Les Miserables is a French drama by Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg; adapted from the novel by Victor Hugo. It covers the lives of the poor during the French revolution and looks at different types of men and women and their interactions with each other during this time. Focusing mainly on the character Jean Valjean and his constant running from French officer, Inspector Javert, the play covers Valjean's experiences and looks at the lives of the people that he crosses paths with along the way to freedom from the French government. Within the play, a second story line is covered about the poor orphan girl, Cosette and her relationship with French revolutionary, Marius. Both onstage and in cinematic productions, Les Miserables has been adapted in multiples forms, including the original, throughout history.
1. Plot
(Cameron Mackintosh Oversease Limited)
Les Miserables is a dramatic musical about a criminal, Jean Valjean who is released from prison during the French revolution. After being released he makes a promise to himself to better his life, but to do so he must throw out his papers that say he is an ex-criminal and run from the police. Throughout the rest of his life, Valjean encounters many people struggling with the consequences of the French revolution. These people include his later adopted daughter, Cosette, and the love of her life, Marius (Boublil and Schonberg).
2. Characters
Name
Vocal Part
Age Range
Description
Jean Valjean
Tenor
40-60
An ex-criminal who runs from the police and in the process adopts a young orphan girl and raises her to be a respectable women.
Inspector Javert
Baritone
40-60
French police officer who spends most of his life trying to convict Valjean of another crime.
Fantine
Mezzo
21-30
Poor women, who turns to prostitution to support her young daughter, until she is on her death bed and gives her child to Valjean.
Eponine
Belt
14-21
Young girl, in poverty, who falls in love with Marius; even though he barely knows that she exists.
Marius
Tenor
20-28
Young man who helps lead the revolutionary group against the French forces. In the process of building their power, he falls in love with Cosette.
Cosette
Soprano
18-25
Young orphan girl whose mother sends to a house to be taken care of while she raises money to support her. She is then adopted by Valjean after her mother's death. After she grows up she falls in love with the leader of the revolutionary group against the French forces.
Madame Thenardier
Mezzo
35-55
Wife of the owner of the inn in which Cosette is sent to stay. Also the mother of Eponine.
Thenardier
Tenor
38-56
Owner of the inn that Cosette is sent to stay. Known criminal throughout town, and father of Eponine.
Gavroche
Tenor
9-16
Small boy who dedicates his life to the battle against the French government. Also said to be the youngest brother of Eponine.
Bishop
Baritone
35-70
Man who sets Valjean on the path to good, instead of crime. He allows Valjean to steal from him in order to have enough money to set up a life for himself.
(Boublil and Schonberg)
3. Songs
3.1. Act 1
Work Song
On Parole
(Boublil and Schonberg)
Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven
Valjean's Soliloquy
At the End of the Day
I Dreamed a Dream
Lovely Ladies
Fantine's Arrest
The Runaway Cart
Who Am I?
Come to Me
The Confrontation
Castle on a Cloud
Master of the House
The Bargain
The Waltz of Treachery
Look Down
The Robbery
Javert's Intervention
Stars
Eponine's Errand
ABC Cafe/ Red and Black
Do You Hear the People Sing?
Rue Plumet- In My Life
A Heart Full of Love
The Attack on Rue Plumet
One Day More
(Boublil and Schonberg)
3.2. Act 2
At the Barricade
(Meighan Youth Theatre Productions)
On My Own
Building the Barricade
Javert's Arrival
Little People
A Little Fall of Rain
Night of Anguish
The First Attack
Drink With Me
Bring Him Home
Dawn of Anguish
The Second Attack
The Final Attack
Dog Eat Dog
Javert's Suicide
Turning
Every Day
Valjean's Confession
Wedding Chorale
Beggars at the Feast
Valjean's Death
Finale
(Boublil and Schonberg)
4. Origination
Les Miserables originated from the novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862 (The France of Victor Hugo). When Alan Boublil saw the play Oliver, 120 years after the novel was published, he was reminded of the character Gavroche. Boublil and his partner Claude-Michel Schonberg turned Les Miserables into a musical that can be said to be equally, if not more famous than the novel it originated from. Boublil and Schonberg used the novel to find the main elements of the story which consisted of the characters and their actions; they spent two years working on the composition and lyrics for the musical and eventually put together a two-hour recording to test the success of their creation. This recording was released in 1980 and sold 260,000 copies; it eventually became the French concept album with the added cooperation of Jean Marc Natel as the co-French lyricist (Zero Defect Design LLC.). In 1982 the recording
(Zero Defect Design LLC.)
