Perfect execution. No other Javert I’ve heard comes close. The enunciation. The pitch. The tone. The pacing. The way he tells a story and doesn’t just sing the words. Perfect.
@@Simon-sf7ng Russell Crowe was not bad, but his voice never came close to the power of Philip Quast. The tenth anniversary cast is the superior to the one in 2012 in every way.
@@thRegimentofFootThethRifles I love Hamilton, but this they can never be topped. Hamilton grows in you if you hear it multiple times but with this I never grew tired of listening to.
Let's take this moment to appreciate the greatest Javerts in history: Phillip Quast, Phillip Quast, Phillip Quast, Norm Lewis, and last but not the least Phillip Quast
It isn't really a villain song. Antagonist song, you betcha. But Javert isn't a villain, just a man flawed by his own beliefs that if someone commits a crime they can never be good.
Javert's just a policeman who's somewhat zealous and overcommitted to the philosophies underpinning his job. He's not a "bad guy". If anyone's the "bad guy" in Les Mis, it's Valjean. He's a convicted thief - sure, he "only" stole some bread, but stealing is stealing - then he tried to steal from the bishop, then he went on the lam rather than facing his punishment, concocted a false identity and lived a sham life, and then when the law finally caught up with him he went on the lam _again_ except this time he dragged his innocent adopted daughter into it.
@@N.I.R.A.T.I.A.S. Plus, in the book, he was an actual criminal, and kind of an asshole. To the point where the reason Les Misérables is so powerful it's exactly because "if this awful excuse for a human being can be redeemed, can't almost anyone"?
VenomWhisper Crowe is a folk singer. He can sing, but his style is not really suited to broadway. He was too flat, imo. In performance, not tuning, he was spot on pitch-wise.
when he says "This i swear by..." he takes a breath right before by, it is a way of being smart with your breaths. "This I swear by... *breath* the starrrrs". Makes it a lot easier.
@@eiantsou6109 Easi"er", yes, but still not easy. It's a very long sustain, and it takes a lot of practice to still have power at the end and not finish with a quiet whimper.
I’m just blown away by how good he is wearing that many layers. He has on a shirt, then a cotton coat, then an over coat on top of that, Cotton trousers, heavy leather boats, side burns, long hair, and a top hat. How’d this man not pass out?
Question, does your wife know why they didn't have this dream cast also perform an actual play and have it pro shot the way they did this? I know they wanted to get maximum recorded audio for the album here which is why it wasn't the full bells and whistles production. But could you imagine if the next night they had THIS CAST do the actual play and pro shot it like this? Before everyone went their separate ways. That would be fire! I love watching the 10th anniversary concert but it's often not 'busy' enough to get a newbie into and I do kinda wish that existed.
I love that the actors stay in character during the applause. It’s all well and good with Lea and Michael looking sad after their solos, but then we have Philip looking arrogantly at the cheering crowd in true Javert fashion, and it makes me giggle.
It's not just how he sings it. It's how he stands and how he holds his baton. How he looks up and removes his hat as he adresses the stars in such a submissive and respectful way. It's how he delivers the entire song with such conviction. It's why I keep coming back to this performance again and again. No one could top this performance. Quast didn't just set the bar, he airlifted it into space with that baton. And to top it off, he was having a serious case of the stage fright from what I heard, and he still pulled it off.
Quast's Javert has the authoritarian uniformed vibe of M. Bison, the 1800s styled top hat menace of Mr. Hyde and the monstrous physically imposing stage presence of The Undertaker. Except none of those guys have pipes like these. Certified badass.
I always felt this song was underrated/underappreciated. It pretty much sums up who Javert is. Dude is a nutcase, but in his own way he is a "righteous" man. He understands duty and honor. He is pious and tries to do what is just and right. His fatal flaws are that he is completely void of compassion, empathy, and does not understand the concept of redemption. He's completely puritanical and when he feels himself actually having a human emotion, he has no idea what do with himself, so he decides to end it all.
Actually, he decided to end it all not because of he experienced a human emotion but because he came to realise that the convictions that drove him in his life were based on false pretences. Javert believes that the law of France at the time is absolutely good - he compares it several times to the law of a God and hence all form of decent is a flicker of evil in someone's heart that can never be extinguished - they violate the law only because they desire to do what is without the best interest of society. While this would be true of absolutely good law, Javert realises that the law cannot be absolutely good, because Valjean commits an empirically good, unselfish act (sparing his life) even though he knows Javert will peruse him regardless. Therefore, the law is proven to punish those who would do good, and does not allow for redemption. Therefore, he reasons that his life has been wasted, and feeling outcast, tops himself.
I was lucky enough to be working backstage when Philip was in Les Mis London. I was able to slip out and stand at the back of the stalls for this performance. I did it as often as possible. I was just a humble dresser but I realised I was in the presence of greatness. Goose bumps every single time. Plus, he was stunningly handsome and in his prime 😍
here's something interesting you mayor may not know, when the Manchester cast album was released , they recycled his "Stars" track from the Complete Symphonic Cast Recording.
@@disneydanny2I went right passed the Palace theatre every weekend telling myself I didn't like musicals ! 🤦🏼 I was in the weekend queue for The Hacienda night club. Gutted I missed him. I got the Les Mis bug years later :)
The coolest thing is that he not only sings, but plays the role of Javert through the whole song. This puts so much more emotion in what he's doing. 10/10.
Best version, best singer! I love how he can stay in character even when the house is brought down by applause...seriously, I'd at least crack a smile! He truly is Javert ❤️
No one has ever even come close to the perfection that is Philip Quast as Javert. I've seen Les Mis live three times and even been in a production of the show, and I have yet to see talent that comes close to his. He is what I imagine Javert would actually look like, sound like, walk like, everything. I would give up my eyeballs just to hear him sing in person.
Ditto. I honestly was angry the first time I saw Les Mis live, as this (recorded) performance was my intro to the show. I was like, you did not give Stars its due justice!!! And I've felt that way with every performance since. There's nothing like this one.
I'm a grown man and I've watched this stellar performance many times. I'm still wiping tears from my face. This is the standard for all music entertainment.
This is swear! This I swear by THE STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS! Pure awesome.
This concert aired as an episode of 'Great Performances' on PBS back in 1996. I remember I was cleaning my apartment, and the TV happened to be tuned to that channel......and they were repeating the concert several times, as part of their annual pledge drive. First time I ever heard any music from the show.......and THIS guy is what hooked me I think. It was between him & Lea Salonga's 'On My Own'. The ENTIRE cast was AWESOME. I didn't get much house cleaning done that weekend though. I got caught up watching this instead.
MrMegadipper Russell Crowe brought me to tears......but for all the wrong reasons. And that guy that TRIED ( sort of....) to play Thenardier.......I think that if not for those two 'performances', the film could have MAYBE won the Academy Award for BEST Picture.
+195511SM I mean, it is Thenardier. You're not supposed to take him seriously. Who else would've played the role? And even if they did, would've it have made that big of a difference?
This is one of the most PERFECT music theater show songs. You learn EVERYTHING you need to know about Javert's true character and what drives him, from this one song. What a master class in clear, powerful writing! And Quast's performance? A master class in OWNING a song. AMAZEBALLS! PS If you loved this go watch the masterclass he conducts on how to interpret this song.
