Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables, colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz, is a sung-through musical with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, and a book by Boublil and Schönberg, based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. Set in early 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells the story of Jean Valjean, a French convict, and his desire for redemption. After stealing a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child, Valjean is imprisoned for 19 years and released in 1815. When a bishop inspires him with a tremendous act of mercy, Valjean breaks his parole and starts his life anew and in disguise. He becomes wealthy and adopts an orphan, Cosette. A police inspector named Javert pursues Valjean over the decades in a single-minded quest for "justice". The characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists attempts to overthrow the government at a street barricade in Paris.
The French musical premiered in Paris in 1980 with direction by Robert Hossein. Its English-language adaptation, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn and John Caird, has been running in London since October 1985, making it the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest-running musical in the world after the original off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks. Many other long-running productions followed on Broadway and around the world, and a film adaptation was released in 2012.
Background
's initial idea to adapt Victor Hugo's novel into a musical came while at a performance of the musical Oliver! in London:
As soon as the Artful Dodger came onstage, Gavroche came to mind. It was like a blow to the solar plexus. I started seeing all the characters of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables—Valjean, Javert, Gavroche, Cosette, Marius, and Éponine—in my mind's eye, laughing, crying, and singing onstage.
He shared the idea with French composer Claude-Michel Schönberg, and the two developed a rough synopsis and analysis of each character's mental and emotional state, as well as that of an audience. Schönberg then began work on the music, while Boublil started writing the text. According to Boublil, "I work on the words... after myself deciding on the subject and title of every song—in collaboration with my friend, poet Jean-Marc Natel." Two years later, a two-hour demo tape of Schönberg accompanying himself on the piano and singing every role was completed. An album of this collaboration was recorded at CTS Studios in Wembley and was released in 1980, selling 260,000 copies.
The Les Misérables concept album was released in French in 1980. It starred Maurice Barrier as Jean Valjean, with Jacques Mercier as Javert, Rose Laurens as Fantine, Yvan Dautin and Marie-France Roussel as the Thénardiers, Richard Dewitte as Marius, Fabienne Guyon as Cosette, Marie-France Dufour as Éponine, Michel Sardou as Enjolras, Schönberg as Courfeyrac and Salvatore Adamo as Combeferre,. The first stage adaptation was presented at the Palais des Sports in September of that year with many of the same cast, including Barrier, Laurens, Dautin, Roussel, and Guyon; Jean Vallée played Javert.
In 1983, about six months after producer Cameron Mackintosh had opened Cats on Broadway, he received a copy of the French concept album from director Peter Farago. Farago had asked Mackintosh to produce an English-language version of the show. Initially reluctant, Mackintosh eventually agreed. In conjunction with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Mackintosh assembled a production team to adapt the French musical for a British audience. After two years in development, the English-language version, translated by Herbert Kretzmer and Siobhan Bracke, and expanded with additional material by James Fenton, opened in London in October 1985 at the Barbican Centre, then the London home of the RSC, before transferring to the West End.
Initial reception; milestones
Critical reviews for Les Misérables were initially negative. At the opening of the London production, The Sunday Telegraphs Francis King described the musical as "a lurid Victorian melodrama produced with Victorian lavishness", and Michael Ratcliffe of The Observer considered the show "a witless and synthetic entertainment", while literary scholars condemned the project for converting classic literature into a musical. Irving Wardle of The Times dissented, calling the musical's book a bold and ingenious abridgement of Hugo's plot.Public opinion differed from the critical consensus: the box office received record orders. The three-month engagement sold out, and reviews improved. The London production has played over 15,000 performances, making it the second longest-running musical in the world after The Fantasticks, the second longest-running West End show after The Mousetrap, and the longest-running musical in the West End. On 3 October 2010, the show celebrated its 25th anniversary with three productions running in London: the original production at the Queen's Theatre; the 25th Anniversary touring production at the Barbican Centre; and a concert at London's O2 Arena.The first Broadway production opened on 12 March 1987 and ran until 18 May 2003, closing after 6,680 performances. At the time of its closing, it was the second-longest-running musical in Broadway history. As of 2022, it remains the sixth longest-running Broadway show. The show was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
Subsequently, numerous tours and international and regional productions have been staged, as well as concert and broadcast productions. Several recordings have also been made. Broadway revivals played from 2006 to 2008 and 2014 to 2016. The show placed first in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of Britain's "Number One Essential Musicals" in 2005, receiving more than forty percent of the votes. A film version directed by Tom Hooper was released at in 2012 to generally positive reviews; it won three Academy Awards and was nominated for five more, including Best Picture.
