

[hnoel1987]

to tell you the truth i like both of them but i think michael ball kind of grew out of the character. Marius is supposed to be only 17 maybe 20 and that's how nick jonas voice sounds. But michael ball is still amazing so please don't take it the wrong way

[Pillow351]

Its not a fair comparison.

[TheWagbert]

Actually, Michael Ball has years of performing, but had not had any vocal training when he originated Marius or at the 10th anniversary performance. He did grow up singing along to greats like Ella Fitzgerald, but that lush baritone doesn't need much tweaking, does it? Hearing Nick Jonas without watching him fidget has surprised me; he's doing better than I thought. Of course, Marius is a character at a very emotional point in his life. I just wish his fans would show Katie in their duets.

[TheJonasEmpire]

They're both great and different too :) Hate Nick Jonas all you want but you can't deny the fact that he has talent and he is TALENTED. Michael Ball of course is a whole different level. :)

[hanrutrotian]

hahaha... it's my fav solo in the play... and it was uploaded on my birthday... haha...

[ClubJrocks]

i like nick ; i've to confess im a jonas fan and i was impressed when i heard him not whining....he obviously has a young voice, specially with ball's voice (but he's had years of training)but isn't the point in casting nick showing new talent (young talent) . many teens don't like broadway and having nick instead of michael is like telling them , this is something you can hear too...having a young actor makes it more insteresting for some teens to hear , cause not everyone loves broadway

[nickjonasislegend]

Nick Jonas did an aazing job just everyone shut the fuck up. I like Nicks was amazing and purely epic because he's not used to singing broadway. I happen to like Nick's voice better. Because I HATE BROADWAY MUSIC.

[solateado]

Nick did a commendable job, but Michael's voice is so much more richer and fuller than Nick's. If I had to pick, I would definitely pick Michael's Marius over Nick's. But again, I applaud Nick for venturing into uncharted waters. It's a stretch from a boy band!

[XOXOXOLoveYouXOXOXO]

Okay I understand why people keep hating on Nick Jonas. But honestly? He did amazing. Sure Michael Ball is a fucking Broadway legend but give Nick a little credit. They don't give the part to just anyone. Nick isn't experienced when it comes to Broadway. Give him a little time and you'll be impressed.

[ChrisKingVideos]

Nick Jonas singing "Became their last communion" She threw away the became like it was old bacon :L That note is really good, and he just messed it up because he can't sing it :L

[swimjms]

my highschool did les mis for our spring production, no one can beat Joshua Whitson singing this song

[ColellaMTV]

this effing amazing!!!!!!!! i have chills right now!!!!!!

[zashleyrock4ever]

This is awesome!!!!!!!

[MaryPoppins734]

Michael is fantastic, period. Nic is different. He's young. He's learning, but he has potential. Was he ready for this role? No. But could he? Yes. I feel like people refuse to give him a chance because he was on Disney. I admire him for getting away. Don't get me wrong, I really REALLY disliked him before this. But I think he deserves a chance. I doubt that all of these Broadway stars were born with great voices. Alot of it is natural talent, but they needed practice, too. Give him a chance.

[sammie1918]

to all you Nick Jonas haters... he started his career on broadway!!! in fact he was the last Gavrosh for Les Mis on Broadway. he is only 18 cut him some slack Ball was way older than 18 when he did this Nick is now just getting back into Broadway after being with disney leave him alone he did an amazing job!!!

[mal4432]

At least Nick Jonas can hit the low notes. Flag me for sarcasm.

[EDubsGurl]

Jesus people. Let them sing! I'd like to see you all do what they do. It's such a demanding art and both of them have their own timbres and interpretations. Just calm down.

[URKOOL13]

Lol at people hating on Nick. How can you even compare them together? Nick is about 30 or more years younger. Nick was only 17 when he performed this, a mere teenager. Ball performed this at a much older age, so of course he has the larger range. Nick is young, growing and learning. You can't judge him just because he's a Jonas and a disney star. He started out on Broadway in this production. Personally I thought he did fantastic as Marius and so do a plethora of other people.

[amberlynn103]

@URKOOL13 YES! Thank you! you've justified what I firmly believe about all this unfair comparison of them! I completely agree with you!

[costerluver]

@URKOOL13 Michael Ball was 23 when he first played Marius in 1985. Even then, he was significantly better than Nick Jonas. I do think that Nick Jonas does have potential, but for an event as huge as the 25th anniversary concert they should have got someone a lot better to play Marius. If Nick Jonas started doing vocal and acting training now, he might have a chance to be good at the 30th anniversary. He was very mediocre for the 25th.