No other Javert has managed to grasp the judgemental stare and barely-contained self righteous fury that Javert should have. Quast is definitely the best in that respect..
Mark Gailmor I’ve never heard of the Ultimate Les Miserables Collection but he does sing on the Complete Symphonic Recording which includes his fabulous version of The Robbery/Javert’s Intervention (which sadly was not performed in the 10th Anniversary Concert)
He is wonderful. It's sad to see these comments unable to give this man a lovely compliment without trashing Russel Crowe. Why must you lift someone up by putting someone else down. Anyone who has the courage and ability to take on such a beautiful song from a musical of which the fan base is so expecting and demanding should be praised. I feel bad for Russell Crowe I actually like his performance as Javert. This performance was wonderful!
finally someone not acting like a 7-years-old! i discovered les misérables by watching the movie, so maybe that's why i don't see what's wrong with crowe's javert -because i haven't seen other performances- but i really don't get why people are saying everywhere his performances was a disaster or ruined the movie and so on. to me it was a really great performance throughout the movie, crowe's acting really showed javert's dilemmas/the kind of twisted aspect of javert's character (like, he's doing everything wrong, he's kind of the vilain, but all he really wants to do is justice and do things right). i don't know if any of what i'm saying makes sense, however yeah russell's performance was totaly okay and putting him down for no available reason is really childish. (i'd add moreover that i absolutely loved his voice -autotuned or not- and that his performance of stars is probably one of my favorite scenes of the movie)
Crowe was a disaster. He may look great, but um sorry, then perform an cry was one of the worst in movie musical history. (Close to Peter O"Tools"s "Man of LA Mancha.)
All of the actors in the movie played their parts brilliantly. The problem with russel crowe is that his singing didn't stack up to singers like Philip Quast or the rest of the cast. He played the part well but at the end of the day, it's still a musical.
Read an interview with with Lea Salonga where she said that being on stage when Quast did this performance was the most memorable thing she'd had from a Schonberg and Boublil musical.
I love his expression at 1:42. There is a happiness that he feels in doing his 'duty'. And yes there is pride as well but he actually smiles. It's an interesting moment.
I love how Quast plays the character in such a hard-hearted manner, but this song alternates between harsh tones to demonstrate firm resolve and danger to the protagonist but also really pleasantly soft tones to show a layer of innocence and sincerity in the character. That's such an incredible contrast and to play each side so convincingly is a mark of great skill. Quast is such a wonderful singer!
i cant really understand why some think Quast lacks interpretation.....From what I've seen in this video he IS Javert... From his eyes, his facial expression and even his little gestures he simply told us what it is to be Javert -- a resolute and pious man who strongly (perhaps blindly) believed in his definition of justice, where the good is rewarded and the bad punished. His expression is so good that from the determination he showed the audience can probably tell his world would totally fall apart when his belief in justice is shaken. I'm not sure if there is anyone else in the whole world who can just stand and sing, and tell the whole story of a tragic character.
Yes! How could they! Especially after reading the entry that explained that to prepare for this he got into astronomy, studied the night sky, wanted to be familiar so he could literally embrace the concept of their guidance and importance.
No one comes close to Philip Quast as Javert in any of the recordings I've seen. His diction and tone conveys so much conviction and character that the character just comes alive so convincingly. Brilliant work.
My as a kid : I like master of the house, wonder what the words means... Me as a teen : on my own... Pretending she's beside me... Me now : wow, javert is actually an antihero...
@@murder7415 You're kind of backwards in your terminology and how you apply the "anti"; I actually don't think Javert fits the "antihero" label. First, IME that almost always refers to the *protagonist* of a story, while Javert is clearly the primary antagonist of Les Mis. Second, an "antihero" is someone who you are kind of rooting for even though they're really not a good person -- wikipedia says they "lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage and morality". But because the story is probably told from their view kind of, they are played as the protagonist; "everyone is the hero of their own story." For example, TV Tropes gives Walter White as an example of an antihero. I'm not sure the following is a 100% fit either, but Javert is actually much closer to an *antivillain*, "a character with heroic goals, personality traits, and/or virtues who is ultimately the villain. Their desired ends are mostly good, but their means of getting there range from evil to undesirable". That's TV Tropes's definition, and I'm not the only one who thinks Javert potentially qualifies because he is among their examples. (He's not listed as an antihero, just to head off the idea that maybe the site is inconsistent and he's both places.) I think it might just be best to label him more neutrally, and call him an antagonist; well-intentioned but deeply flawed.
@@EvanED While I do not remember the term antihero to strictly be used for protagonists, I do acknowledge that Javert is an antagonist. However, I agree to the term antivillain.
To me, Phillip Quast IS Javert. All others are actors portraying his role. The 10th Anniversary concert...top to bottom...every song, happen happen to all be my favorite performances of each song. Phillip Quast and Colm Wilkenson forver Valjean and Javert.
I never really understood Javert and all of his brilliant complexity until I saw Quast perform it. Thank you for portraying this character so beautifully.
I was in the audience in row 3 ... Philip Quast has a fantastic voice. They certainly didn't call it 'The Dream Cast' for nothing ... Every single artist on that stage was beyond exceptional. From Colm Wilkinson (who was phenomenal) Michael Ball, Ruthie Henshaw, Alun Armstrong as Thénardier, madly brilliant, to Hannah Chick as Corsette. The cast, the choir ... OMG if only I could go back in time !!!
I think what sets Quast apart from many other singers is the simplicity with which he sings, along with his great vocal skill. He doesn't try to show off in any way what so ever, he just sings it and that's it.
Amazing how he just stands there, holds the hat and bludgeon, doesn't move a muscle. Everything happens in the face and voice. And that voice is right on the money. Perfection.
He's so pretty...but in a macho way. The blue eyes paired with his darker complexion,and that glorious mane, but then you add those killer mutton chops, and just they way he sings, a deep, incredibly beautiful and skilled voice, coming out of a passionate face, he really sells it when he sings like his facial expressions, even just his natural facial structure. Quite the man. No Javert like him, no voice like his. Philip Quast is quite literally, the whole package.
This rendition is why Philip Quast is the definitive Javert to me. My god that coda. Most singers would falter and fall trying to sustain, but this Javert seems to go on and on and get even stronger, more determined. I love how he took in the applause at the end with a look that says, "You bet I do." Then he puts on his hat and walks into the night.
I was so lucky to see him in person in the first London revival of 'The Secret Garden' by the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played Archie, the hunchbacked Uncle, and was as stunning as he was in 'Les Mis', though playing a very different character. A three hanky performance -- absolutely heartbreaking. I got to chat with him afterward and what a lovely fellow he was, too. And though I've seen some damn good Javert's in my time, I think Quast is definitive -- as moving as the best Valjeans -- and you can't ask for more than that.
A performer this great can make you believe in Javert's humanity and be utterly transported into the depth of his universe. Philip Quast creates a Javert whose powerful vision reaches us and moves us. No better Javert exists.