of Les Miserables was brought to the attention of British producer Cameron Mackintosh. Mackintosh asked poet and drama critic James Fenton to create the English translation of the music with Boubill and Schonberg, and convinced Trever Nunn to be the director. Nunn then decided to co-direct with John Caird and brought up the idea that Mackintosh open the show at the Barbican Theatre in front of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Herbert Kretzmer eventually replaced Fentenon as the English librettist (Zero Defect Design LLC.).
5. Production History
5.1. Original French Production
In September 1980, a stage version of Les Miserables was directed by French film director Robert Hossein and was produced at the Palais des Sports in Paris. This production had 100 performances totaling over 500,000 viewers. Most of the cast that performed on the concept album also worked in this production (Vermette).
5.1.1. Cast of Original French Production
Valjean-Maurice Barrier
Javert- Jean Vallee
Fantine-Rose Laurens
Young Cosette- Maryse Cedolin, Sylvie Camacho and Priscilla Patron
Madame Thenardier- Marie-France Roussel
Sir Thenardier-Yvan Dautin
Eponine- Marianne Mille
Marius- Guilles Buhlmann
Cosette- Gabiene Guyon
(Vermette)
5.2. West End Production
The first English production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and opened on October 8, 1985 at the Barbican Arts Centre in London. The play soon transferred to the Palace Theatre in London on December 4, 1985 and then moved again to the Queens Theatre on April 3, 2004, where as of January 2013 it was still playing (Les Miserables 10,000th Performance in West End).
5.2.1. Cast of West End Production
Jean Valjean- Colm Wilkinson
Javert- Roger Allam
Fantine- Patti Lupone
Young Cosette-Zoe Hart, Jayne O'Mahoney, and Joanne Woodcock
Madame Thenardier- Sue Jane Tanner
Sir Tenardier- Alun Armstrong
Eponine-Frances Ruffelle
Marius-Micheal Ball
Cosette- Rebecca Caine
(Les Miserables)
5.3. Original Broadway Production
The original Broadway production opened on March 12, 1987 in the Broadway Theatre, it stayed at this location until October 14, 1990. On October 17, 1990 it moved to the Imperial Theatre and played here until May 18, 2003 (Internet Broadway Database). In total, Les Miserables had 6,680 performances in its original Broadway showing; making it one of the top four longest running Broadway performances (Brown).
duction of Les Miserables has been played in 42 countries and over 319 cities. It has also been translated to 22 different languages (Zero Defect Design LLC.). Some of the countries and years of production are listed below.
Japan (6/17/1987- Unknown) (Ovrtur)
Israel (8/9/1987-3/31/1989) (Ovrtur)
Australia (11/27/1987-8/17/1991) (The Philip Quast Guide)
Directed by Tom Hooper and produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, this cinematic production of the musical was nominated for eight Academy Awards including best picture, best actor and best supporting actress. It was also the winner of best ensemble cast, best actor and best supporting actress in the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards as well as best director in the Directors Guild of America Awards. Les Miserables also won three Golden Globe Awards, that of best picture as well as best actor and supporting actress (Les Miserablesfilm).
