Sadly the closest I can get to that awesome B high is when I write an exam while smokin' weed... Alfie is just so awesome! That little smile at the end was like: "yeah, I can kick some ass, can I?" :)
This song is what Les Mis is all about. Its not a love story, its not actually about barricades and its not primarily about all those dead girls. If you understand the question, "Who am I?", what it means for Jean Valjean and what it means for everyone of us, then you have allowed Victor Hugo to teach you something about the human condition.
@@EmmaCohen91 Yes, Alfie is a much better fit for the role, clearly. Sadly, star power and the box office were the driving forces in that decision, if what you say is that case.
@@EmmaCohen91 whilst I would rather Alfie Boe sing the part, I can see why they didn’t sign him for the film. He would overpower the other cast members. His voice is far superior.
For all it’s worth, Hugh Jackman is probably a better film actor than Alfie Boe is, Boe is a great technical singer but his acting even on stage is questionable at times, not to speak of in front of camera
OMG - he is just brilliant. I dream a dream of being a singer ..... but it will always be just a dream as I do not have the talent. Mr Boe has it in bucket loads!!
If you keep calling it a dream, that’s what it’ll stay. There’s a woman who’s in her 80’s no that goes to the same coach as me, and as you can see by my pfp, I’m not exactly old. Your age doesn’t matter, start learning as soon as you can. Put the time in, the effort, and the passion every day and you won’t need to dream anymore. I know it’s a VERY late reply, but I would hate to see untapped potential go to waste.
My golly, he has resonance! His voice reminds me so much of Mario Lanza! That same balance between fundamental and squillo! He has resonance for days! Extraordinary! Thanks so much for posting this! SOOOO incredibly inspiring to listen to! Bravo!
Singing is all about technique... and Alfie's is the best tenor voice I know... he also communicates the message amazingly! There is a new movement about that is bringing the musical theatre world and the opera world closer together... this is a good thing... SINGING is core to our being... a most healing agent! ~ Therapy Center Stage
+Chris MacDonald Im glad that he wasnt in the movie because stage and film are completly different and having people trined for musical theatre singing in the movie would look stupid and less realistic to me,its fine for singing to a large audience but singing at close range its is better if its stripped back,i like the way the movie was done
+Ian Elder Are you forgetting Colm played the bishop in the movie and it didn't look stupid?... and the producers said themselves that they couldn't recast a better Eponine than Samantha Barks - and she was incredible. I like Hugh Jackman, but I cannot look passed Alfie Boe as Valjean.
+Mike Bray The Bishop is a very quiet role, and could probably be sang very similarly between the two. However, Alfie Boe would have looked and sounded very out of place in the movie singing like this. Samantha Barks's singing is very different from the stage and screen versions.
Ill be more clear, i tested with "rehearsescore" the program we use to rehearse music at our school. our school is doing west side story and im tony. So what i did was sing 2460- one-ree-ahhh maria with an arrangement, and then i compared the notes individually. I don't actually own a piano, but okay, if you've tested it like that i'll take your word for it HOWEVER our show is rumored to be les mis next year. So I'll be looking at the sheet music then and I might be back to argue some more :P
If you need further proof, look up 'Nessun Dorma' as sung by Alfie or any other operatic Tenor. The end of this aria contains one of the most famous high B naturals across any genre. You will find that the final note of 'Who Am I' is exactly the same.
@kylieschwede Being an opera singer I can tell you this, Valjean is not easy, but it isn't an incredibly difficult role for operatic tenors. As for the final B-flat, if you're to be a successful tenor then yes, you should at least be able to do this much. The reason English is harder in opera is because it's not mic'd, so the sung diction has to be very articulate, which is tough. Les Mis is an operetta, NOT an opera. That being said I LOVE Alfie's version of Jean Valjean. FANTASTIC!
You know the producers say they hired film actors because of the different acting chops needed for film as opposed to the stage but although they are fine actors it’s about name recognition,they were worried if they said starring...Alfie Boe,Samantha Barks and Norm Lewis not enough people would show up.....well we got Sam.....
@IheartZorro If I read the show right, it's not just about singing arias, but the difference bw techniques. Musical theater vs opera. Wasn't that the point of the mentoring: teaching technique? The talent, skill, and work involved to master an aria. Alfie uses the same technique and breath support no matter what he's singing. Doubt the men could have matched him on "Who Am I?" either. Les Mis happens to be what he's working on / in right now. What would you have liked to hear?
I agree. I think Alfie Boe would have done a fantastic job, but they were really trying to look big names in the movie to bring in publicity so that's one of the reasons they went with Hugh Jackman. But I really do wish Alfie had played Valjean in the movie. Hugh Jackman's voice started annoying me a lot towards the end and also what was with him whispering everything??
sephicloud or just falsetto like someone who can’t sing a high B... which just so happens to be most people. The typical adult male can’t go above E4 so the fact that he can sing over half an octave higher is a feat so few people can claim. No need to call other people out as wimps, who by the way are all still great singers
He’s more classically trained. Operatic tenors can hit a B without breaking a sweat, and many even have a reliable C5 and some even D5 with a chest/head voice combo. Traditional broadway training doesn’t emphasize refined technique nearly as much, as a result, Broadway tenors usually can’t go as high or as low as an operatic tenor, and sing with a much weaker voice. It’s refreshing to hear a classically trainer voice like Boe having success in the Broadway circuit.
