Les Misérables (musical)

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Les Misérables, colloquially known as Les Mis, is the most famous of all French musicals and one of the most famous and most performed musicals worldwide. On October 8, 2006, the show celebrated its 21st anniversary and became the longest-running West End musical in history and is still running.[1] The musical is based on the novel Les Misérables (proper French pronunciation /le mi ze 'ʀɑHb/) by Victor Hugo. Its Tony award-winning score includes the songs "I Dreamed a Dream", "Do You Hear the People Sing?", "One Day More", and the ballad "On My Own."

"Les Mis" tells the stories of escaped convict Jean Valjean and his attempts to start a new life and make the world a better place; the police inspector Javert, who becomes obsessed with finding Valjean; Fantine, the single mother of Cosette, who is forced to become a prostitute to support her daughter; Marius, a French student who falls in love with Valjean's adopted daughter Cosette; Eponine, the young daughter of the Thénardiers who falls in love with Marius; the Thénardiers, who own an Inn and exploit their customers; and Enjolras and the other students, who are working toward freeing the oppressed lower class of France.

The musical was written by the composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and the librettist Alain Boublil and opened in September 1980 at the Palais des Sports in Paris. In 1982, English producer Cameron Mackintosh began work on an English language version, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The first English production, produced by Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn, opened on October 28, 1985, in the Barbican Theatre in London before moving first to the Palace Theatre and later to the Queen's Theatre, where it is still playing. The Broadway production opened in 1987 and was nominated for twelve Tony Awards, winning eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, and ran until 2003. It is still the third longest-running Broadway show in history. A fully re-orchestrated Broadway revival opened on November 9, 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre.

"Les Mis" placed first in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals" in June 2005, receiving more than 40% of the votes cast.^[1]

In 1982, about six months after he had opened Cats in London, Producer Cameron Mackintosh was given the Album of the original French show by director Peter Ferago, who was greatly impressed by the recording and asked if Mackintosh would be interested in producing an English version of the show. Mackintosh was doubtful at first, but eventually decided to produce it. Journalist and poet James Fenton was initially chosen to write the English lyrics, but was eventually replaced by Herbert Kretzmer, who expanded and reworked the original French lyrics. His work is not a direct "translation" of the French, a term that Kretzmer refuses to use. A third of the English lyrics were a rough translation, another third were adapted from the French lyrics and the final third consisted of brand new material, such as the Prologue. Additional music was written to go with the brand new material. Trevor Nunn and John Caird were hired to direct and co-direct the show respectively, and the Royal Shakespeare Company were chosen to put on the show, with some of their members, such as Roger Allam and Alun Armstrong, being cast members. The show opened in London in October 1985, marking the opening of the international career of a show that would become a worldwide success and one of the most popular musicals of all time.

Les Misérables was a part of the major European influence on Broadway in the 80's along with Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, and Miss Saigon.

Well-known songs from the musical include "Look Down," "I Dreamed a Dream", "Master of the House", "Who Am I," "Do You Hear the People Sing?", "On My Own", "A Little Fall of Rain", "Bring Him Home," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables", "Stars", "A Heart Full of Love", "In My Life", "At the End of the Day", "Castle On A Cloud", "Red and Black", "Javert's Suicide," and "One Day More".

The musical's emblem is a picture of the waif Cosette, usually shown cropped to a head-and-shoulders portrait with the French national flag superimposed. The picture is based on an illustration by Émile Bayard that appeared in the original edition of the novel.

Contents 1 Principal Characters 1.1 Leads 1.2 Supporting Leads 1.3 Ensemble Roles 2 Plot 2.1 Act 1 2.2 Act 2 3 Music Theory 4 Orchestral Requirements 5 Original British version and cast 6 Current London cast 7 Broadway 7.1 2006 Broadway Revival Cast 7.2 Broadway Cast Replacement History 8 Complete Symphonic Recording 9 10th anniversary concert 10 Les Misérables School Edition 11 Other National & International productions 12 Film 13 Awards 14 References in Popular Culture 15 References 16 External links

[edit] Principal Characters

The principal characters of Les Miserables all fall into one of two generations.

The first generation, which consists of Jean Valjean, Javert, Fantine, and the Thenardiers, ages substantially during the show because of the ten year time lapse which happens about halfway through the first act (Fantine does not age, however, because her death takes place before the ten year time lapse). Although Cosette and Eponine are part of the second generation of principal characters, they are also in the show as small children. The young versions of Cosette and Eponine are meant to be played by different actresses from the teenage Cosette and Eponine, who both fall in love with Marius.

The second generation of principal characters is made up of Marius, Cosette, Eponine, Enjolras, and Gavroche. With the exception of Gavroche, these characters are all teenagers for the duration of the play.

These characters also all fit into one of two social classes. Marius, Enjolras and the rest of the students (minus Feuilly) are part of the upper class while Eponine, the Thenardiers, Fantine, Gavroche and Javert are part of the lower class. Valjean and Cosette both start in the lower class and become part of the upper class later.