This song is crucial to the story and it's so hard to pull off. This is the song were we get to understand Javert, and if the actor doesn't have the charisma or the passion during Stars, the character loses meaning. That being said, Quest is the perfect example of how to do it well
So what Russell wasn't supposed to re-invent singing He was as genuine as anyone in the film production Good on him And he brought cinematic heft to the whole thing Good on him. Love it. I love the other recordings too
@Karaokuma Crowe is an Actor, not a singer, I get that. Given his talent I think he did pretty well in the film version of Les Miserables. And so did the film director. And sound mixing team
@@Jasoux His acting was okay, but that's not what we're talking about here. This has nothing to do with the sound mixing team or the director. Russell Crowe was miscast.
Philip Quast. You will never see or hear the likes of him ever again in that way ever again, except on video. At that time, in this way, he was & always: perfection. That is how it's done. His range & voice is unequalled.
I love how the tune of this song is so calming and peaceful and then Javert is all, "Imma hunt him down and fuck him up with Old Testament fire-and-brimstone shit!"
Sorry. :) But it's true. If you just listened to the tune by itself, you'd think it was a lullaby or a sweeping romantic ballad or something. For me, the melody and lyrics don't really match. But that's just me, and even then, Quast performs this beautifully.
TheaterRaven having watched the original dreamcast in action at the 10th anniversary and then the 25th. Russel crowe is no more than an out of tune, out of sequence singing thunderbird. even hugh jackman was half convincing as valjean but crowe was a complete mis cast.
I thought Jackman was decent enough, for a film (though his rendition of "Bring Him Home" was completely wrong), but Crowe was awful. I also had the same problem with Gerard Butler as the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera". He couldn't sing, either, and he was way too handsome for the role (though the minimal makeup wasn't his fault).
Yet another yes vote to "Best Javert ever"! Vocally accurate AND impassioned without overdoing it. btw- Crowe comparisons totally unfair. Different medium, different approaches.
When Anthony Perkins' Javert insists that Jean Valjean go with him, Valjean asks what's his problem anyway, and Javert replies "I have mommy issues." And when Valjean asks where they're supposed to go, Javert replies "You'll be my guest at our family motel." Valjean looks confused, and Javert corrects himself and says, "I mean, family inn."
I always related more to Javert. I like rules, structure, knowing my boundaries and what's expected of me. He really does think he is dong the right thing. I like how Valjean and Javert sing the same song, but while Valjean realizes he's in the wrong and decides to change, Javert realizes he's in the wrong and he doesn't know how to handle it. It shows the maturity and growth of Valjean and the ultimate insecurity of Javert. When he goes to Valjean and demands punishment for his false report, and Valjean pardons him, he is so confused and upset. It's like mercy turns his entire world upside down.
I have just spent three weeks wracking my brain to try to explain the dichotomy of Justice vs Mercy, using Valjean and Javert as my examples. One ten page paper later, I saw your comment and wished I could reference it with enormous fanfare. Well done!
The Confrontation was my first Les Mis song, and from the moment Javert says: "Men like me can never change, Men like you can never change," I knew he'd be my favorite. It was nice to see a character with such strong convictions understand, albeit subtly, how little control he has over his own destiny.
Warren McFadden Norm has an amazing voice but he always sings it with such anger, and Stars is not an angry song. Javert is supposed to be self righteous, determined, and full of conviction here, but not angry.
+VSC, Valjean and Javert are mirrors of one another and are what the other could've been had they made different choices. They're both men who have been through Hell, told constantly they are one thing and nothing more, struggle to do what they think is right and are given a chance at redemption by somebody they've wronged. This is echoed in Valjean's Soliloquy and Javert's Suicide where the melody is identical. Where they differ is how they react to this unexpected grace. Valjean chooses to make a new start for himself, horrified at what he has done and moved by the Bishop's show of mercy and the final notes of his Soliloquy are sharp and cutting as he rips up his papers marking him a criminal. Javert on the other hand can't reconcile Valjean's criminal past to the show of mercy and chooses to accept what he's clung to most of his life instead of changing his life as Valjean did, again the final notes as he jumps to his death are of Stars "You are the sentinels, silent and sure, keeping watch in the night, keeping watch in the night" This is why most productions don't have Javert on the barricades, because he rejected that offer of mercy and didn't accept a second chance.
Your analysis is true, I will add Javert's personal context; He was born in prison, on the side of the guards, his universe is formatted in an irrevocable way, it is a watchdog .. And then more generally Victor Hugo describes with rigorous exactitude, (And its police) created by Bonaparte (whom the returning Bourbons guarded by adding to it a revanchist religious order destroyed during the French Revolution, more preoccupied with its interest than with the redemption of the culprits). Victor Hugo is inspired by the real character of François Vidocq, inventor of the police of intelligence, the systematic grid of information of the caretakers of the buildings, the infiltration in the bands of thugs, the payment by remittances of prison sentence etc., etc en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Fran%C3%A7ois_Vidocq
To understand this song fully , you must understand what makes Javert the man he is . There are no grey areas with Javert : with him , there is right or wrong , good and bad . The one thing he feared above all others was God . Javert took his moral code by the ten commandments . If you broke any of God's commandments , you should be punished - and if he ( Javert ) did wrong , he too should be punished . With him , double standards did not apply . Oh , this IS the definitive version of Stars . You will not find a superior rendition - anywhere .
+ThefightingCelt - You are so right on that. It is never black and white to him it is all one shade - gray, if you broke a Commandment, you need to be punished. Philip did an awesome job and there is no better Javert than he.
+ThefightingCelt Interestingly enough, in the book he wasn't at all religious, but held a religious sort of devotion for the law itself. He set his moral code by the laws. Religion is a bit of a short hand for the musical to show the character!
+Ponder Stibbons That's interesting, I never knew that. I think it works really well both ways, which speaks to how great a concept for a character it is
+Beth Brownell You said the opposite thing from what ThefightingCelt said, not gray, simply black and white. And I completely agree, though in the book; like Ponder Stibbons said, in the book he held the law almost higher than the God he believed in; this coming from someone who read the book unabridged in both English and French! XD I am obsessed with Les Mis; to illustrate further into this: I am doing a national history competition entry on it, and I have my heart set on winning @ nationals. Everybody has such interesting opinions, however I did like Russell Crowe best.
He defined the role ... just like Robert Preston did in “The Music Man”. This 10th anniversary performance is excellent, and fortunate to be captured. Years later, he talks about the role. th-cam.com/video/Y6F5QgCXT4c/w-d-xo.html
I have heard this song done so many times, but NO ONE captures the spirit and lyrics of this song the way this guy does. Shockingly beautiful. Actually made me cry just now. Outrageously great singer.... and those eyes...!!
The most exquisite performance of Stars I've ever seen and heard. Philip Quast's phrasing is a master class. Listen and watch the man inhabit this song like the true musical actor he is!
This performance made me stop and think: if Javert wasn't the antagonist, but the hero as in many cop/procedural dramas, we wouldn't think he was an obssessed nutjob, just an obssessed hero. Loads of fictional cops we all love are crazier than Javert. Dude's just doin his duty man
I know Philip keeps his character's persona, but he knows. He knows what he's just done. Everytime I watch this I hold my hand and try to close it when I find it tio be a reasonable point to end, but this man always holds the note a few seconds longer. Powerful.
Philip Quast brings such a beautiful human element to Javert. You can see an very real very human internal conflict to the character. You see not really a villain but kind of a anti hero. You can see the fight going on inside of his soul. Between doing what he knows in his heart is right and his obligation to uphold the law and do his duty!