[URKOOL13]

@costerluver Regardless, that's still 6 years older than Nick Jonas. Plus, was Michael Ball a pop singer for half of his life at the age of 23? No. Of course Michael was better than Nick. Nick is used to singing pop songs, not performing on broadway. He hasn't been on broadway for many, many years. Nick wasn't even trained enough for this. He only did a few weeks of training in general, MAYBE a month tops. So for what he was trained, I think he did excellent.

[costerluver]

@URKOOL13 I agree that he has potential and for the little training he had, he did ok. But I also think that for something as momentous as the 25th anniversary of Les Mis, they should have gotten someone who is a better actor, singer and had better stage presence. Like his voice or not, you can't deny that while on stage, he looked very uncomfortable and the had the same facial expression for the entire show.

[PrettyFly4AWytGurl]

Micheal has too much vibrato.

[luvmuzik4me]

These 2 vocals are recorded in a studio. To get a true perspective watch the live performances. Nick Jonas voice has been enhanced by the studio recording. He really has a mousy little voice and a mousy stage presense. Michael Ball has a big voice which is needed in stage production. Nick Jonas should never have been cast as Marius.

[195511SM]

Nick was completely out of his league, and should never have been cast to portray Marius. Just look at the actual videos of them from the 10th and the 25th. His voice is too soft. But then Michael Ball has a hell of a lot of experience belting it out on Broadway. Jonas had one facial expression......except for the brief looks of a sad puppy dog as he strained to hit some of his notes...his boy-band voice on the verge of cracking. Even worse: Barks as Eponine. Go watch Lea's "On My Own".

[xThatsillogicalx]

Im obviously biased by being a Jonas fan, but even if i wasnt I would like Nicks better. he handles the flow and controls his voice much more than Michael. his is awkwardly spaces and all over the place.

[handsdown101]

@xThatsillogicalx Obviously you are biased. Anyone with a favorite is biased. You'd have to find some hermit who hadn't heard either to be the judge, but then Crackers the Hermit isn't going to be a very good judge of voice, is he? Jonas is a joke. He can't even hit the lows or the highs. He has enough trouble with the middle bit. He needs to get voice training, and then try again. But not for the 25th. Pathetic that they looped him in as a publicity stunt to get little girls like you watching.

[creativezone09]

Oh please. Nick Jonas compared to Michael Ball? That's like comparing a human to God. Nick Jonas does this well, if well means good for a highschool production. I'm a 16 year old girl and I know this!!!

[LottieLovesJonasBros]

@creativezone09 You gotta admit that he did pretty good considering Nick's used to singing the music he writes.

[mellee0]

@creativezone09 Ball has an amazing voice, but so does Nick. Ball is also about a billion times more experienced. but I agree with the highschool production part... then again my school puts on very high quality productions. they are both very good. Ball is just better.

[easilyamused1111]

@mellee0 Just a note. When Michael Ball sang this version (this is *not* his10th anniversary rendition of the song), he had gone into Les MIz as his first West End musical, and only his second true professional role. He had no musical training and he was 23 (the age that Marius was supposed to be in this part of the story). By comparison, Nick Jonas was a seasoned veteran (or so many of his fans claim) having played roles in Les Miz, etc when he was younger.

[Sdsinger]

@easilyamused1111

Excellent point - thank you! Every time people compare these two, it seems they always forget that part, and it drives me nuts. "Oh, well, Michael Ball's had tons of training." No, he's a phenomenal performer with a natural talent most people would dream of having.

[mevalesunchurro]

@creativezone09 nick sings better than michael....i think he was the best "marius" and when he was a little kid, he was the little boy, so i think you're grong but i respect your point of view i just want you now what i think about your comment....dont say that because you hate him, i hate bieber and dont think he sings bad.....thanks for read...bye

[Aseenia]

@mevalesunchurro Nick needs way more experience and power... He still has a little "pop" in his voice that he has to get rid of plus he is really struggling with the lower notes..

[mevalesunchurro]

@Aseenia mmmmm... I didn't understand at all what you said about notes but, I still think he is the best :) I know he is young and he needs little more experience on this style of music, but recognize, he has a wonderful voice, right?

Sorry, my english is very bad.

[Youlikeadream]

Both... they are great. Maybe Michael has more experience but Nick, he's talented too. I like Nick Jonas as Marius; he's young and he's learning. Michael? wow, he's amazing.

[vardance141]

Go nick!

They're both good.

[Christiangirl727]

nick wins...;) lol they're both good but im a big jonas fan <3

[Mrdv904k]

both are great IMO.

[comedynut2011]

@Mrdv904k eh, those A's for jonas could have been better, but he was still pretty good