[edit] Leads

Listed in the order in which they appear

• Jean Valjean is a multi-faceted character. At the beginning of the play, he is a petty thief, who is released from jail after nineteen years (sentenced for stealing a loaf of bread from a baker to feed his sister's family and then running from the police.) When he receives a pardon for his crimes by a priest he attempted to rob, Valjean breaks his parole and starts a new life. He serves as the mayor of a French town, and it is then that he meets Fantine, learns of her plight, and vows to protect and raise Cosette if Fantine should die. Valjean lives the rest of his life financially comfortable, but always fearing arrest by Javert; his main aim is to keep Cosette safe and happy. When Cosette and Marius fall in love, Valjean goes to the barricades disguised as a member of the army to help Marius and the rebel students win their battle. When Marius is wounded, Valjean carries him into the sewers and takes him to Cosette. The play ends as Cosette and Marius marry and an old and tired Valjean dies, happy for Cosette's happiness. Vocal Range: Tenor.
• Javert is the ruthless police detective who adheres strongly to the belief that people cannot change for the better. Javert very seldom interacts with any of the characters, with the exception of Jean Valjean. Javert serves, in general, one purpose in Les Miserables, albeit an extremely important one: to pursue Jean Valjean. Javert becomes obsessed with tracking down Jean Valjean after he breaks his parole. Javert sneaks into the barricades to foil the plan of the rebel students, but his plan backfires when he is exposed by young Gavroche. The rebels remand Javert to Valjean's custody, who lets him go free. Javert, overcome with guilt, and ashamed that he is only alive because of the humility of a thief, throws himself off of a bridge, into the swollen river Seine. Vocal Range: Baritone or very good Bass-baritone, sometimes a second Tenor.
• Fantine is widely recognized as the truly tragic figure of Les Miserables. She was abandoned by the father of her child and left to raise their young daughter, Cosette, on her own. She loses her job as a factory worker because of her refusal to accept the advances of the foreman, and is forced to sell many of her personal possessions (including a necklace, as well as her hair) to raise enough money to support Cosette, who she has been told is ill. Desperate and ill herself, Fantine finally turns to prostitution. After refusing the advances of a man called Bamatabois, she is arrested by Javert for attacking an "upstanding member of society". Valjean, acting as mayor, has her released from prison and put in a hospital where she dies, leaving Cosette to Jean Valjean's care. Fantine returns at the end of the play along with Eponine to guide Valjean to heaven. Vocal Range: Mezzo Soprano.
• Eponine Thénardier, the daughter of the Thenardiers, raised in squalor after the demise of her father's business and a member of his gang. Along with Cosette, Eponine is hopelessly and tragically in love with Marius, who does not return her feelings and sees her as a good friend. She is very tough, but as is revealed in what is perhaps the most famous number in the show, "On My Own", she has a very soft side to her, too. Eponine will do anything to please Marius, and, in an effort to impress him, she is fatally wounded at the barricades. As Eponine dies, she and Marius sing A Little Fall of Rain. She returns as a spirit at the end of the play with Fantine to lead Valjean to heaven. Vocal Range: Mezzo Soprano/Alto.
• Marius Pontmercy is the young, impressionable rebel student who falls in love with Valjean's daughter, Cosette. Marius is loved not only by Cosette, but also by Eponine. However, he never realizes that she has such strong feelings for him, and treats her only as a friend. Marius has to make an incredibly difficult choice at the end of Act I; he must either follow his love, Cosette, or stay and fight at the barricades for the cause that he believes in. Ultimately, he decides to stay and fight, but is also reunited with Cosette as she returns to Paris. During one battle at the barricades, all of the other students, including Enjolras, are tragically killed. Marius is the only student to survive, and Valjean carries him through the sewers underneath the streets of Paris. Marius later discovers that it was Valjean who saved his life, and, at Valjean's death bed, is able to thank him for all he has done for him and his new bride, Cosette. Marius sings many of the play's most well known numbers, including A Heart Full of Love, In My Life, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, and A Little Fall of Rain. His voice is best described as light, acrobatic, and very lyrical. It is extremely important that Marius's voice compliment the voice of Cosette very nicely. The two together should have a very mature but, at the same time, very youthful sound.Vocal Range: Tenor/High Lyric Baritone.
• Cosette is Fantine's daughter (Cosette is still a very young child when Fantine dies). Valjean later adopts her and raises her comfortably. As a teenager, Cosette falls madly in love with the rebel student Marius, and the two are almost torn apart when Valjean decides to go into exile in England. After Marius is wounded at the barricades, it is Cosette who nurses him back to health. Cosette marries Marius at the end of the play. The two are widely recognized as the only true 'happily ever after' aspect of Les Miserables. As Marius and Cosette sing together rather often, it is important that the voice of Cosette compliment the voice of Marius very nicely. Vocal Range: High Soprano.

