Ragtag Entertainment

02/07/14 LES MISERABLES Most voices and acting were outstanding--too bad you couldn't hear a lot of the performances (and I was on the 6th row center!) because of the sound levels and poor quality equipment. That was supposed to be a performing arts center (in Las Vegas--world class city of entertainment) and no curtain and standing mics were left at SAME LEVELS for every performer. It was distracting that they had to keep moving them up and down for their height--or worse, that they didn't and they were singing to the people on the stage only. THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED..it NEVER changed the whole performance...I don't know how the people any further back heard at all. I talked to people in other seat locations at the intermission and they said the same thing. The male chorus in the second half and the innkeeper couple performers were the only ones with good levels because their voices boomed so much to make up for the poor sound attention. The choir in the back might as well have not been there...could hear or understand nothing they said at all. The equipment sound was tinny also...sounded cheap. The orchestra was above average, but horn section missed some significant notes which would have been obvious to even an untrained ear (I'm a musician) and it made me cringe. Because the sound equipment was poor and not loud enough for the vocalists...the orchestra overpowered the vocalists at times...but not too many, amazingly enough. The violins were out of tune at times as well...but mostly, the orchestra was pleasant to listen to. YOU HAVE TOO MUCH TALENT ON THAT STAGE--FIX THE SOUND!!!!!!!!! REALLY disappointed in that. And groups (like chorus), when you come back on stage for a bow, bow it at the same time--looks like a jr. high play otherwise. REALLY enjoyed the voices (what I could hear of them)...and was in tears at their acting at times. I almost didn't go see it because it was at UNLV and I thought it would be at a college level of performance...and the sound WAS...but the vocal and acting talent on that stage was much better than I anticipated--thanks to them for all of their hard work. The fundraiser raffle was a good idea...I could have created a lot more prizes though...like Valentine's baskets--those would have sold tickets like crazy--especially for a fundraiser. People love raffles and the tickets were very reasonably priced. By the way, the bartending staff, the staff at the raffle table and the usher at the left door, and one of the ticket takers were all particularly poised, articulate and friendly--very impressed with that--especially the raffle attendant. Can't say enough about most of the vocal/acting talent that was on that stage--I would have been mesmerized had the sound levels and quality been so poor...fix that and you will sell out like the Super Summer Theatre does. By the way, SST has AMAZING sound...absolutely amazing...why such a difference? Regarding the performers, I thought some of them put their talented touch on the characters and the music much better than Broadway/theatre production artists that have performed Les Mis...BRAVO to them!!