Beautifully said. One of literature’s most interesting characters perfectly portrayed by PQ. So much credit to lyricist Herbie Kretzmer and the Les Mis creative team.
Yes! Just watched it twice at theatre and this song is everything you want it to be. My daughter is autistic and said 'I think he's autistic too, his lifes foundation is black and white, when he realises his whole life he maybe has had it wrong he's too shaken to cope with going on' Powerful!
Perfect execution. No other Javert I’ve heard comes close. The enunciation. The pitch. The tone. The pacing. The way he tells a story and doesn’t just sing the words. Perfect.
Even the other actors and members of the orchestra are clapping!!!
Roger Allam will always be my favourite
@@Simon-sf7ng Russell Crowe was not bad, but his voice never came close to the power of Philip Quast. The tenth anniversary cast is the superior to the one in 2012 in every way.
The Best Javert, sung with power, passion , that last note.Amazing!!! No one compares. He feels the words, doesnt just sing them.
And The menace, Doug
Man can you imagine being him after hitting that last note and thousands cheer for you like that? That's gotta be an incredible feeling.
And not even smirking.
Feeling like he's being up with the stars
Used to feel incredible, then you get overshadowed by the hamilton kids down the block. Your thousands is matched by their millions, around the world.
@@thRegimentofFootThethRifles I love Hamilton, but this they can never be topped. Hamilton grows in you if you hear it multiple times but with this I never grew tired of listening to.
@@thRegimentofFootThethRifles don't need to put others down to praise something. Atleast not among fans of something as niche as musicals.
Let's take this moment to appreciate the greatest Javerts in history: Phillip Quast, Phillip Quast, Phillip Quast, Norm Lewis, and last but not the least Phillip Quast
terrence mann??
He was so good in this part: so good, both vocally and theatrically.
Broooo, Russell Crowe's voice has something, maybe it's not as hard as Phillip but maaaaaan, really got me
What about Philip Quast
@@dakotavaleria it has something called "not very good at singing".
You know how good a villain song is when you watch it out of context, you would think he was the hero
Heroes in modern pieces very rarely speak of righteousness.
It isn't really a villain song. Antagonist song, you betcha. But Javert isn't a villain, just a man flawed by his own beliefs that if someone commits a crime they can never be good.
Javert's just a policeman who's somewhat zealous and overcommitted to the philosophies underpinning his job. He's not a "bad guy". If anyone's the "bad guy" in Les Mis, it's Valjean. He's a convicted thief - sure, he "only" stole some bread, but stealing is stealing - then he tried to steal from the bishop, then he went on the lam rather than facing his punishment, concocted a false identity and lived a sham life, and then when the law finally caught up with him he went on the lam _again_ except this time he dragged his innocent adopted daughter into it.
@@N.I.R.A.T.I.A.S. Plus, in the book, he was an actual criminal, and kind of an asshole. To the point where the reason Les Misérables is so powerful it's exactly because "if this awful excuse for a human being can be redeemed, can't almost anyone"?
Obviously the Thenardiers and the French government as a whole are the villains of Les Miserables
This is probably the best performance of this song I've ever heard
Probably ?? You know it is
Bradley Elsken but Russel Crowe tho
VenomWhisper Crowe is a folk singer. He can sing, but his style is not really suited to broadway. He was too flat, imo. In performance, not tuning, he was spot on pitch-wise.
Barney Harris I was Kidding. I know this is the best lmao
VenomWhisper Fairy nuff. I can never be sure, after all, Russell Crowe is pretty awesome.
How long can you sustain the final note, Mr Quast?
Philip: Yes
Haha😆😅😄🤣😃
13 secs
🤣 yes. Quite.
when he says "This i swear by..." he takes a breath right before by, it is a way of being smart with your breaths. "This I swear by... *breath* the starrrrs". Makes it a lot easier.
@@eiantsou6109 Easi"er", yes, but still not easy. It's a very long sustain, and it takes a lot of practice to still have power at the end and not finish with a quiet whimper.
The final evolution of Les Mis fandom: if Stars hasn’t become your favorite song, you still know deep down, it’s the best song.
rebuttal: javert's suicide, empty chairs maybe sometimes.
My bestest!
Best solo. One Day More is still a showstopper
Agree! 1. Stars 2. Empty Chairs
read this a month ago and didn't think much of the song, now i am in the same position as you :s
I’m just blown away by how good he is wearing that many layers. He has on a shirt, then a cotton coat, then an over coat on top of that, Cotton trousers, heavy leather boats, side burns, long hair, and a top hat. How’d this man not pass out?
the same magic that lets him sing like this
Tbh it’s probably helping keep his vocal chords warmer
Probably skipped the underwear!
He also got airco underneath so he's fine.
Long hair before it was even cool..
My wife saw this amazing performance in person -- and I mean this EXACT performance -- and I am still SO jealous!!
Paul Clemens I’m jealous too
How much were the tickets?! I’m building a time machine!
So am I
Question, does your wife know why they didn't have this dream cast also perform an actual play and have it pro shot the way they did this? I know they wanted to get maximum recorded audio for the album here which is why it wasn't the full bells and whistles production. But could you imagine if the next night they had THIS CAST do the actual play and pro shot it like this? Before everyone went their separate ways. That would be fire! I love watching the 10th anniversary concert but it's often not 'busy' enough to get a newbie into and I do kinda wish that existed.
Because they are Broadway, and they got real actors? No diss to them tho, cuz they they obviously are better
I would love to see Philip Quast perform "Hellfire" from the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Oh yes! Yes!
+Olli Lappalainen YES!
Oh my god yes!! 😃
+Olli Lappalainen Oh my god, best fucking idea ever!
Check out Anthony Warlow singing this.
I love that the actors stay in character during the applause. It’s all well and good with Lea and Michael looking sad after their solos, but then we have Philip looking arrogantly at the cheering crowd in true Javert fashion, and it makes me giggle.
I read that lea michele, and let me tell you i have never been so confused
True. Fucking giga chad Javert.
I always thought it was a look of shyness. Like he was caught up in a rare moment to himself and had to regain composure.
I figured he was searching the audience for Valjean. He'd be the one not clapping.
@M Radan lol this made me laugh
It's not just how he sings it. It's how he stands and how he holds his baton. How he looks up and removes his hat as he adresses the stars in such a submissive and respectful way. It's how he delivers the entire song with such conviction. It's why I keep coming back to this performance again and again. No one could top this performance. Quast didn't just set the bar, he airlifted it into space with that baton.
And to top it off, he was having a serious case of the stage fright from what I heard, and he still pulled it off.
Philip physically looks and sounds like how i imagine Javert to be
Quast's Javert has the authoritarian uniformed vibe of M. Bison, the 1800s styled top hat menace of Mr. Hyde and the monstrous physically imposing stage presence of The Undertaker. Except none of those guys have pipes like these. Certified badass.
WOW !!
Russel Crowe has a more look and feel to Javert
While Phillip Quast has that awesome voice
@@cerridianempire1653 I agree
I always felt this song was underrated/underappreciated.
It pretty much sums up who Javert is.
Dude is a nutcase, but in his own way he is a "righteous" man. He understands duty and honor. He is pious and tries to do what is just and right. His fatal flaws are that he is completely void of compassion, empathy, and does not understand the concept of redemption. He's completely puritanical and when he feels himself actually having a human emotion, he has no idea what do with himself, so he decides to end it all.