[edit] Supporting Leads

• Thénardier, the ruthless inkeeper who is the guardian of Cosette in her early years. Leads the song Master of the House. He reappears in the Paris part of the show as a con artist and thief who tries to rob Jean Valjean. In the end, however, he's the one who (unwittingly) reveals to Marius the identity of his saviour at the barricade. Vocal Range: Baritone.
• Madame Thénardier, his wife. Works together with her husband, both when they own the inn and later on as his partner in crime. Vocal Range: Mezzo Soprano.
• Enjolras, the student leader. Charismatic, handsome and a natural leader, his belief in the revolution takes the students, including Marius, to the barricades where they meet their demise. Vocal Range: Strong high baritone or tenor.

[edit] Ensemble Roles

• The Bishop of Digne
• Constables
• Factory Foreman
• Factory Girl
• Lovely Ladies
• Bamatabois
• Young Cosette (* Castle on a Cloud)
• Fauchelevant
• Gavroche (* Little People)
• Students
  • Combeferre
  • Feuilly
  • Courfeyrac
  • Joly
  • Grantaire (* Drink with Me)
  • Lesgles
  • Prouvaire
• Army officer

(*) While part of the Ensemble cast, these actors perform solos.

[edit] Plot

[edit] Act 1

The curtain rises with Scene 1, showing a French prison in 1815 with its prisoners singing the opening chorus (Overture/Work Song). Jean Valjean, the lead protagonist, is released on parole after 19 years for stealing bread and running from the police. The policeman Javert gives Valjean a yellow ticket-of-leave which he must display, condemning him as an outcast. After failed numerous attempts to start anew (On Parole), he is finally taken in by the saintly Bishop of Digne, who kindly offers him food and shelter. Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing some silver. Valjean is quickly caught and brought back by police; however, the Bishop misleads the police (without quite lying to them) to save Valjean, also giving him two precious candlesticks, asking Valjean to start anew and begin an honest life (Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven). Valjean, humbled by the bishop's mercy and kindness, decides to follow the bishop's advice (What Have I Done? (Valjean's Soliloquy)).

The show then advances eight years and Valjean, having broken his parole and changed his name to Monsieur Madeleine, has risen to become both a factory owner and Mayor. It comes to his attention that one of his factory workers, Fantine, has a secret illegitimate child (At The End of The Day). When the other women discover this, they demand her dismissal. Valjean brushes off the incident, handing Fantine's fate to the factory foreman, whose advances she had previously rejected, and who throws her out of the factory. Fantine tells her story, the father of her daughter having left them alone (I Dreamed a Dream)

Desperate for money to pay for medicines for her sick and dying daughter Cosette, Fantine sells her locket, her hair, and then becomes a prostitute (Lovely Ladies). Ashamed by her new degrading profession, she refuses and fights a prospective customer (Fantine's Arrest). As a result, Fantine is about to be taken to prison by Javert when "The Mayor", Valjean, discovering that it was his fault that Fantine is suffering, demands that she be taken to a hospital instead. Soon after this incident, a runaway cart pins down a local man (Fauchelevant)and Valjean comes to his rescue (The Runaway Cart). Javert is reminded of the abnormal strength of convict 24601, Jean Valjean, a parole-breaker he has been tracking for years and whom apparently has just been recaptured. The real Valjean, unable to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, confesses to the court that he is prisoner 24601, showing the convict's brand on his chest as a proof (Who Am I? (The Trial))

However, before returning to prison, Valjean returns to Fantine's side and promises the dying Fantine to find and look after her daughter Cosette. (Come to Me (Fantine's Death)) When Javert arrives to arrest him, Valjean asks for three more days to fetch Cosette, but Javert won't believe his honest intentions. While Valjean tries to convince Javert, Javert makes it clear he doesn't believe in rehabilitation (The Confrontation). In the following fight, Valjean knocks Javert out and escapes.

The scene then shifts to focus on a young Cosette, who has been lodging for the past five years with the Thénardiers who run an inn, and horribly abuse the little girl whom they use as a skivvy while indulging their own daughter, Eponine. Cosette dreams of a better life (Castle on a Cloud). Mme Thénardier comes to find her dreaming and sends her fetching water from the well in the woods, ignoring the little girl's pleas (Now look who's here). The inn fills for the evening, showing the Thénardiers cheating their customers (Master of the House). Valjean finds Cosette fetching water in the dark (The Well). He pays the Thénardiers to let him take Cosette away and takes her to Paris (The Bargain - The Thenardier Waltz of Treachery).

Nine years later the city breaks out into pandemonium because of the likely demise of the popular leader General Lamarque, the last remaining man in the Government who fights for the poor. The urchin Gavroche is shown mingling with the whores and the beggars of the capital (Look down). Among the street-gangs is one led by Thénardier and his wife, which sets upon Jean Valjean and Cosette (The Robbery). They are rescued by Javert, who does not recognize Valjean until after he has made good his escape (Javert's Intervention and Stars). The Thénardiers' daughter Eponine, who is secretly in love with the student Marius, reluctantly agrees to help Marius find Cosette, with whom he has fallen in love (Eponine's Errand).