Emblem
The musical's emblem is a picture of the waif Cosette sweeping the Thénardiers' inn, usually cropped to a head-and-shoulders portrait, superimposed on the French flag. The image is modeled on an 1879 illustration of Cosette by Émile Bayard, which appeared in early French editions of Victor Hugo’s novel.Synopsis
Prologue
In 1815 France, Jean Valjean, "Prisoner 24601", is released on parole by guard Javert after 19 years hard labor in prison for stealing bread. Marked by his yellow ticket of leave, Valjean is shunned and cannot find decent work until the Bishop of Digne offers him shelter. Valjean steals the Bishop's silver, but the Bishop pretends to have given it to him and also gives him a pair of silver candlesticks. Valjean vows to start an honest life. He tears up his ticket, breaking parole.Act I
By 1823, Valjean is living disguised as Monsieur Madeleine, a factory owner and the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Fantine, a single mother working at Valjean's factory, is fired after a disagreement with the lustful foreman and sinks into poverty, selling her locket and hair, and becoming a prostitute. When she fights back against an abusive customer, Javert, now a police inspector, arrests her. Valjean intervenes and takes her to a hospital.When Valjean rescues a man pinned by a runaway cart, Javert, who has pursued him over the years, suspects his true identity. Learning an innocent man is about to be jailed in his place, Valjean confesses. At the hospital, Fantine dies after Valjean promises to rescue her daughter Cosette from the thieving Thénardiers, innkeepers who are paid to raise her. Valjean escapes Javert. In Montfermeil, the Thénardiers use Cosette as a servant, treating her cruelly, while extorting money from Fantine. Valjean pays them 1,500 francs to release Cosette and takes her to Paris.
In 1832 Paris, unrest grows with the impending death of the merciful General Lamarque. Student revolutionaries Marius Pontmercy and Enjolras prepare for an uprising. The Thénardiers, who have lost their inn and now lead a gang of street criminals, plot scams. Their daughter Éponine befriends the streetwise urchin Gavroche. She secretly loves Marius, but he falls instantly for Cosette when he meets her with Valjean, whom the Thénardiers attempt to rob. Valjean is recognized, but he and Cosette escape; Javert vows to recapture him. Marius persuades Éponine to help him find Cosette.
As Enjolras rallies the students, Marius pines for Cosette. News of Lamarque’s death sparks plans for revolution. Cosette confronts Valjean about his secrets. Éponine finds Cosette, and Marius and Cosette confess their love. Thénardier and his gang arrive to rob Valjean's house but are foiled by Éponine’s warning. Believing Javert has found him, Valjean plans to flee with Cosette. On the eve of the 1832 Paris Uprising, Enjolras exhorts all of Paris to join the revolution. Éponine acknowledges in anguish that Marius will never love her. Javert plans to spy on, while the students and rebels steel themselves for battle.
Act II
The students build a barricade; Marius discovers that Éponine has disguised herself as a boy to join the rebels. To keep her safe, he sends her to deliver a farewell letter to Cosette. Valjean intercepts the letter and learns about Marius and Cosette's romance. The French army arrives, demanding surrender. Javert, disguised as a rebel, is exposed as a spy by young Gavroche. Wounded during the fighting, Éponine dies in Marius’s arms, confessing her love.Valjean arrives disguised as a soldier, hoping to protect Marius. He saves Enjolras from a soldier. Valjean releases Javert instead of executing him, shaking Javert’s rigid view of God and justice. As dawn approaches, the students prepare for attack. Valjean prays for Marius's safety, offering God his own life. Enjolras realizes the people of Paris have not risen up but resolves to fight on. The army attacks; Gavroche is killed, and all the students but Marius die. Valjean carries a gravely wounded Marius through the sewers and collapses. Thénardier, looting bodies, comes upon the unconscious Valjean and Marius, taking a ring from the latter and fleeing. At the sewer's exit, Valjean finds Javert waiting; he begs Javert for time to bring Marius to a doctor. Javert, unable to reconcile Valjean’s mercy with his worldview, kills himself.
Paris mourns the fallen students. Marius grieves his friends and wonders who saved him. Valjean blesses Marius and Cosette’s marriage but tells Marius he is an escaped convict and must leave to protect Cosette. At their wedding, the Thénardiers attempt to blackmail Marius, who realizes Valjean carried him from the barricades. Marius and Cosette rush to find Valjean.