6.1.1. Cast of 2012 Production
Jean Valjean- Hugh Jackman
Javert- Russell Crowe
Fantine- Anne Hathaway
Young Cosette- Isabelle Allen
Madame Thenardier-Helena Bonham Carter
Sir Thenardier- Sacha Baron Cohen
Eponine- Samantha Barks
Marius- Eddie Redmayne
Cosette- Amanda Seyfried
(Les Miserablesfilm)
6.2. Other Cinematic Productions
Les Miserables 1934
Les Miserables 1935
I Miserabili 1947
Les Miserables 1952
Les Miserables 1957
Les Miserables 1978
Les Miserables 1982 (French Television/cinema release)
Les Miserables 1995
Les Miserables 1998
Les Miserables 2000 (French television adaptation)
(Fernie)
7. Thematic Elements
7.1. Love and Compassion
Throughout Les Miserables it is made clear that love and compassion are extremely integral factors in relationships and that displaying these traits should be an extremely important part of one’s life. This theme is shown in Valjean’s transformation from a criminal to a well respected leader because the only way Valjean is able to make himself better is to learn to love others. Although Valjean’s love for others may sometimes bring him problems, they also give him a feeling that he has never felt before, that of love and happiness (Boublil and Schonberg; Sparknotes).
7.1.1. Symbols of Love and Compassion
The candlesticks that Valjean is caught stealing from the Bishop are the strongest symbol of love and compassion in the play. Valjean and the Bishop are seen as two polar opposite figures in the beginning; Valjean is described as a dark, ominous criminal, outwardly incapable of love, while the Bishop is shown as an honorable citizen. The Bishop can be said to represent light while Valjean can be said to represent dark. When the Bishop gives his silver candlesticks to Valjean he is seemingly passing on the light as he tells Valjean to promise to become an honest man. After this, the candlesticks continue to reappear throughout the play to remind Valjean of his promise (Boublil and Schonberg; Sparknotes).
7.2. Spiritual Implications
There are many spiritual implications throughout Les Miserables, the most prominent being during the opening scene while they sing the song “Look Down.” During this song, one prisoner states “Sweet Jesus hear my prayer” and then another responds “Sweet Jesus doesn’t care;” this transfer of words could be seen as a representation of the two men being crucified beside Jesus. During Jesus’ crucifixion one man asked Jesus to forgive him of his wrongdoings, which Jesus replied by telling him that he will go to the kingdom of heaven; the other man then implies that God has already made his judgment, and that they will all have to pay for their sins. The man who asks for forgiveness can be seen in the man begging to Jesus in the opening scene, while the man who does not believe can be seen in the one who says that he does not care (Boublil and Schonberg; Sparknotes).
8. Awards and Nominations
8.1. West End Production
1985 Laurence Oliver Award
Nominated for:
Best New Musical
Best Actor in a Musical-
Colm Wilkinson
Alun Armstrong
Won:
Best Actress in a Musical- Pattie Lupone
2012 Laurence Oliver Award
Won:
Audience Award for Most Popular Show
(Society of London Theatre)
8.2. Broadway Production
1987 Tony Awards
Nominated for:
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical-
Colm Wilkinson
Terrence Mann
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical- Judy Kuhn
Best Costume Design- Andreane Neofitou
Won:
Best Musical
Best Book of a Musical- Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
Best Original Score- Claude-Michel Schonberg and Herbert Kretzmer
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical- Michael Maguire
Best Performace by a Featured Actress in a Musical- Frances Ruffelle
Best Direction of a musical- Trevor Nunn and John Caird
Best Scenic Design- John Napier
Best Lighting design- David Hersey
(Wisdom Digital Media)
1987 Drama Desk Awards
Nominated for:
Outstanding Actor in a Musical- Colm Wilkinson
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical- Judy Kuhn
Won:
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical- Michael Maguire
Outstanding Orchestrations- John Cameron
Outstanding Music- Claude-Michel Schonberg
Outstanding Set Design- John Napier
(The Associated Press)
9. References
Boublil, Alain and Claude-Michel Schonberg. Les Miserables. London, 1985.