A shift in scene shows a political meeting in a small café where a group of idealistic students gathered to prepare for the revolution they are sure will erupt on the death of General Lamarque (The ABC Cafe - Red and Black). Marius comes and is made fun of, because of his love for a girl whose name he doesn't even know. When Gavroche brings the news of the General's death, the students, led by Enjolras, stream out into the streets to whip up popular support (Do You Hear The People Sing?)

Cosette is also consumed by the thoughts of Marius, with whom she has fallen in love. Valjean realizes that his daughter is changing very quickly but refuses to tell her anything of her past or her mother (Rue Plumet - In My Life). In spite of her own feelings for Marius, Eponine sadly brings him to Cosette (A Heart Full of Love) and then prevents an attempt by her father's gang to rob Valjean's house and blackmail Valjean with the knowledge of his past (The Attack on Rue Plumet). Valjean, convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country (My God, Cosette!). On the eve of the revolution the students and Javert see the situation from their different viewpoints; Cosette and Marius part in despair of ever meeting again; Eponine mourns the loss of Marius; and Valjean looks forward to the security of exile. The Thénardiers, meanwhile, dream of rich pickings underground from the chaos to come. (One Day More)

[edit] Act 2

The students prepare to build the barricade (Upon These Stones - Building the Barricade). Meanwhile, Javert is given the task of spying for the government troops. Marius, noticing that Eponine has joined the insurrection, sends her with a letter to Cosette, which is intercepted at the Rue Plumet by Valjean. Eponine decides, despite what he has said to her, to rejoin Marius at the barricade (On My Own).

The barricade is built (Upon These Stones - At the Barricade) and the revolutionaries defy an army warning that they must give up or die. Javert comes back (Javert's Arrival). Gavroche exposes Javert as a police spy (Little People). In trying to return to the barricade, Eponine is shot, and peacefully dies in Marius's arms (A Little Fall of Rain). Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius. During the following battle (The First Attack), he saves Enjolras by shooting a sniper. He is given the chance to kill Javert, but instead spares his life (Night of Anguish). The students settle down for a night (Drink With Me (The Night)) on the barricade and, in the quiet of the night, Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught which is to come (Bring Him Home). The next day, with ammunition running low (Dawn of Anguish), Gavroche runs out to collect more and is shot dead by the army (The Second Attack (The Death of Gavroche)). The attack on the barricade begins and all the rebels are killed, including their leader, Enjolras (The Final Battle). Only Valjean and Marius live. Valjean escapes into the sewers with the unconscious Marius. Soon after they left, Javert arrives at the barricade, searching for Valjean. He discovers his possible escape, when trying to lift the lid, that closes the sewers, and discovers he can't.

In the sewers, Thénardier robs the bodies of the dead (Dog Eats Dog). Valjean and Marius come his way, and Thénardier steals a ring from Marius. He recognizes Valjean, when this one awakes from unconsciousness. Valjean makes his way out of the sewer only to be awaited by Javert at the Seine (The Sewers). Valjean pleads for time to deliver the young man to a hospital and Javert decides to let him go. Because his unbending principles of justice have been shattered, he kills himself by throwing himself into the River Seine (Javert's Suicide). That night, the women of Paris lament the casualties of the failed student rebellion ((Turning)). Marius soon recovers in Cosette's care (Empty chairs at empty tables), unaware of who his rescuer was (Every Day). Valjean confesses the truth of his past to Marius and insists that after the young couple are married, he must go away rather than taint the sanctity and safety of their union (Valjean's Confession). At Marius and Cosette's wedding the Thénardiers try to blackmail Marius (The Wedding Chorale). Thenardier says Cosette's "father" is a murderer and, as proof, produces a ring which he stole from the corpse in the sewers the night the barricades fell. It is Marius' own ring and he realizes it was Valjean who rescued him that night. He and Cosette leave Thénardiers to Rome on the feast (Beggars at the Feast). Marius and Cosette go to Valjean, where Cosette learns for the first time of her own history before the old man dies (Epilogue),who is guided to Heaven by the spirits of Fantine, Eponine, and all those who died on the barricades (Finale).

