Les Miserables in Concert - the 25th Anniversary - Turning/Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

[emopinata12345]

I think Nick was an okay Marius. I hate to compare him to Michael Ball, because every actor has his or her own interpretation of the role, but I think Michael has a beautiful voice, and actually has different facial expressions. -_- But it's good to see Nick branching out of Disney crap. And, even though I cringe at the sound of most every JB song, Nick really impressed me. So, Kudos.

[veepeecee]

@arenee071: I have to disagree. I think in the book Marius was much stronger person, I mean Nick Jonas made him look just a stupid little teenage boy (which he kind of is, but there's more to him too, I think)

[shakinhellsgates]

I personally think that he was a bit rigid with his movements in regards to his stage presence but vocally, I think he rocked it. And I completely agree with @arenee071: his portrayal of Marius fits the way he was portrayed in the book. I absolutely loved his version of this song, though, much more than Michael Ball in the 10th anniversary version that I have.

[chaumander1]

He does have a nice voice and he looks the part but he the a weaker singer when compared to the rest of the cast. ie. in red and black with Ramin

[Mswiee]

We babysit and every time we get to "oh my friends my friends!" she start to fuss. That's how powerful Nick Jonas is :)

[SRides96]

For some reason Jonas seems to sound more adult with a deeper voice in this song than I thought he had even throughout the rest of the musical, which makes sense because it's things like war that would mature and age people.

[meghanlizadominique]

I love the quote "What's the use of praying if there's nobody to hear?" in the song "Turning." I just love it! My friend hates it because "it's not true" but whatever. It's still a very good quote.

[nubesagrada]

Ohh...is Gina Beck the first girl singing?

[chaumander1]

@nubesagrada i thought it was her as well

[Brooklyn5981]

I love this song! It's one of my favorites. Nick does pretty well as Marius. I've heard better, but for his age and his range and everything, he's pretty good. I personally think he sounds better when he's not doing the disney and pop crap that he usually does.

[TorontoPoet]

Although I HATE the Jonas Brothers, I really tried to keep an open mind watching this. I do have to say though that I expected Nick Jonas to be better. He may be the right "type" for the role, but he's nowhere close to being the right voice. On the one hand, I commend him for attempting Marius, but on the other hand I feel bad for him. Up against all these powerful voices, it's embarrassingly clear how limited his range is, how shallow his breath is, and how bad his support is.

[elactress]

Nick Jonas is perfect as the role of marius! His eyes were so full of emotion , and his voice! God, that was beautiful!

[lilcrazy09]

I can hear a bit of an accent when Nick sings (I can't really tell for sure though), if he is putting on an accent I bet if he didn't his voice would have more power. In my experience trying to put on an accent while singing can be difficult but thats my opinion, he did a great job on this song!

[rumbleroarisdabomb]

no one ever told them that a summer day can kill *chills*

[ASjustSMILE]

So stop judging him! Try closing your eyes and listen, instead of thinking about the person playing the part... Then you'll might realize what a great job he is doing!! :-)

[ASjustSMILE]

I think you are all judging him because of the Jonas brothers! you have to try to look past that, and look at what he's doing here, not what he usually does!

I know a lot about musicals, and i know that the way he plays the part is just as good as the way all the others have played it. He makes it his own, and he tells the story convincingly, and that's what matters the most!

[elactress]

@ASjustSMILE You are so completely right! He does an amazing job, and everyone says 'oh he's so terrible!' those whiney babies are being prejudiced against him because he is a jonas! He is wonderful, and there is no way to deny it!!

[ASjustSMILE]

Ok here's a thought!

Why would they cast Nick, if they didn't thought he could do the part?!

I think he is doing a great job! Yes there have been many other greater persons playing Marius, and they had a lot of experience before that part, but Nick hadn't!

So i think you should all give him a chance! He could be something really big in musicals someday!

And he's expressions are great! He really puts his soul into what he's doing!

[laughsalott36]

From the table in the corner

They could see a world reborn

And they rose with voices ringing.

That gets me EVERY time! Nick did a lovely job with this song. Though I think Gilbert Godfrey could sing this and I would cry. 

[panda111994]

Dude. This gave me chills. Nick is actually a really great Marius.

[mendozacolette]

Okay, and i thought Nick jonas was bad??!! HOW?!?! anyway, I looooove him more than any of you! HE IS MINE! well...Marius is...He looooooves me!  <3Cosette! <-that my name in french. So yeah, what now??? lo

<3CosetteLM

[Troyellaislove]

who was the woman who sang ''they were school boys'' and who was the woman who sang ''same old story''?