"Brand new Les Miserables coming to Toronto stage." 13 February 2013. CBCnews. News. April 2013.
Broadway.com. "Les Miserables Sets 1/6 Closing Date." 29 October 2007. Broadway.com. News. April 2013.
Brown, Jennifer. "Longs Runs on Broadway." 7 April 2013. Celebrity Buzz: Insider Info. Playbill. April 2013.
Cameron Mackintosh Oversease Limited. "Facts & Figures." 2012. Les Miserables. Document. April 2013.
Fernie, Stuart. Filmed Versions of Les Miserables. 2013. April 2013.
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables Complete in Five Volumes. New York, 22 June 2008. E-Book.
Internet Broadway Database. 2001-2013. April 2013.
Les Miserables. n.d. Playbill. April 2013.
"Les Miserables 10,000th Performance in West End." 5 January 2010. London Theatre.co.uk. News. April 2013.
Les Miserables- Official International Trailer. Dir. Tom Hooper. 2012. Youtube.
Les Miserables-- The first one in Paris (1980). Paris. 1980. Youtube Video.
Les Miserables
Table of Contents
Introduction
Les Miserables is a French drama by Alan Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg; adapted from the novel by Victor Hugo. It covers the lives of the poor during the French revolution and looks at different types of men and women and their interactions with each other during this time. Focusing mainly on the character Jean Valjean and his constant running from French officer, Inspector Javert, the play covers Valjean's experiences and looks at the lives of the people that he crosses paths with along the way to freedom from the French government. Within the play, a second story line is covered about the poor orphan girl, Cosette and her relationship with French revolutionary, Marius. Both onstage and in cinematic productions, Les Miserables has been adapted in multiples forms, including the original, throughout history.1. Plot
(Cameron Mackintosh Oversease Limited)
Les Miserables is a dramatic musical about a criminal, Jean Valjean who is released from prison during the French revolution. After being released he makes a promise to himself to better his life, but to do so he must throw out his papers that say he is an ex-criminal and run from the police. Throughout the rest of his life, Valjean encounters many people struggling with the consequences of the French revolution. These people include his later adopted daughter, Cosette, and the love of her life, Marius (Boublil and Schonberg).2. Characters
3. Songs
3.1. Act 1
- Work Song
- On Parole
(Boublil and Schonberg)
- Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven
- Valjean's Soliloquy
- At the End of the Day
- I Dreamed a Dream
- Lovely Ladies
- Fantine's Arrest
- The Runaway Cart
- Who Am I?
- Come to Me
- The Confrontation
- Castle on a Cloud
- Master of the House
- The Bargain
- The Waltz of Treachery
- Look Down
- The Robbery
- Javert's Intervention
- Stars
- Eponine's Errand
- ABC Cafe/ Red and Black
- Do You Hear the People Sing?