[edit] Music Theory

The recurrent themes in the score add an interesting depth to the story, as different characters sing different songs to the same music through the course of the show. Fantine's dying song foreshadows Eponine's more famous soliloquy "On My Own"; Fantine imagines she sees her daughter at play and Eponine pretends to feel the arms of Marius around her. Eponine and Fantine share yet another melody – the tune to which Fantine sings "I Dreamed a Dream" is heard by Eponine (as well as Cosette, Marius, Enjolras and the chorus) in the song "One Day More". Valjean's song "What Have I Done?" and "Javert's Suicide", both set to exactly the same music, with only slight rhythmic variations to fit to the lyrics, both come after an extraordinary show of mercy – the Bishop's forgiveness of Valjean and Valjean's release of Javert – both reveal the characters grappling with that mercy, but conclude with diametrically opposed responses – Valjean is inspired to begin his life anew, while Javert is destroyed by it, and ultimately commits suicide. This illustrates one of the central ideas of the story: Javert's fall from grace and Valjean's simultaneous rise from darkness. Cosette's childhood song "Castle on a Cloud" recurs years later when she tells Valjean of the attempted attack on their house ("My God, Cosette!"). These examples approach true leitmotif and are among the deepest re-uses of music in the show, but for the most part these reprises tend toward contrafactum, meaning that the same tune often recurs verbatim, untransformed, mostly with the same accompaniment, yet without any apparent connection between the two or more recurrences. There are also many passages where a melody is introduced by one character and then later is sung by another character who never met the first.

Two themes are also often repeated: The first is the melody of the "Work Song", that appears also in the "Overture". It is later repeated in "The Confrontation" and "Paris-Look down". But some other songs also include it: "On Parole", and many times at the barricade, for example "Building The Barricade", "Upon These Stones", "Gavroche's Death", "The Final Attack" or just before "Javert's Suicide". Its frequent appearance in situations of desperation might indicate the melody's intention as a "Theme of the Miserables" – fittingly, as it is also the primary overture.

The second first appears in "Valjean Arrested/Valjean Forgiven", where it is sung by the two officers. There is also a second part to it, first sung by the bishop. The first part is rather aggressive, while the second sounds calmer and softer. It is later often repeated in songs involving Javert, where he (mostly) sings the first part and whoever he's "talking" to the second. Examples are: Fantine and Javert in "Fantine's Arrest", Javert and Thénardier in "The Robbery", Javert in "One Day More" and Javert and the students on the barricade. One interesting thing to note is the variations that take place; for instance, it's initial use is in a minor key, giving it an aggressive feel, but in "One Day More", Javert sings it in a major key, which sounds almost majestic. The calmer version is sung by Marius in "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables." The only one who never sings the theme is Valjean. Even as Javert is talking to him (after "The Runaway Cart" or when Valjean lets him go), he answers in a tone similar to the song "Who Am I?". The theme could be designated "Javert's Theme".

[edit] Orchestral Requirements

John Cameron's original orchestrations (although now reduced in the London production using Realtime Music Solutions' controversial Sinfonia playback system) are scored for the following 22-piece orchestra: Reed I (piccolo/flute), Reed II (oboe/cor anglais), Reed III (clarinet/alto sax), Horn I, Horn II, Trumpet I db. Piccolo Trumpet & Flugelhorn, Trumpet II db. Piccolo Trumpet & Flugelhorn, Trumpet III db. Piccolo Trumpet (opt.), Trombone, Pitched Percussion, Drum Kit, Synthesizer I (scored for two Yamaha DX7s or Kurzweil K2600), Synthesizer II (scored for two Yamaha DX7s or Kurzweil K2600), Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Violin I, Violin II, Violin III, Violin IV, Viola (opt.), Cello, Double Bass.

The 2006 Broadway revival has been re-orchestrated by Christopher Jahnke. By contrast, the increasingly frequent productions in German opera houses invariably feature a string section of at least 20 musicians, sometimes approaching the orchestra size used in the 10th Anniversary Royal Albert Hall performance.

[edit] Original British version and cast

The English language version was substantially expanded and reworked from the original Paris version, in particular adding a prologue to tell Jean Valjean's back story. In addition, two songs were deleted when the play was revised for Broadway - the complete version of Gavroche's song "Little People" and the adult Cosette's "I Saw Him Once." "I Saw Him Once" was replaced by a short section at the beginning of "In My Life". The first English production, produced by Mackintosh and directed by Trevor Nunn, opened on October 28, 1985 in the Barbican Theatre, London.

It starred Colm Wilkinson as Valjean, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine, Rebecca Caine as Cosette, Patti LuPone as Fantine, Roger Allam as the persistent Inspector Javert, Michael Ball as Marius, Ian Tucker as Gavroche, and Alun Armstrong as the villainous rogue Thénardier.

On December 4, 1985, it transferred to the Palace Theatre and moved again on April 3, 2004 to the Queen's Theatre, where it is still playing.