Why underrated? It's one of the best song of the show.
Sannya1803 Well, it's less popular than the other songs from the musical or at least, it is around here. So maybe underappreciated not underrated.
The world would be a better place if police consisted only of such men like Javert: crime-hating, uncorruptable and madly brave.
Đuro Razbojnik Except for his untrained singing voice, I never saw the show before the movie and I cringed when he started singing. Just my 2 cents
Actually, he decided to end it all not because of he experienced a human emotion but because he came to realise that the convictions that drove him in his life were based on false pretences. Javert believes that the law of France at the time is absolutely good - he compares it several times to the law of a God and hence all form of decent is a flicker of evil in someone's heart that can never be extinguished - they violate the law only because they desire to do what is without the best interest of society. While this would be true of absolutely good law, Javert realises that the law cannot be absolutely good, because Valjean commits an empirically good, unselfish act (sparing his life) even though he knows Javert will peruse him regardless. Therefore, the law is proven to punish those who would do good, and does not allow for redemption. Therefore, he reasons that his life has been wasted, and feeling outcast, tops himself.
Sometimes a song doesn’t have to be sad to make you cry. It can be performed so well that it’s overwhelming. Quast is the man.
LITERALLY I feel emotional when I hear this, he just sings it so perfectly
I will die for him 🙏
Every. Single. Time. Chokes me up
There is such a sincerity to his voice. You can feel his belief in what he is doing.
I have only listened to Stars and Javert's Suicide for 2 weeks now
I was lucky enough to be working backstage when Philip was in Les Mis London. I was able to slip out and stand at the back of the stalls for this performance. I did it as often as possible. I was just a humble dresser but I realised I was in the presence of greatness. Goose bumps every single time. Plus, he was stunningly handsome and in his prime 😍
here's something interesting you mayor may not know, when the Manchester cast album was released , they recycled his "Stars" track from the Complete Symphonic Cast Recording.
So so lucky
@@disneydanny2I went right passed the Palace theatre every weekend telling myself I didn't like musicals ! 🤦🏼
I was in the weekend queue for The Hacienda night club. Gutted I missed him. I got the Les Mis bug years later :)
Nobody gives the orchestra enough credit. It’s so powerful and beautiful!
And it’s still beautiful in 2024 :)
Shut up we're talking about Phil
@@erniesings6855 you can’t acknowledge and praise both? Lmao
@@Howlingburd19 never
Hadn't really thought about it, but yeah it's immaculate through the whole 10th anniversary recording
But you did ❤❤❤❤❤
The coolest thing is that he not only sings, but plays the role of Javert through the whole song. This puts so much more emotion in what he's doing.
10/10.
Nope.................. 11/10
+Livwen Absotol 12/10
+jdoubsfox1 Yes, truly
Best version, best singer! I love how he can stay in character even when the house is brought down by applause...seriously, I'd at least crack a smile! He truly is Javert ❤️
No truer than at the end of the song when he puts his hat back on...that look he gives!!
No one has ever even come close to the perfection that is Philip Quast as Javert. I've seen Les Mis live three times and even been in a production of the show, and I have yet to see talent that comes close to his. He is what I imagine Javert would actually look like, sound like, walk like, everything. I would give up my eyeballs just to hear him sing in person.
Ditto. I honestly was angry the first time I saw Les Mis live, as this (recorded) performance was my intro to the show. I was like, you did not give Stars its due justice!!! And I've felt that way with every performance since. There's nothing like this one.
Look for Norm Lewis! It’s amazing!
@@davidcabrera3297 Lewis lacks that authoritative commanding voice that Quast has.
@@coneil72 ❤️
@@HelloWorld-ev9sg Weird, I think Quast lacks the authoritative voice Lewis has.
The man gave a performance so good even Valjean was clapping.
And Alun Armstrong’s “Master of the House” brought Fantine back to life and had her slapping her knees!
Haaa
Lol
The only clapping Valjean should be engaged in is getting clapped in irons.
That's how he catches him again
I'm a grown man and I've watched this stellar performance many times. I'm still wiping tears from my face. This is the standard for all music entertainment.
I’m the sane ❤
This is swear! This I swear by
THE STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARS!
Pure awesome.
I could listen to it a million times... come to think of it, maybe I have.
Awesomeness*
He has the most incredible breath control - and the voice
does not falter at all. . . thank the goodnesses for Broadway!!!!
This concert aired as an episode of 'Great Performances' on PBS back in 1996. I remember I was cleaning my apartment, and the TV happened to be tuned to that channel......and they were repeating the concert several times, as part of their annual pledge drive. First time I ever heard any music from the show.......and THIS guy is what hooked me I think. It was between him & Lea Salonga's 'On My Own'. The ENTIRE cast was AWESOME. I didn't get much house cleaning done that weekend though. I got caught up watching this instead.
Lol
Search "Les Miserables Stars" and Quast is still number one result even after the 25th Anniversary concert and the movie.
As it should be.
dahuterschuter It's crowe now, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
MrMegadipper Russell Crowe brought me to tears......but for all the wrong reasons. And that guy that TRIED ( sort of....) to play Thenardier.......I think that if not for those two 'performances', the film could have MAYBE won the Academy Award for BEST Picture.
+dahuterschuter Searching just "Stars" and Quast is STILL number one result even after everything...
As it should be
+dahuterschuter they were called the dream cast for a reason.
+195511SM I mean, it is Thenardier. You're not supposed to take him seriously. Who else would've played the role? And even if they did, would've it have made that big of a difference?
This is one of the most PERFECT music theater show songs. You learn EVERYTHING you need to know about Javert's true character and what drives him, from this one song. What a master class in clear, powerful writing! And Quast's performance? A master class in OWNING a song. AMAZEBALLS!
PS If you loved this go watch the masterclass he conducts on how to interpret this song.
Wait for It is a close second...but yeah
The original score didn't have that coda,the high note"this I swear by the stars"...thank you Lord for the revision
It's not the song, it's Quast's perfect interpretation and performance. Gives me the creeps each time. People like Javert are plentiful.
No other Javert has managed to grasp the judgemental stare and barely-contained self righteous fury that Javert should have. Quast is definitely the best in that respect..
Agreed, and he sings on the ultimate Les Mis collection too.
Mark Gailmor I’ve never heard of the Ultimate Les Miserables Collection but he does sing on the Complete Symphonic Recording which includes his fabulous version of The Robbery/Javert’s Intervention (which sadly was not performed in the 10th Anniversary Concert)
The 10th anniversary cast really is the dream cast. Javert, Enjolras, Fantine, Marius and the Thenardiers are ridiculously good.
And eponine!!!
Eponine too!
Justine lol rip Valjean
Eponine and Valjean too
If they could have performed with Alfie Boe, I'd agree!
He is wonderful. It's sad to see these comments unable to give this man a lovely compliment without trashing Russel Crowe. Why must you lift someone up by putting someone else down. Anyone who has the courage and ability to take on such a beautiful song from a musical of which the fan base is so expecting and demanding should be praised. I feel bad for Russell Crowe I actually like his performance as Javert. This performance was wonderful!