- Rue Plumet- In My Life
- A Heart Full of Love
- The Attack on Rue Plumet
- One Day More
(Boublil and Schonberg)3.2. Act 2
- At the Barricade
(Meighan Youth Theatre Productions)
- On My Own
- Building the Barricade
- Javert's Arrival
- Little People
- A Little Fall of Rain
- Night of Anguish
- The First Attack
- Drink With Me
- Bring Him Home
- Dawn of Anguish
- The Second Attack
- The Final Attack
- Dog Eat Dog
- Javert's Suicide
- Turning
- Every Day
- Valjean's Confession
- Wedding Chorale
- Beggars at the Feast
- Valjean's Death
- Finale
(Boublil and Schonberg)4. Origination
Les Miserables originated from the novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862 (The France of Victor Hugo). When Alan Boublil saw the play Oliver, 120 years after the novel was published, he was reminded of the character Gavroche. Boublil and his partner Claude-Michel Schonberg turned Les Miserables into a musical that can be said to be equally, if not more famous than the novel it originated from. Boublil and Schonberg used the novel to find the main elements of the story which consisted of the characters and their actions; they spent two years working on the composition and lyrics for the musical and eventually put together a two-hour recording to test the success of their creation. This recording was released in 1980 and sold 260,000 copies; it eventually became the French concept album with the added cooperation of Jean Marc Natel as the co-French lyricist (Zero Defect Design LLC.).In 1982 the recording
5. Production History
5.1. Original French Production
In September 1980, a stage version of Les Miserables was directed by French film director Robert Hossein and was produced at the Palais des Sports in Paris. This production had 100 performances totaling over 500,000 viewers. Most of the cast that performed on the concept album also worked in this production (Vermette).5.1.1. Cast of Original French Production
- Valjean-Maurice Barrier
- Javert- Jean Vallee
- Fantine-Rose Laurens
- Young Cosette- Maryse Cedolin, Sylvie Camacho and Priscilla Patron
- Madame Thenardier- Marie-France Roussel
- Sir Thenardier-Yvan Dautin
- Eponine- Marianne Mille
- Marius- Guilles Buhlmann
- Cosette- Gabiene Guyon
(Vermette)5.2. West End Production
The first English production was produced by Cameron Mackintosh and opened on October 8, 1985 at the Barbican Arts Centre in London. The play soon transferred to the Palace Theatre in London on December 4, 1985 and then moved again to the Queens Theatre on April 3, 2004, where as of January 2013 it was still playing (Les Miserables 10,000th Performance in West End).5.2.1. Cast of West End Production
- Jean Valjean- Colm Wilkinson
- Javert- Roger Allam
- Fantine- Patti Lupone
- Young Cosette-Zoe Hart, Jayne O'Mahoney, and Joanne Woodcock
- Madame Thenardier- Sue Jane Tanner
- Sir Tenardier- Alun Armstrong
- Eponine-Frances Ruffelle
- Marius-Micheal Ball
- Cosette- Rebecca Caine
(Les Miserables)5.3. Original Broadway Production
The original Broadway production opened on March 12, 1987 in the Broadway Theatre, it stayed at this location until October 14, 1990. On October 17, 1990 it moved to the Imperial Theatre and played here until May 18, 2003 (Internet Broadway Database). In total, Les Miserables had 6,680 performances in its original Broadway showing; making it one of the top four longest running Broadway performances (Brown).5.3.1. Cast of Broadway Production
- Jean Valjean- Colm Wilkinson
- Javert- Terrence Mann
- Fantine- Randy Graff
- Young Cosette- Donna Vivino
- Madame Thenardier- Jennifer Butt
- Sir Thenardier- Leo Burmester
- Eponine- Frances Ruffelle
- Marius- David Bryant
- Cosette- Judy Kuhn
(Internet Broadway Database)5.4. Other Productions
5.4.1. United States Productions
5.4.2. International Productions
The Pro- Japan (6/17/1987- Unknown) (Ovrtur)
- Israel (8/9/1987-3/31/1989) (Ovrtur)
- Australia (11/27/1987-8/17/1991) (The Philip Quast Guide)
- Canada (3/7/1989-5/1990) (Stacy's Musical Village)
(Cameron Mackintosh Oversease Limited)6. Cinematic History
6.1. 2012 Production
Directed by Tom Hooper and produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, this cinematic production of the musical was nominated for eight Academy Awards including best picture, best actor and best supporting actress. It was also the winner of best ensemble cast, best actor and best supporting actress in the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards as well as best director in the Directors Guild of America Awards. Les Miserables also won three Golden Globe Awards, that of best picture as well as best actor and supporting actress (Les Miserablesfilm).6.1.1. Cast of 2012 Production