[edit] Current London cast

The current London Cast, since June 26, 2006, features:

• John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean)
• Hans Peter Janssens (Javert)
• Joanna Ampil (Fantine) (Replaced Sophia Ragavelas on January 29, 2007)
• Chris Vincent (Thénardier)
• Tracie Bennett (Madame Thénardier)
• Sabrina Aloueche (Eponine)
• Jon Lee (Marius)
• Gina Beck (Cosette)
• Simon Bailey (Enjolras)

Ensemble (listed alphabetically):

• Robert Archibald
• Jenna Boyd
• Ruth Brown
• Laura Brydon
• Emily Bull
• Jacob Chapman
• Stephen John Davis
• Jonathan D. Ellis
• Alice Fearn
• Spike Grimsey
• Kirsty Hoiles
• Eaton James
• Adam Jones
• Roy Litvin
• Rachael Louise Miller
• Jeff Nicholson
• Wendy Somerville
• Christopher Stewart
• David Stoller
• David Thaxton
• Neil Toon
• Emma Westhead
• Paul Westhead
• Bayla Whitten

On September 15, 2006 a special 75 minute concert performance featuring the current West End cast was recorded at the Mermaid Conference Centre in Blackfriars, London, and then broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on October 8, 2006 to mark the 21st Anniversary of the Show.

On October 7, 2006 Les Misérables officially became the longest running musical in the West End, surpassing Cats. The show celebrated with a gala finale, attended by Colm Wilkinson, Patti LuPone, Michael Ball, Frances Ruffelle, Rebecca Caine, Susan Jane Tanner, Alun Armstrong, Clive Carter (in place of Roger Allam), and Peter Polycarpou (in place of David Burt), as well as other members of the Original London Cast.

[edit] Broadway

The Broadway production opened on March 12, 1987 at the Broadway Theater. Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle (as Eponine) reprised their roles from the London production.

The cast included David Bryant as Marius, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, Anthony Crivello as Bamatabois and Grantaire, Steve Shocket as Fauchlevent, Norman Large as the Bishop of Digne, Paul Harman as the Factory Foreman, Donna Vivino as Young Cosette, Jennifer Butt as Madame Thénardier, Leo Burmester as Thénardier, Randy Graff as Fantine and Terrence Mann as Javert.

The musical ran at the Broadway Theatre through October 10, 1990, when it moved to the Imperial Theatre. It was scheduled to close on March 15, 2003, but the closing was postponed by a surge in public interest, probably as a result of the announcement. After 6,680 performances in sixteen years, when it closed on May 18, 2003, it was the second-longest-running Broadway musical after Cats. More recently, its position has fallen to the third-longest-running Broadway musical after The Phantom of the Opera ascended initially to the second and, in 2006, to the number one spot.

Les Misérables began a limited return to Broadway on November 9, 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre. On December 19th 2006, it was announced that Les Misérables would extend its run through August despite negative reviews.

[edit] 2006 Broadway Revival Cast

• Alexander Gemignani as Jean Valjean
• Norm Lewis as Javert
• Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine
• Celia Keenan-Bolger as Eponine
• Aaron Lazar as Enjolras
• Adam Jacobs as Marius
• Ali Ewoldt as Cosette
• Gary Beach as Thénardier
• Jenny Galloway as Mme. Thénardier
• Drew Sarich as Grantaire
• Daniel Bogart as Combeferre
• Robert Hunt as Courfeyrac
• Blake Ginther as Feuilly
• Doug Kreeger as Jean Prouvaire
• Justin Bohon as Joly
• Nehal Joshi as Lesgles
• Jeff Kready as Babet
• Victor Hawks as Brujon
• James Chip Leonard as Claquesous
• J.D. Goldblatt as Montparnasse
• Brian D'Addario as Gavroche
• Jacob Levine as Gavroche
• Austyn Myers as Gavroche
• Tess Adams as Young Cosette/Young Eponine
• Kylie Liya Goldstein as Young Cosette/Young Eponine
• Carly Rose Sonenclar as Young Cosette/Young Eponine

Female Ensemble: Farah Alvin, Becca Ayers, Nikki Renée Daniels, Karen Elliott, Marya Grandy, Megan McGinnis, Haviland Stillwell, Idara Victor.

Swings: Matt Clemens, Marissa McGowan, Q. Smith, Stephen Trafton.

Understudies: For Marius - Daniel Bogart. For Fantine - Nikki Renée Daniels, Haviland Stillwell. For Madame Thénardier - Karen Elliott. For Jean Valjean - Victor W. Hawks, Jeff Kready. For Javert - Robert Hunt. For Thénardier - James Chip Leonard. For Eponine - Megan McGinnis, Marissa McGowan. For Enjolras - Drew Sarich. For Cosette - Idara Victor.

[edit] Broadway Cast Replacement History

• Soara-Joye Ross is the 1st replacement in this cast. She replaced Karen Elliot in the Ensemble for 3 months from December 28th 2006-March 1st, 2007
• Nikki Renée Daniels replaced Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine from February 20, 2007 to March 1st, 2007
• Lea Salonga replaced Nikki Renee Daniels Fantine beginning March 6th, 2007
• Benjamin Davis will replace Norm Lewis as Javert from April 24, 2007
• Ann Harada will replace Jenny Galloway as Mme. Thénardier from April 24, 2007
• Mandy Bruno will replace Celia Keenan-Bolger as Éponine from April 24, 2007
• Max Von Essen will replace Aaron Lazar as Enjolras from April 24, 2007[2]

[edit] Complete Symphonic Recording

Released in 1990, the Complete Symphonic Recording was the first recording to feature the entire score of the musical, the other being the recording of the 10th Anniversary Concert (below). Cameron Mackintosh's original plan was to use the Australian cast,^[2] but the scope was expanded to create an international cast featuring performers from the major performances of the musical around the world. The cast was recorded in three different places around the world.^[3]

The album, produced by David Caddick, won the Best Musical Cast Show Album Grammy Award in 1991.