Videostar2218 Crowe singing Stars LOOKED amazing! It wasn't bad! It just sounded like auto tune
DIsagree. Russel Crowe should NEVER sung this role. It was a true and real fiasco.
finally someone not acting like a 7-years-old! i discovered les misérables by watching the movie, so maybe that's why i don't see what's wrong with crowe's javert -because i haven't seen other performances- but i really don't get why people are saying everywhere his performances was a disaster or ruined the movie and so on. to me it was a really great performance throughout the movie, crowe's acting really showed javert's dilemmas/the kind of twisted aspect of javert's character (like, he's doing everything wrong, he's kind of the vilain, but all he really wants to do is justice and do things right). i don't know if any of what i'm saying makes sense, however yeah russell's performance was totaly okay and putting him down for no available reason is really childish. (i'd add moreover that i absolutely loved his voice -autotuned or not- and that his performance of stars is probably one of my favorite scenes of the movie)
Crowe was a disaster. He may look great, but um sorry, then perform an cry was one of the worst in movie musical history. (Close to Peter O"Tools"s "Man of LA Mancha.)
All of the actors in the movie played their parts brilliantly. The problem with russel crowe is that his singing didn't stack up to singers like Philip Quast or the rest of the cast. He played the part well but at the end of the day, it's still a musical.
Philip Quast set the standard for decades to come
Read an interview with with Lea Salonga where she said that being on stage when Quast did this performance was the most memorable thing she'd had from a Schonberg and Boublil musical.
3:17 He never breaks character! The expression completly summons up the character! He's wonderful.
I love his expression at 1:42. There is a happiness that he feels in doing his 'duty'. And yes there is pride as well but he actually smiles. It's an interesting moment.
I love how Quast plays the character in such a hard-hearted manner, but this song alternates between harsh tones to demonstrate firm resolve and danger to the protagonist but also really pleasantly soft tones to show a layer of innocence and sincerity in the character. That's such an incredible contrast and to play each side so convincingly is a mark of great skill. Quast is such a wonderful singer!
I have watched this DVD over 200 times This is Javert I love it still and will continue to do so for a very long time Jenny✨
A Wonderful singer and a brilliant actor.💙🙏
I was fortunate enough to see him twice in London. My husband and I always refer to him as the REAL Javert.
Me too. Manage to see the original casts. They were all incredible. Amazing talents ❤
@@madeyed2702same.
i cant really understand why some think Quast lacks interpretation.....From what I've seen in this video he IS Javert...
From his eyes, his facial expression and even his little gestures he simply told us what it is to be Javert -- a resolute and pious man who strongly (perhaps blindly) believed in his definition of justice, where the good is rewarded and the bad punished. His expression is so good that from the determination he showed the audience can probably tell his world would totally fall apart when his belief in justice is shaken.
I'm not sure if there is anyone else in the whole world who can just stand and sing, and tell the whole story of a tragic character.
Totally agree with your assessment.
true dat
There seem to be many Javerts running around these days doing terrible things in the name of patriotism blindly disguised as justice.
Yes! How could they! Especially after reading the entry that explained that to prepare for this he got into astronomy, studied the night sky, wanted to be familiar so he could literally embrace the concept of their guidance and importance.
No one comes close to Philip Quast as Javert in any of the recordings I've seen. His diction and tone conveys so much conviction and character that the character just comes alive so convincingly. Brilliant work.
Best cast of Les Mis that has ever existed hands down
I absolutely adore Philip Quast. Totally brilliant. Sings with such feeling.
Absolutely i was there ......😁
@@anniehaynes1561 I'm jealous
I love that Quast was so brilliant here that even the cast and conductor couldn't hold their applause. Flawless victory.
Young me: On My Own is the best song!
Older, wiser me: Nope. It’s Stars.
My as a kid : I like master of the house, wonder what the words means...
Me as a teen : on my own... Pretending she's beside me...
Me now : wow, javert is actually an antihero...
I feel the sameeeee
Katie Alyce for me it’s one day more because of the memories it holds for me
@@murder7415 You're kind of backwards in your terminology and how you apply the "anti"; I actually don't think Javert fits the "antihero" label. First, IME that almost always refers to the *protagonist* of a story, while Javert is clearly the primary antagonist of Les Mis. Second, an "antihero" is someone who you are kind of rooting for even though they're really not a good person -- wikipedia says they "lacks conventional heroic qualities and attributes such as idealism, courage and morality". But because the story is probably told from their view kind of, they are played as the protagonist; "everyone is the hero of their own story." For example, TV Tropes gives Walter White as an example of an antihero.
I'm not sure the following is a 100% fit either, but Javert is actually much closer to an *antivillain*, "a character with heroic goals, personality traits, and/or virtues who is ultimately the villain. Their desired ends are mostly good, but their means of getting there range from evil to undesirable". That's TV Tropes's definition, and I'm not the only one who thinks Javert potentially qualifies because he is among their examples. (He's not listed as an antihero, just to head off the idea that maybe the site is inconsistent and he's both places.)
I think it might just be best to label him more neutrally, and call him an antagonist; well-intentioned but deeply flawed.
@@EvanED While I do not remember the term antihero to strictly be used for protagonists, I do acknowledge that Javert is an antagonist. However, I agree to the term antivillain.
To me, Phillip Quast IS Javert. All others are actors portraying his role. The 10th Anniversary concert...top to bottom...every song, happen happen to all be my favorite performances of each song. Phillip Quast and Colm Wilkenson forver Valjean and Javert.
I love that he just stays in character the whole time, even when he gets a standing ovation
this is one of the best musical performances I have ever heard.
I love the way he stays in character during the applause, glaring at the audience!
I never really understood Javert and all of his brilliant complexity until I saw Quast perform it. Thank you for portraying this character so beautifully.
absolutely true
2:10 Most epic articulation of the word "paradise" I've ever heard.
2:14 the most epic & operaractical articulation of "those"
Whole song epic articulation
every song that javert sings epic articulation.
@@emilyl7571 agreed
I love how righteous he *sounds* in this song. He even says "that I may see him safe, behind bars"
The 10th Anniversary Concert is my favourite rendition of Les Miserables. This song by Philip Quast is just one of the reasons why.
My favorite too.
Same
I sang this for my performance internship audition for Straw Hats summer stock theater and was sent an acceptance letter the following week!
tardis *-*
Nobody cares!
Kat w that's a bit of a shit comment! Just because you don't care doesn't mean we're all twats
Heard this a million times - and it still chills me.
Exaggerated, half mill
I was in the audience in row 3 ... Philip Quast has a fantastic voice. They certainly didn't call it 'The Dream Cast' for nothing ... Every single artist on that stage was beyond exceptional. From Colm Wilkinson (who was phenomenal) Michael Ball, Ruthie Henshaw, Alun Armstrong as Thénardier, madly brilliant, to Hannah Chick as Corsette. The cast, the choir ... OMG if only I could go back in time !!!
plus Lea Salogna
Oh I wholeheartedly agree Simon, the whole cast was superb.
I wish I can go back in time too; sadly, I wasn't even conceived in 1995.
@Farfar Villanueva 😁
Wow. That must of been an incredible experience !
No one sings this more gloriously🌟✨than Philip Quast.
I think what sets Quast apart from many other singers is the simplicity with which he sings, along with his great vocal skill. He doesn't try to show off in any way what so ever, he just sings it and that's it.
Same - It's mainly just his normal voice that makes it sound so good.