[Kat097]

He's got an incredible vulnerability and innocence... I love it...

[abajugungi]

nick jonas, i'm sorry for every bad thought i've ever had about you. i'm honestly very impressed with his performance, even if it wasn't as good as Ball.

[Brooklyn5981]

This song is so sad. It always makes me want to cry. Nick does a pretty good job playing Marius.

[heeminhyman]

I like turning woman number 5.

[beautifulseclusion92]

whew, and i thought i liked him before.

[NelenaLoveForever95]

My friend likes Les Miz since Nick was there, I'm a Jonas fan...But I LOVE Les Miz since I was born because my parents are musicals lovers And I have to give credit to Nick though wasn't the best, playing Marius isn't a easy thing and he did a great job

[nauticallemon]

i actually really like nick in this song, but maybe its just my untrained broadway ears

[boredprincess08]

I find it very..unlogical to compare Nick to Michael. Michael has 25+ years of experience and training on Nick, so of course Michael will be better. Plus Nick is one of the youngest (if not the youngest) cast as Marius.

With that in mind, give Nick his due for giving it his all. Whether it satisfies your quota or not does not mean he was terrible or amazing.

[hobytla213]

I am not a Jonas fan, but one thing that people constantly overlook is that Nick Jonas was trained to sing crappy pop music. It takes a lot to try and overcome that. He hadn't done any theatrical singing since he was 10, and so the fact that he even tried something this big right away is pretty amazing, and maybe when he has as much experience and training as the always fantastic Michael Ball, he will be able as good, but comparing the two now just isn't fair to either of them...

[shanshii]

Nick has a nice voice (when he's not singing Jonas' songs) but that was just FLAT.

Also, how hauntingly beautiful is 'Turning'? :')

[adorablelittlecat]

Is the second woman Lucy off of X Factor! :)

[scullen08]

@adorablelittlecat Yep! She's played Cosette in the West End production.

[tomtompataygutom]

Nick Jonas? Who's next? Justin Bieber?

oh my...

and who's next after that?

REBECCA BLACK? (that girl behind that atrocious ditty FRIDAY)

oh my... WE... WE.... WE SO NOT EXCITED!!!

[brunswickbball11]

ok so maybe Jonas wasn't as good as Ball but you have to give him credit. And you can criticize him all you want but if you look around at Les Mis fans today, theres alot younger audience than there was 5 years ago and alot of that has to do with Nick so if he's briining a new audience to the show then whats the problem? Anyway...great job :]

[blitzyandbee180]

@brunswickbball11 you're totally right I mean thanks to him he got my little sister and my cousin hooked on les mis. I mean i'm a jonas fan (DO NOT GO ON CRITICIZING ME!!) and this wasn't his best, but he gained total respect from my sibling and cousin. And i sorta liked it too. So you you totaly have a point.

[PhantomNeverDies123]

This part disappointed me. He had no emotion anywhere in this concert. I mean at the everyone else put so much emotion into this concert so thats why so many people cry at the end. However Nick Jones had to force himself through the songs and the came out squeaky and he kept looking to the left (his right) and he never even showed any emotion. Not even when everyone was smiling at the end.

[mal4432]

There are no chilling dynamics in Empty Chairs and Empty Tables. I don't think the kid can even push out anymore sound. I'm disappointed.

[SRides96]

Seeing everyone in the background and the way they are lit is both sad and scary to me. I nkow their dead and they, to me at leaqst, look mad.

[Lady187GQ]

Ok so even though I think there was 1,000 better options to play Marius, I will give Nick credit in that he does a good job of embodying the youthful innocence that I think is essential to the Marius character.

[mal4432]

@Lady187GQ yeah, because his voice is too squeaky and high to hit the low notes =P Very youthful

[neekee1011]

I just noticed that the little girl looks like Noah Cyrus...

[AliaSparrow]

Jonas needs to train his voice because if he's bound to return to stage theatre, it's a voice that will break down if he does not get proper training. Look at his face, he actually emoting. While the singing definitely is weak, I am convinced of Marius's grief. I see Nick Jonas, but I see Nick taking this seriously and slowly emerging from all that sappy pop.

Besides, not so much focus on the wonderful women in "Turning"? Their harmonies are soothing and sad.