Gary Morris	Jean Valjean	Broadway
Philip Quast	Javert	Sydney
Debra Byrne	Fantine	Sydney
Gay Soper	Madame Thenardier	London
Barry James	Thenardier	London
Kaho Shimada	Eponine	Tokyo
Michael Ball	Marius	London
Anthony Warlow	Enjolras	Sydney
Tracy Shayne	Cosette	Broadway

[edit] 10th anniversary concert

On October 8, 1995, the show celebrated its 10th anniversary with a concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Sir Cameron Mackintosh hand selected the cast, those who were praised for the best renditions and characterizations of the characters. The concert came to feature the Les Miserables Dream Cast, assembling cast members from around the world. The cast included:

Colm Wilkinson	Jean Valjean	Original Broadway/London Cast
Philip Quast	Javert	Original Australian Cast
Ruthie Henshall	Fantine	Replacement London Cast
Jenny Galloway	Madame Thenardier	Replacement London Cast
Alun Armstrong	Thenardier	Original London Cast
Lea Salonga	Eponine	Replacement Broadway Cast
Michael Ball	Marius	Original London Cast
Michael Maguire	Enjolras	Original Broadway Cast
Judy Kuhn	Cosette	Original Broadway Cast

In addition, one of the finales at the concert was a performance of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" sung a line at a time by seventeen Jean Valjeans, each from a different production in a different country (in the language of that production) followed by a powerful choral rendition of "One Day More."

[edit] Les Misérables School Edition

The first school age theatre to gain the rights to the musical was The King's Theatre, The King's School, in Sydney, Australia, in late 2000, performing the official edition for 21 performances across 4 weeks in March and April 2001. This first performance prompted a student edition to become available through Musical Theatre International in 2002, available only to productions with an entirely amateur cast aged under 19. Truman High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania, was the first high school in the US allowed the rights to perform the musical. (Costessey High School in Norwich was the first school in the UK to take up this student edition in March 2003) In fact, in December 2006, the musical travelled all the way to Asia where an international school in Hong Kong, King George V School, will be the first school in Asia to perform it. The school edition has been so popular that hundreds of schools worldwide have purchased the rights and staged performances, and it was the #1 bestselling play for high schools in the year 2006.^{[citation needed]}

The Student Edition contains small cuts from the original show, mostly of a few bars and repeats, although some are more substantial. It is some 25 minutes shorter than the "official" version, although no critical scenes or songs have been removed. One or two changes may have been made for reasons of unsuitable language or sentiment (although, to their credit, the editors have not been squeamish about retaining the darker aspects of the drama such as the prostitution scenes or Batambois' abuse of Fantine) but most cuts have been made merely to shorten the show to a length manageable for young performers. A few subtle changes of vocal pitch have also been made for the same reason. "Stars" by Javert and "Castle on a Cloud" lose a verse each. "Dog Eats Dog" by Thénardier is heavily truncated as well.

[edit] Other National & International productions

Most productions have been based on the West End version of the show, including the 1991 Paris version which mixed original lyrics with new French lyrics for the additional and altered songs. The show has been produced in 38 countries and translated into 21 languages.^[4]

A production opened in Oslo, Norway on March 17, 1988 (only 5 days after the Broadway opening).

Les Miserables opened in Tokyo on July 17, 1987. Les Miserables has always been very popular in Japan. It is the first country outside the United Kingdom and the United States to stage the updated version musical. They have made a total of 6 cast recordings (all recorded live in Japanese), with each cast recordings having a specific color label. (Blue, Red, Light Blue, Green, Purple, and Orange) Notable actors/actresses that have played in Japanese production of this musical are Yuichiro Yamaguchi, Kaho Shimada, Takeshi Kaga (from Iron Chef), and Minako Honda. The 20th Anniversary Japanese production opens at the Hakataza Theatre in Fukuoka in June 2007.