Amazing how he just stands there, holds the hat and bludgeon, doesn't move a muscle. Everything happens in the face and voice. And that voice is right on the money. Perfection.
He's so pretty...but in a macho way. The blue eyes paired with his darker complexion,and that glorious mane, but then you add those killer mutton chops, and just they way he sings, a deep, incredibly beautiful and skilled voice, coming out of a passionate face, he really sells it when he sings like his facial expressions, even just his natural facial structure. Quite the man. No Javert like him, no voice like his. Philip Quast is quite literally, the whole package.
This rendition is why Philip Quast is the definitive Javert to me. My god that coda. Most singers would falter and fall trying to sustain, but this Javert seems to go on and on and get even stronger, more determined. I love how he took in the applause at the end with a look that says, "You bet I do." Then he puts on his hat and walks into the night.
Wow ! This is the best voice I've ever heard in my life
The best baritone in all of the theater world.
yes!!!! it is sooooooooo beautiful
I was so lucky to see him in person in the first London revival of 'The Secret Garden' by the Royal Shakespeare Company. He played Archie, the hunchbacked Uncle, and was as stunning as he was in 'Les Mis', though playing a very different character. A three hanky performance -- absolutely heartbreaking. I got to chat with him afterward and what a lovely fellow he was, too. And though I've seen some damn good Javert's in my time, I think Quast is definitive -- as moving as the best Valjeans -- and you can't ask for more than that.
He held that final note for 13 seconds. Good lord that's impressive.
A performer this great can make you believe in Javert's humanity and be utterly transported into the depth of his universe. Philip Quast creates a Javert whose powerful vision reaches us and moves us. No better Javert exists.
I truly believe Philip Quast as Javert would also have also made a really badass 1980s wrestling heel in WWF.
Weird but I can see it
Damn you're right 😂
That would've been awesome!
PQ singing while wrestling-I'd pay to see that.
This song is crucial to the story and it's so hard to pull off. This is the song were we get to understand Javert, and if the actor doesn't have the charisma or the passion during Stars, the character loses meaning.
That being said, Quest is the perfect example of how to do it well
Javert is both, a protagonist and an antagonist- I love Quast's whole act of him. He never breaks character.
When people ask what was wrong with Russell Crowe in the movie version, I show them this
So what
Russell wasn't supposed to re-invent singing
He was as genuine as anyone in the film production
Good on him
And he brought cinematic heft to the whole thing
Good on him. Love it. I love the other recordings too
@@Jasoux EXACTLY
@@JasouxHe wasn't supposed to reinvent singing, but he WAS supposed to sing. Crowe was awful.
@Karaokuma Crowe is an Actor, not a singer, I get that.
Given his talent I think he did pretty well in the film version of Les Miserables.
And so did the film director. And sound mixing team
@@Jasoux His acting was okay, but that's not what we're talking about here. This has nothing to do with the sound mixing team or the director. Russell Crowe was miscast.
Philip Quast - the definitive Javert !
very...bookish? :D
Lynn Ross very "brick" you mean :)
Nhat Lam NGUYEN
No I don't think so :P
The best Javert I have ever seen on stage.
Philip Quast is the best Javert to date.
Couldn't agree more. This performance is a total
Tour de force.
Hear, hear!
Cheers
I think Norm Lewis did it the best, but Quast is a close second.
I agree. In fact, I've always thought that Javert had the best voice in most of the productions I've seen.
I was fortunate enough to see Philip Quast play Javert in London. Excellent casting and an excellent singer and actor.
Philip Quast. You will never see or hear the likes of him ever again in that way ever again, except on video. At that time, in this way, he was & always: perfection. That is how it's done. His range & voice is unequalled.
Philip Quast is by far the best Javert I've seen. Les Miserables wouldn't mean so much to me if I hadn't seen Philip Quast as Javert.
I have never seen someone more perfectly cast as Quast as Javert. Probably my favorite musical theatre performance ever
Absolutely incredible. Philip Quast is Javert to perfection
Simply the best Javerre ever.....nobody can sing this as well as Philip Quast.
Perfection. I also totally love the bad-ass way he stays in character at the end and stares down the audience before he goes to sit down. Brilliant!
GOD, can you imagine singing like that??
Why do some people get to be philip quast, and other people get to be me?
Try having a Mother who was a vocal teacher for 45 years, listening to all of her students, and then not being able to do this.😢
Right. I sing this in the shower and am like yeah I can sing. Then I watch this and go. No no no. I no sing.
@@Zarmdthecoolest
Rock on, kid!
This is the best performance for Stars that i've seen so far.
i don't think i'll ever stop returning to this video
I love how the tune of this song is so calming and peaceful and then Javert is all, "Imma hunt him down and fuck him up with Old Testament fire-and-brimstone shit!"
I'm just singing and this comment ruined it...
Sorry. :)
But it's true. If you just listened to the tune by itself, you'd think it was a lullaby or a sweeping romantic ballad or something. For me, the melody and lyrics don't really match. But that's just me, and even then, Quast performs this beautifully.
I was introduced to the "Les Miserables" musical through the 2012 film. I didn't care for Crowe's voice, let's leave it at that. :)
TheaterRaven having watched the original dreamcast in action at the 10th anniversary and then the 25th. Russel crowe is no more than an out of tune, out of sequence singing thunderbird. even hugh jackman was half convincing as valjean but crowe was a complete mis cast.
I thought Jackman was decent enough, for a film (though his rendition of "Bring Him Home" was completely wrong), but Crowe was awful. I also had the same problem with Gerard Butler as the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera". He couldn't sing, either, and he was way too handsome for the role (though the minimal makeup wasn't his fault).
Yet another yes vote to "Best Javert ever"! Vocally accurate AND impassioned without overdoing it. btw- Crowe comparisons totally unfair. Different medium, different approaches.
Russell Crowe was awful. Facts.
@@Nehmi correction: *opinion
Perfect Javert. Everyone else is a distant second and further down the ladder
Could not agree more
brian da MAN
He is my favourite musical Javert, but the best non-musical is Anthony Perkins from 1978 movie.
When Anthony Perkins' Javert insists that Jean Valjean go with him, Valjean asks what's his problem anyway, and
Javert replies "I have mommy issues." And when Valjean asks where they're supposed to go, Javert replies "You'll be my guest at our family motel." Valjean looks confused, and Javert corrects himself and says, "I mean, family inn."
I'm sorry, I like Russell Crowe more. sue me.
Phillip Quast is the GOAT as Javert! Nobody really comes close. The voice, the appearance, the acting. Pure perfection!
Kudos to whoever was in charge of Quasting.
I always related more to Javert. I like rules, structure, knowing my boundaries and what's expected of me. He really does think he is dong the right thing. I like how Valjean and Javert sing the same song, but while Valjean realizes he's in the wrong and decides to change, Javert realizes he's in the wrong and he doesn't know how to handle it. It shows the maturity and growth of Valjean and the ultimate insecurity of Javert. When he goes to Valjean and demands punishment for his false report, and Valjean pardons him, he is so confused and upset. It's like mercy turns his entire world upside down.
***** Couldn't have said it better myself :P
Kinzie Kvalsten o.o
I have just spent three weeks wracking my brain to try to explain the dichotomy of Justice vs Mercy, using Valjean and Javert as my examples. One ten page paper later, I saw your comment and wished I could reference it with enormous fanfare. Well done!