[artemis44]

nick jonas exceeded my expectations, which wasn't hard as they were low to begin with. however, my main quibble with his casting is that it clearly seems like a business decision rather than an artistic choice. they looked at him and thought that since he's a world-famous pop star, it would draw in more revenue and also bring in the profitable teen/tween crowd. well, i understand that it's show BUSINESS, but still there are better and stronger singers out there they could have picked.

[Ecapsora]

And this is why nick jonas got the part. I'm not a fan of his, but chancing across these two song on pbs was what made me search for Les Mis on youtube in the first place.

It was just so powerful. So sad!

[crazysoxsrox]

I agree with arenee071 in that Marius needs an actor to portray him that is young and a bit dreamy, and Jonas has those, but I do think that their voice needs to be a bit stronger, I think that Jonas' is a bit too light, not strong enough. I think at one point his voice will get there but right now its not. I do like his voice though....just not for Marius.

[12Boosha]

I feel so lucky that I've seen many of these women in different roles, for example, I've been lucky enough to see Gina Beck who played Christine in Phantom of the Opera, Lucie Jones play Cosette in Les Miserables along with Rebecca Seale who played Fantine and I've seen Rosalind James and Madelena Alberto play Eponine and Fantine in the 25th anniversary tour.

So strange seeing them all together with their own hair and stuff! :)

[CrazyCraftCreations]

Who here cried at this part? I sobbed for 3 minutes straight the first time I heard it.

[darthgrahf]

I'm surprised. Nick Jonas was excellent as Marius and I hate the Jonas's music.

[9011Dancer]

Cameron Mackintosh said himself Nick had a mature voice for a 17 year old and that he had acting/singing history, which made him the choice for Marius. I don't get why everyone is bagging on him.

[dkgilmorejunkie]

Skipped the emty chairs bit, i like the song to much to hear this version, but BRILIANT version of TURNING...they did beautifully...

[rhymenoceros007]

@VoldemortsNippleCake I don't think playing Gavroche at age 9 prepares one for playing Marius. He's tense, nasally, and doesn't even remotely have the power to sing this song well. Not to mention his total lack of emotion unless that's what you call his constipated face. He can't even sustain notes or end them decisively without the ridiculous breathy sound you would hear in a Jonas Brothers song. He should stick to pop, musicals, especially Les Mis, are so not his scene.

[EmilyGretzky]

Since when could a Jonas Brother sing in alto?

[Jessicakey93]

I'm more excited about Gina Beck's 5 seconds than Nick Jonas's whole part in this show.

[cats48]

Nick did an amazing job from 4:05- 4:11

[edwardfan122]

I Strongly suggest liking this. Many emotion's stirred up during this show[:

I'm a boradway girlie and i love love these two songs out of all the other one

[concordiaharmony]

it really says a lot about this music that, despite the fact that a jonas brother is singing, this song can still bring me to tears.

[vincenator2193]

not bad

a little amateur sounding

but not as awful as id assumed hed be

[daznpartypooper]

from doing a pop to broadway crossover.

hes a boss.

and i do theater, this is freaking awesome.

[ChristianJohnston1]

Ugh...gross...

[yunongintw]

I do like Les Miserables!! what else I am a fan of Colm and Cameron and Webber!!They are really ARTIST!!!THANK YOU FOR YOUR SHARE .We can not buy that DVD yet at Taiwnan(Chinese Taipei, Formosa)

[yunongintw]

I do like Les Miserables!! what else I am a fan of Colm and Cameron and Webber!!They are really ARTIST!!!THANK YOU FOR YOUR SHARE .We can not buy that DVD yet at Taiwnan(Chinese Taipei, Formosa)

[scullen08]

@yunongintw 不客气 (you're welcome)

[rickyblue1250]

@yunongintw Maybe you can use Amazon

[jefflin555]

@yunongintw

Hey, I'm also from Taiwan, and a fan of Les Mis, too!(if I do say so myself)

In Taiwan, there's only the 10th anniversary DVD. What a pity!!!!

[LittleLotte616]

He isn't so bad actually. He did better than I thought he was going to, at least.

[phanfinger]

what world do we live in, when people decide that a Jonas brother should sing this song? I mean he did a fine job and all but still. America, son, i am disappoint

[Ndc1Ch33r102]

i want his coat...

[MSam2]

Overall his Marius is really underwhelming, but this was definitely the song where he sounded best - not too bad at all. Love the EPK of the '09 Queens Cast in the background!

[QueenGeegee]

He's a good singer when he stops doing all that whiney disney crap.