- Jean Valjean- Hugh Jackman
- Javert- Russell Crowe
- Fantine- Anne Hathaway
- Young Cosette- Isabelle Allen
- Madame Thenardier-Helena Bonham Carter
- Sir Thenardier- Sacha Baron Cohen
- Eponine- Samantha Barks
- Marius- Eddie Redmayne
- Cosette- Amanda Seyfried
(Les Miserablesfilm)6.2. Other Cinematic Productions
- Les Miserables 1934
- Les Miserables 1935
- I Miserabili 1947
- Les Miserables 1952
- Les Miserables 1957
- Les Miserables 1978
- Les Miserables 1982 (French Television/cinema release)
- Les Miserables 1995
- Les Miserables 1998
- Les Miserables 2000 (French television adaptation)
(Fernie)7. Thematic Elements
7.1. Love and Compassion
Throughout Les Miserables it is made clear that love and compassion are extremely integral factors in relationships and that displaying these traits should be an extremely important part of one’s life. This theme is shown in Valjean’s transformation from a criminal to a well respected leader because the only way Valjean is able to make himself better is to learn to love others. Although Valjean’s love for others may sometimes bring him problems, they also give him a feeling that he has never felt before, that of love and happiness (Boublil and Schonberg; Sparknotes).7.1.1. Symbols of Love and Compassion
The candlesticks that Valjean is caught stealing from the Bishop are the strongest symbol of love and compassion in the play. Valjean and the Bishop are seen as two polar opposite figures in the beginning; Valjean is described as a dark, ominous criminal, outwardly incapable of love, while the Bishop is shown as an honorable citizen. The Bishop can be said to represent light while Valjean can be said to represent dark. When the Bishop gives his silver candlesticks to Valjean he is seemingly passing on the light as he tells Valjean to promise to become an honest man. After this, the candlesticks continue to reappear throughout the play to remind Valjean of his promise (Boublil and Schonberg; Sparknotes).7.2. Spiritual Implications
There are many spiritual implications throughout Les Miserables, the most prominent being during the opening scene while they sing the song “Look Down.” During this song, one prisoner states “Sweet Jesus hear my prayer” and then another responds “Sweet Jesus doesn’t care;” this transfer of words could be seen as a representation of the two men being crucified beside Jesus. During Jesus’ crucifixion one man asked Jesus to forgive him of his wrongdoings, which Jesus replied by telling him that he will go to the kingdom of heaven; the other man then implies that God has already made his judgment, and that they will all have to pay for their sins. The man who asks for forgiveness can be seen in the man begging to Jesus in the opening scene, while the man who does not believe can be seen in the one who says that he does not care (Boublil and Schonberg; Sparknotes).8. Awards and Nominations
8.1. West End Production
- 1985 Laurence Oliver Award
- Nominated for:
- Best New Musical
- Best Actor in a Musical-
- Colm Wilkinson
- Alun Armstrong
- Won:
- Best Actress in a Musical- Pattie Lupone
- 2012 Laurence Oliver Award
- Won:
- Audience Award for Most Popular Show
(Society of London Theatre)8.2. Broadway Production
- 1987 Tony Awards
- Nominated for:
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical-
- Colm Wilkinson
- Terrence Mann
- Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical- Judy Kuhn
- Best Costume Design- Andreane Neofitou
- Won:
- Best Musical
- Best Book of a Musical- Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg
- Best Original Score- Claude-Michel Schonberg and Herbert Kretzmer
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical- Michael Maguire
- Best Performace by a Featured Actress in a Musical- Frances Ruffelle
- Best Direction of a musical- Trevor Nunn and John Caird
- Best Scenic Design- John Napier
- Best Lighting design- David Hersey
(Wisdom Digital Media)- 1987 Drama Desk Awards
- Nominated for:
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical- Colm Wilkinson
- Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical- Judy Kuhn
- Won:
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical- Michael Maguire
- Outstanding Orchestrations- John Cameron
- Outstanding Music- Claude-Michel Schonberg
- Outstanding Set Design- John Napier
(The Associated Press)9. References
Poor woman, who turns to prostitution to support her young daughter, until she is on her death bed and gives her child to Valjean.