One more thing about Javert is that he is arrogant, as the Pharisees were in the Bible and as I used to be.
The Confrontation was my first Les Mis song, and from the moment Javert says:
"Men like me can never change,
Men like you can never change,"
I knew he'd be my favorite. It was nice to see a character with such strong convictions understand, albeit subtly, how little control he has over his own destiny.
I saw Mr Quast performing Les Mis live as a young child. I'm afraid that nothing will affect me in the same way. He was epic.
Listening this 2023.
No one comes close to Mr. Quast
WOW! What an amazing voice. So FULL OF EXPRESSION! No one can ever come close!
Norm Lewis is up there
Warren McFadden Norm has an amazing voice but he always sings it with such anger, and Stars is not an angry song. Javert is supposed to be self righteous, determined, and full of conviction here, but not angry.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!!! I remember Phillip Quast when he was on Playschool here in Australia as a very young man. He was even lovely then!
queenslanddiva hoy hoy hoy😂😂 (I'm not Aussie in any way just know that's what u say)
...
OI OI OI!!!!!!!
Aussie bringing the house down
Javert is one of the most fascinating and because of that - one of my favorite characters in all of literature.
+VSC, Valjean and Javert are mirrors of one another and are what the other could've been had they made different choices. They're both men who have been through Hell, told constantly they are one thing and nothing more, struggle to do what they think is right and are given a chance at redemption by somebody they've wronged. This is echoed in Valjean's Soliloquy and Javert's Suicide where the melody is identical. Where they differ is how they react to this unexpected grace. Valjean chooses to make a new start for himself, horrified at what he has done and moved by the Bishop's show of mercy and the final notes of his Soliloquy are sharp and cutting as he rips up his papers marking him a criminal. Javert on the other hand can't reconcile Valjean's criminal past to the show of mercy and chooses to accept what he's clung to most of his life instead of changing his life as Valjean did, again the final notes as he jumps to his death are of Stars "You are the sentinels, silent and sure, keeping watch in the night, keeping watch in the night"
This is why most productions don't have Javert on the barricades, because he rejected that offer of mercy and didn't accept a second chance.
Your analysis is true, I will add Javert's personal context; He was born in prison, on the side of the guards, his universe is formatted in an irrevocable way, it is a watchdog .. And then more generally Victor Hugo describes with rigorous exactitude, (And its police) created by Bonaparte (whom the returning Bourbons guarded by adding to it a revanchist religious order destroyed during the French Revolution, more preoccupied with its interest than with the redemption of the culprits).
Victor Hugo is inspired by the real character of François Vidocq, inventor of the police of intelligence, the systematic grid of information of the caretakers of the buildings, the infiltration in the bands of thugs, the payment by remittances of prison sentence etc., etc
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Fran%C3%A7ois_Vidocq
He holds the last note for a full 13 seconds at a forte. Amazing.
To understand this song fully , you must understand what makes Javert the man he is . There are no grey areas with Javert : with him , there is right or wrong , good and bad . The one thing he feared above all others was God . Javert took his moral code by the ten commandments . If you broke any of God's commandments , you should be punished - and if he ( Javert ) did wrong , he too should be punished . With him , double standards did not apply . Oh , this IS the definitive version of Stars . You will not find a superior rendition - anywhere .
spot on
+ThefightingCelt - You are so right on that. It is never black and white to him it is all one shade - gray, if you broke a Commandment, you need to be punished. Philip did an awesome job and there is no better Javert than he.
+ThefightingCelt Interestingly enough, in the book he wasn't at all religious, but held a religious sort of devotion for the law itself. He set his moral code by the laws. Religion is a bit of a short hand for the musical to show the character!
+Ponder Stibbons That's interesting, I never knew that. I think it works really well both ways, which speaks to how great a concept for a character it is
+Beth Brownell You said the opposite thing from what ThefightingCelt said, not gray, simply black and white. And I completely agree, though in the book; like Ponder Stibbons said, in the book he held the law almost higher than the God he believed in; this coming from someone who read the book unabridged in both English and French! XD I am obsessed with Les Mis; to illustrate further into this: I am doing a national history competition entry on it, and I have my heart set on winning @ nationals. Everybody has such interesting opinions, however I did like Russell Crowe best.
This is me when a mosquito is in my bedroom.
f38stingray Lol, it works perfectly:
“Lord, let me find him, that I may see him.”
Your comment made my day xD
"there.... out in the darkness... a fugitive running."
_"i will get you, insect."_
That’s it u win
«He knows his way in the dark, mine is the way of the lord» haha
Omg 😂😂😂👍
Quast was born to play this role. Actually unbelievable how good he is
D R ikr!
He defined the role ... just like Robert Preston did in “The Music Man”.
This 10th anniversary performance is excellent, and fortunate to be captured.
Years later, he talks about the role.
th-cam.com/video/Y6F5QgCXT4c/w-d-xo.html
I have heard this song done so many times, but NO ONE captures the spirit and lyrics of this song the way this guy does. Shockingly beautiful. Actually made me cry just now. Outrageously great singer.... and those eyes...!!
Philip is Javert straight outta the book!.
Victor Hugo would agree
Any thoughts on Norm Lewis, 25th anniversary Javert?
His diction is everything. He sounds so sharp and severe. I love it
The most exquisite performance of Stars I've ever seen and heard. Philip Quast's phrasing is a master class. Listen and watch the man inhabit this song like the true musical actor he is!
This performance made me stop and think: if Javert wasn't the antagonist, but the hero as in many cop/procedural dramas, we wouldn't think he was an obssessed nutjob, just an obssessed hero. Loads of fictional cops we all love are crazier than Javert. Dude's just doin his duty man
I know Philip keeps his character's persona, but he knows. He knows what he's just done. Everytime I watch this I hold my hand and try to close it when I find it tio be a reasonable point to end, but this man always holds the note a few seconds longer. Powerful.
I believe this is the best performance I've ever seen. Congrats Mr. Quast.
Philip Quast brings such a beautiful human element to Javert. You can see an very real very human internal conflict to the character. You see not really a villain but kind of a anti hero. You can see the fight going on inside of his soul. Between doing what he knows in his heart is right and his obligation to uphold the law and do his duty!
Beautifully said. One of literature’s most interesting characters perfectly portrayed by PQ. So much credit to lyricist Herbie Kretzmer and the Les Mis creative team.
Yes! Just watched it twice at theatre and this song is everything you want it to be.
My daughter is autistic and said 'I think he's autistic too, his lifes foundation is black and white, when he realises his whole life he maybe has had it wrong he's too shaken to cope with going on' Powerful!
My favorite part is "the doorway to paradise" he sings it so well
For me Philip Quast has the voice, that this part needs ...... It was wonderful, especially as it was a Concert performance.
He was great on scene too
I watched Phillip on Playschool in Australia growing up. 💕
There's so much emotion and attitude in this performance. The self-righteousness, the contempt for lawbreakers, the pleading. LOVE IT
Dear LORD ...... when he hits that 'STAR' note at the end .... goosebumps every single timeeeee
Quast as Javert might be the most perfect casting in the history of entertainment.
I have no clue how many times I've watched this video. The thing is? I'll keep coming back!