The ultra-starry cast for the upcoming feature film version of the international smash musical sensation LES MISERABLES finally got one step closer to finding its Eponine and Cossette this week, as offers have gone out to pop music superstar Taylor Swift and breakout screen starlet Amanda Seyfried for the hotly anticipated Tom Hooper adaptation of the tuner which will also star Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe as Jean Valjean and Javert, respectively, Anne Hathaway as Fantine and Tony-winner Eddie Redmayne as Marius. While Seyfried is perhaps best known to Broadway babies for her lovable and memorable turn in the role of Meryl Streep’s daughter in the ABBA jukebox movie musical MAMMA MIA!, Swift has displayed her ample affection for all things theatrical with her recent Broadway-themed SPEAK NOW tour as well as her memorable appearance on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and on concert stages around the world. Both ladies certainly have the musical chops to take on these much-beloved Broadway roles - even if the soundtrack is to actually be recorded live on set, as the director himself has confirmed he intends to do - and, while neither Swift nor Seyfried has been officially confirmed by the producers as of this writing, both appear to more than merely satisfy the complex casting necessities for the standout roles and the overall younger-sided casting of the feature film adaptation so far. Yet, no matter how fantastic they may turn out to be in the finished final film, it sure will be difficult to manage to make much of an impression with a cast as impossibly accomplished as the one assembled for this film up until now - 
Jackman, Crowe, Hathaway, Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen included! Plus, who knows what new musical numbers Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Shonberg are cooking up - and what characters shall sing them?! Whatever comes to pass, Christmas 2012 will be all about LES MISERABLES: THE MOVIE MUSICAL for Broadway babies everywhere - many of whom who have been waiting for this moment (and this movie) to arrive for over 20 years! Let’s hope it was worth the wait! Until then, we have this look and listen to what made these ladies oh-so right for the roles. After all, less than 360 days remain until the big 24601!
Taylor Swift
Kicking off the Taylor Swift portion of our look at two of the world’s newest movie musical stars, hear Swift sing the classic “Tonight” from WEST SIDE STORY in this special version of the song created for the 2009 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS.
Taylor Swift discusses her deep love of musical theatre in this segment from Billboard.com in which she states seeing touring productions of Broadway musicals was what initially inspired her to become a performer and cites WICKED as one of her favorite shows, in addition to talking about the theatrical flourishes in her SPEAK NOW tour.
Winning laughs opposite Neil Patrick Harris as Mark from RENT and Jason Sedeikis as The Phantom, here is Taylor Swift showing her musical theatre sensibilities in this hilarious clip from SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in which she is adorned with the red mops of curls - and spunky sensibility - of ANNIE’s eponymous lead.
With the first of three duets featured in today’s look at the versatile talents of Taylor Swift, here she is joining forces with another recent Grammy-winner - Jason Mraz - singing his record-breaking over-2-year chart-scoring “I’m Yours”. Talk about a big Broadway ending courtesy of Mr. Mraz!
Showing another side of her personality and fierce talent - by rapping, no less - here is Taylor sharing the stage with hip hop superstar Nicki Minaj doing a special duet version of Minaj’s international hit “Super Bass”, complete with the audience’s ecstatic adulation at Swift’s unexpected cameo.
Next, watch Swift cover T-Pain’s “Thug Story” in this tongue-in-cheek rap parody video. Now, c’mon - how can you not love a hardcore rap song about baking cookies? Thank Taylor!
Wrapping up with another rap track, hear Taylor take on Eminem’s Oscar-winning 8 MILE anthem “Lose Yourself”, mashed up with Uncle Kracker’s “Smile”, in this fun and fabulous fan capture from Swift’s incredibly successful SPEAK NOW tour.
Amanda Seyfried
Sharing the screen with Meryl Streep in the stage-to-screen transfer of the hit Broadway and West End jukebox musical MAMMA MIA! is undoubtedly a surefire way to make a huge splash in your first big featured role in an international film, and - boy, oh, boy - did Amanda Seyfried do just that. “Honey, Honey” to “Gimme Gimme Gimme” and beyond, Seyfried showed she had a charismatic screen presence as well as an absolutely golden vocal instrument and acted as one of many highlights in the light, frothy and entertaining film. Hear her complete “Honey, Honey” from the multi-platinum film soundtrack here.
Next, hear Amanda lead the female cast, taking on the ABBA disco earworm “Gimme Gimme Gimme” from the MAMMA MIA! soundtrack.
Co-starring with another of the foremost talents of their generation, Dominic Cooper, here we have Amanda duetting on “Lay All Your Love On Me” with ensuing suds, steam and sparks! What a sexy pair - and quite appreciably sonorous, too!
With the lilting, lovely final song from the film, here is Amanda adorably singing “Thank You For The Music”.
Now, see and hear Amanda sing this sumptuous and seriously impressive original song she wrote for PostTheLove in 2010.
Singing another original tune, here is Amanda in the music video for her single “Little House”, featured in DEAR JOHN.
Check out Amanda Seyfried launching into a few notes of the scale in this red carpet clip from the promotional tour of DEAR JOHN, the romantic drama which she co-starred in with Channing Tatum.
Amanda covers the haunting 1960s rock/pop classic “Lil' Red Riding Hood” by Sam The Sham And The Pharoahs in this promo video for the recent horror film loosely based on the fairy tale that she starred in, LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, here; abetted by the talents of Happy Walters and Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses fame. Seriously spooky!
So, what aspect of the forthcoming LES MISERABLES movie musical are you looking forward to most? Furthermore, what cast member do you think shall surprise us and steal the show? With the stupendously gifted gaggle of stars assembled, Tom Hooper’s LES MISERABLES: THE MOVIE MUSICAL certainly purports to be the utmost film event of 2012!