But he has EXACTLY the same facial expression whenever he sings, no matter what he's singing about.

[virusguy5611]

@QueenGeegee totally agreed

[SRides96]

@QueenGeegee Yes he does, though it seems to cover a wide variety of expressions. It required less acting,. That could be why he used it.

[Baranokoori]

@QueenGeegee

No, he has two expressions. Confused and constipated.

[amberlynn103]

@QueenGeegee even though he had the same facial expressions, he did put quite a bit of emotion in his voice, wouldn't you say?

[arenee071]

Personaly, i think Nick Jonas did a nice job as Marius. I mean, everyone is comparing him with Michael Ball, which is completely understandable, i know Michael has an amazing voice. But, as a person who has read the book 4 times and absolutely loves it, i always thought that Marius had to be portrayed as someone young and kind of dreamy. Despite the fact that he needs a little bit more power, i think Nick Jonas was a real shocker. Bravo for him!

[jemmirox12]

@arenee071 thank you for your perfectly un-disney-prejudiced comment! i was sick of the jonas bashing. (by the way for people reading this, i am NOT a jonas fan at all, im just sick of haters, no matter who youre directing it to)

[interestingliz]

@arenee071 nick jonas looks constipated

[JulieWinchester]

@interestingliz I wish people would stop saying that.

[Cherrypeltthewarrior]

@arenee071 I agree, I have seen so many people complaining about a Jonas Brother was in the musical. But, even though he wasn't THE best, he did a good job. I have gained more respect for him after seeing this.

[virusguy5611]

@arenee071 well...i agree mostly, Nick jonas really just lacks power, his voice is decent...personally i like ball's singing better though.

[sassydivamom]

@virusguy5611 he was only 17 at the time of this performance. His voice is nowhere near mature! this song, in particular, is too low for him. He did an admirable job! I think he should be very proud of himself.

[virusguy5611]

@sassydivamom well...true. i liked him singing this song than the other disney songs he sang.

[HorseyWitchOfTheEast]

@arenee071 Yeah. I've been reading the book and imagining him like how Nick is playing him. Nick is more true to the book

[Brooklyn5981]

@arenee071 I deffinetly agree!!!

[Trancilian]

I don't like this marius. He has a weird accent and a weaker voice then Michael Ball. You can hear it when he sings "voices ringing", very nasal. But still a wonderful song

[34BestBuds43]

is that guyliner i see lol

[Musicalandmore]

I understand that Nick is very good in the oppinion of many people. I will not disagree with them. He is certainly a wonderful singer. But personaly (so no offence intended) I think he's the weakes link in this cast and not very well suited for the part. You can hear it in this video that the lower notes of the part are just not in his range and he has to strain his voice to reach them. Still, I enjoy his performance, but I would have prefered someone less famous but more suited for the part.

[RozLaChimmer]

The second turning girl is Lucie Jones, currently playing Cosette in the London Cast at The Queen's Theatre.

[waiting4discovery]

@RozLaChimmer wasnt she in x factor last year when stacey was in it?

[CharmedBalthazar]

It should be noted that the first woman singing in Turning is Gina Beck who until recently played Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera in London. Thanks for uploading!

[noway222]

The girl singing at :50 looks like the Eponine in the Les Miserables tour trailer.

[coolguyAA93]

@noway222 she is the one from the trailer.......

[TLKthing3]

You forgot to upload Javert's suicide... (A)

But I'm really thankful, thank you so very much for putting the concert on youtube! I have to wait for my copy so this really helps me :)

[scullen08]

@TLKthing3 Ok... that was up yesterday morning, because someone commented on it, I remember. Grr at Youtube! I'll put that up again when I do Do You Hear the People Sing.

And you're welcome :)

[EmilyLovesErikPOTO]

Empty Chairs aat Empty Tables is such a serious, sad, and beautiful song. But I can't help but laugh at 3:44 when Nick says "Phantom faces" and they show Ramin in the background, almost as if it was done on purpose. Lol.

[TuggersTeazer]

@EmilyLovesErikPOTO I betcha it was, as the editor's little pun hehe.

[JantheBee]

Thank you for uploading the whole thing. Well, I guess you'll add the remaining parts. ;-) Thanks anyways. :)

[scullen08]

@JantheBee All's up now :P You're welcome

[modernjuice]

@scullen08

I was going to say that red and black/ do you hear the people sing and jalvert's suicide were down again

but they are just out of place :]

thanks SO MUCH for putting this on youtube

I personally think it's fabulous <3