The translated version of this musical was presented in Vienna at the Raimund Theater from 1988 to 1990.^{[citation needed]}

In 1991 (February 28th) the show opened in The Netherlands. First in Theater Carré, Amsterdam, until the production moved in October 1991, to Fortis Circustheater in Scheveningen. In 2008, a new production is planned for Rotterdam's Luxor Theatre.^[5]

Les Miserables opened in 2000 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, being the second version in Spanish after the 1993 Madrid version. It ran for eight months at Teatro Ópera. The Spanish-speaking version (Madrid, Buenos Aires and México, in which Mexican Soprano Claudia Cota, played the role of Cosette) is the only international version having changed its name from "Les Misérables" to "Los Miserables". No recording was made from the Buenos Aires production, making the Madrid production the only Spanish recording of the show.^[6] It also was performed in Portuguese during 2001/2002 season in São Paulo, Brazil, opening the newly restored Abril theatre, where other musicals have been staged thereafter, such as Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Chicago and currently The Phantom of the Opera (2005/2006).

In 2002, Les Miserables became the first Broadway musical to be staged in mainland China. Running for twenty-one performances at Shanghai's Grand Theatre, the American Touring Cast's production was spectacularly successful, grossing 12 million yuan^{[citation needed]}.

On April 8 2004, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, this became the first West End play ever to be performed at Windsor Castle^{[citation needed]}.

In the late half of 2008, a Chinese version of Les Miserables is going to be staged in Shanghai, China, by the Joint Venture of Cameron Macintosh Ltd. and Shanghai Grand Theatre.^[7]

Other productions have been staged in Australia, Germany, Israel,Hungary, Iceland, Canada, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Ireland, BermudaMalta, the Philippines, Mauritius, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa, Belgium, Finland, and Estonia.^[8]

[edit] Film

Although numerous films of the Les Misérables story have been made, no adaptation of the musical has yet been produced. A film adaptation of the musical has been in development, on and off, since the late 1980s.

Alan Parker was reported to be attached to the adaptation at an early stage.^[9]

In 1992, Cameron Mackintosh announced that the movie would be directed by Bruce Beresford and co-produced by Tri-Star Pictures,^[10] but this project was abandoned some time later.

After several years in development hell interest was renewed in late 2005,^[11] though as of early-2007 no concrete details have come to light.

[edit] Awards

Les Miserables was nominated for the following Tony Awards in 1987, winning those marked:

• Tony Award for Best Musical WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Original Score WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Terrence Mann)
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Colm Wilkinson)
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Michael Maguire) WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Frances Ruffelle) WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Judy Kuhn)
• Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Musical WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical
• Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical WINNER
• Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical WINNER

[edit] References in Popular Culture

• There are a great deal of references to Valjean's prison number 24601.
• "Master of the House" was featured as a subplot in an episode of Seinfeld.
• The Animaniacs' Rita and Runt, featuring Bernadette Peters, performed a spoof, Les Miseranimals, in Episode 11.
• The creators of South Park also referenced Les Misérables as a reoccurring theme in their movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. One such reference is a medley entitled "La Resistance" which closely resembles "One Day More" from the real musical. Also, the death of The Mole, a French operative whose real name is Christophe, is reminiscent of Eponine's death in the arms of Marius.
• It's referenced numerous times in Scrubs, including a mixed parody of both "One Day More!" and "Do You Hear The People Sing?" in the musical episode My Musical.
• In episode 1.12 of Dawson's Creek, Joey Potter sings Eponine's famous "On My Own" for a talent show. This choice of song is symbolic, as Eponine is caught in a love triangle between Marius and Cosette, as Joey is (with Dawson Leery and Jen Lindley).
• Terry Pratchett's Night Watch has some rather twisted parallels with the play, including a popular revolution and a barricade. In particular, Samuel Vimes and Carcer can be seen as inverted versions of Javert and Valjean respectively, with scenes such as Vimes being rescued by a whore, and Carcer claiming that his initial crime was stealing a loaf of bread.

[edit] References

1. ^ Elaine Page - BBC
2. ^ http://www.angelfire.com/musicals/rentlm/csr.html
3. ^ "Les Miserables [Relativity Complete Symphonic Recording]." Popular Albums. All Media Guide, 2006. Answers.com 24 Mar. 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/les-miserables-relativity-complete-symphonic-recording
4. ^ http://www.lesmis.com/pages/about/facts_figures_1.htm
5. ^ http://www.telegraaf.nl/prive/article58388101.ece?cid=rss
6. ^ http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=1421
7. ^ http://news.mdbchina.com/sections/news/4252.html
8. ^ http://www.lesmis.com/pages/about/facts_figures_1.htm
9. ^ http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,315865_7%7C21786%7C%7C0_0_,00.html
10. ^ http://www.lesmis.com/pages/news/press_2_12_92.html
11. ^ http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/les%20miserables%20hits%20hollywood

[edit] External links

• Cameron Mackintosh: Les Misérables
• Les Miserables School Edition, with list of upcoming productions
• Les Miserables Audition Advice & Show Information
• A Resourceful Les Mis Fan Site
• Danish production 2006
• Synopsis of the musical's story
• The barricade on the Rue de la Chanvrerie: A tribute to Les Miserables
• The Josef Weinberger page of the school edition
• Les Misérables Fans Discussion Site, covering many aspects of the musical and original novel