@@KeinHipHopFan I mean for people who haven’t had training, yeah. It’s not uncommon for people who just don’t sing to barely be able to get close to that, maybe an F, but then just fall apart. The ability to get higher comes from training, technique, and then there’s luck on how high you can go with those two things implemented.
I think Alfie was not cast in the movie solely because the director knew Alfie had already starred in the 25th anniversary on dvd. The director did not want his movie to seem like a repeat of that. Too bad.
My advice, instead of comparing this to other songs, seek out a piano/keyboard or anything on which a distinguishable note can be played, and test it for yourself. I myself have done this on multiple occasions, with multiple versions of this song, hell, I've even tried singing it, and IT IS ALWAYS A B NATURAL (except of course for that one instance during the london previews in which Colm Wilkinson sang a B-flat) This version is no different, I have checked multiple times using my keyboard.
I think they would have preferred Boe as Valjean and Jackman as Javert. But HJ wouldn't take second billing, he wanted the lead -- even though he couldn't sing it. And I think HJ didn't want to be compared with Alfie either. Jackman said in an interview he almost quit just before LM started filming. Would that... Alfie proved right here, he owned Valjean.
Unfortunately Alfie Boe wasn't well known in the US; and so they cast Hugh Jackman. For me no way did Hugh Jackman bring what Alfie Boe could have to the movie. It is a shame that they cast Hugh Jackman and not Alfie Boe. Alfie Boe would have brought more awards to this movie!
Alfie Boe is one of the greatest active Broadway tenors. Hugh Jackman wouldn’t make the top 1,000. He’s only ever known for his acting. He’s not even a professional singer.
@@CamoflaugeDinosaue Whereas Alfie's acting is very stagey. His background is opera singing so, while his technique and voice are flawless, his acting isn't. He would have looked ridiculous in the film doing what he does on stage.
Alfie singing as Valjean versus Russell Crowe as Javert? Doesn't bear thinking about. Crowe trashed the role as it was. Putting him up against Boe would have been farcical.
Just because it's in English doesn't mean it's easier! Les Miserables is every bit as demanding, vocally, as any opera--and if it were in any other language it would be considered one. That final note is a high B-flat, which not everyone can even sing, much less hold for as long as Alfie does.
@thephantom3194 Haha, sorry, I'm a lower baritone. I just guestimated. Not even going to kid myself that I may be able to sing this role (though GOD I wish I could).
rudessdfdf sorry for bothering you after 4 years, but I agree with you. And since Hugh Jackman was Valjean in the movie, Alfie should go audition for Wolverine :D
Samantha Barks came from the stage show and she was one of the strongest in the movie. Saying actors from the stage show can't act is kinda low. Sorry.
Popstar to Operastar is shit television. Alfie Boe however is an amazing singer, no matter what he sings, so stop complaining and enjoy a man with pure talent singing for you all to enjoy,
@IheartZorro Not really clear on the PStOS format. Are these all amateur-dramatic people who want to break into opera -- or want a taste of it? Is there an offer at the ROH for the winner? I listen to them and think,"A little time, a little training... maybe." As for Alfie, he's in Les Mis now, a song from the show is just good sense. Think "Who Am I?" demonstrated talent, training and technique as well as any aria. (And don't see Alfie giving up on opera, but they may be shunning him.)
I think the whole hugh jackman vs clearly better musical singer/actors is precisely why musical theatre stuff is musical theatre stuff and films are films - I'm not sure they ought to really mix..... Who am I and Bring Him Home are my fave Les Mis songs and even though I love HJ I just don't think he had the reach for the higher tenor bit - shame :( At the end of the day....just go see the musical - get an amazing experience instead of making a film where so many people will be disappointed. O_O
I think the issue with Alfie Boe is that he doesn't understand that Valjean is a dramatic tenor. This means he should be prioritising acting over singing, and honestly there is no expression in this performance. Oh yes, he's a technically brilliant singer, but for this role you need to tone that down, occasionally speak a line, and instead of trying to sing that high B beautifully, you should give it more power, which emphasises the fact that he is sacrificing his status for someone's liberty.
+Dan R I mean he's a failed opera singer. No opera singer should use microphones. While I agree that this is a separate genre, he's trained (quite badly) to sing opera, meaning he doesn't understand how to balance singing technique with acting, making his singing a weird, unsatisfying blend of opera and musical theatre. While Les Mis is an operatic musical, there are distinct differences between opera and musical theatre that Alfie Boe just doesn't understand.
