I am les miserables....

[UrsulasDaBomb]

It's been too long since a production of Les Miserables came to big D so I guess I"ll have to content myself with illegally downloading tracks from the soundtrack from the internet.

<i>
There was a time when men were kind,when their voices were soft and their words inviting.
There was a time when the world was a song and the song exciting...there was a time before it all went wrong.
I dreamed a dream of time gone by,when hope was high and life worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die,I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
And I was young and unafraid...when dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid,no song unsung no wine untasted.
But the tigers come at night,with their voices soft as thunder as they tear your hope apart,as they turn your dreams to shame.
He slept a summer by my side.
He filled my days with endless wonder.
He took my childhood in his stride,but he was gone when autumn came.
And still I dream he'll come to me.
That we will live the years together.
But there are dreams that cannot be and there are storms we cannot weather.
I had a dream my life would be so different from this hell I'm living,so different now from what it seemed.
Now life is still a dream I dreamed.</i>

 

[Sonya]

That is one of my favorite musicals ever!

 

[Blondie]

Believe it or not, I've never seen it!

 

[UrsulasDaBomb]

Neither have I,Blondie...I got hooked on it when we did a salute to Broadway in my musical theatre workshop class in college.I ran out to Blockbuster and rented the "concert' version of it and got even more hooked on it.Now I watch it whenever it's on the Trio channel on cable.I'd go buy my own copy of the soundtrack but they are so expensive!

<i>There is a castle on a cloud.
I like to go there in my sleep.
Aren't any floors for me to sweep,not in my castle on a cloud.
There is a room that's full of toys.
There are hundred boys and girls.
Nobody shouts or talks too loud,not in my castle on a cloud.
There is a lady all in white,holds me and sings a lullaby.
She's nice to see and she's soft to touch.
She says,"Cosette, I love you very much."
I know a place where no one's lost.
I know a place where no one cries.
Crying at all is not allowed.
Not in my castle on a cloud.</i>

Cosette's ballad is one of my FAVORITE songs from that musical.

 

[helenabear]

I love the music to it, but I have never seen it yet. It is coming to Columbus in September for 8 shows but I doubt we'll be able to see it. Hopefully I will some day.

 

[UrsulasDaBomb]

I know what you mean,helena.Last time it was in Dallas,we had just gotten married and were broke so we couldn't go see it.Oh well....what's your favorite number from the show.Like I said,I love Cosette's ballad but I also really like "Master of the House".

MASTER OF THE HOUSE


DRINKER THREE
Come on you old pest

DRINKER TWO
Fetch a bottle of your best

DRINKER ONE
What's the nectar of the day?

(Thénardier enters with a flask of wine)

THENARDIER
Here, try this lot
Guaranteed to hit the spot
Or I'm not Thénardier

DRINKERS
Gissa glass a rum
Landlord, over here!

THENARDIER
Right away, you scum (to himself)
Right away, m'sieur (to customer)

DINER ONE
God this place has gone to hell

DINER TWO
So you tell me every year

DRINKER SIX
Mine host Thénardier
He was there so they say,
At the field of Waterloo

DRINKER SEVEN
Got there, it's true
When the fight was all through

DRINKER ONE
But he knew just what to do
Crawling through the mud
So I've heard it said
Picking through the pockets
Of the English dead

DRINKER EIGHT
He made a tidy score
From the spoils of war

THENARDIER
My band of soaks
My den of dissolutes
My dirty jokes, my always pissed as newts.
My sons of *****s
Spent their lives in my inn
Homing pigeons homing in
They fly through my doors
And their money's as good as yours

DINER ONE
Ain't got a clue
What he put in this stew
Must have scraped it off the street

DINER TWO
God what a wine!
Chateau Neuf de Turpentine
Must have pressed it with his feet

DRINKERS
Landlord over here!
Where's the bloody man?
One more for the road!
Thénardier, one more slug o' gin.

GIRL
Just one more, or my old man is gonna do me in.

(Thénardier greets a new customer)

THENARDIER
Welcome, M'sieur
Sit yourself down
And meet the best
Innkeeper in town
As for the rest,
All of 'em crooks
Rooking their guests
And cooking the books.
Seldom do you see
Honest men like me
A gent of good intent
Who's content to be

Master of the house
Doling out the charm
Ready with a handshake
And an open palm
Tells a saucy tale
Makes a little stir
Customers appreciate a bon-viveur
Glad to do a friend a favor
Doesn't cost me to be nice
But nothing gets you nothing
Everything has got a little price!

Master of the house
Keeper of the zoo
Ready to relieve 'em
Of a sou or two
Watering the wine
Making up the weight
Pickin' up their knick-knacks
When they can't see straight
Everybody loves a landlord
Everybody's bosom friend
I do whatever pleases
Jesus! Won't I bleed 'em in the end!

THENARDIER & CHORUS
Master of the house
Quick to catch yer eye
Never wants a passerby
To pass him by
Servant to the poor
Butler to the great
Comforter, philosopher,
And lifelong mate!
Everybody's boon companion
Everybody's chaperone

THENARDIER
But lock up your valises
Jesus! Won't I skin you to the bone!

(To another new customer)

THENARDIER
Enter M'sieur
Lay down your load
Unlace your boots
And rest from the road

(Taking his bag)

This weighs a ton
Travel's a curse
But here we strive
To lighten your purse
Here the goose is cooked
Here the fat is fried
And nothing's overlooked
Till I'm satisfied...

Food beyond compare
Food beyond belief
Mix it in a mincer
And pretend it's beef
Kidney of a horse
Liver of a cat
Filling up the sausages
With this and that

Residents are more than welcome
Bridal suite is occupied
Reasonable charges
Plus some little extras on the side!

Charge 'em for the lice
Extra for the mice
Two percent for looking in the mirror twice
Here a little slice
There a little cut
Three percent for sleeping with the window shut
When it comes to fixing prices
There are a lot of tricks he knows
How it all increases
All those bits and pieces
Jesus! It's amazing how it grows!

THENARDIER AND CHORUS
Master of the house
Quick to catch yer eye
Never wants a passerby
To pass him by
Servant to the poor
Butler to the great
Comforter, philosopher,
And lifelong mate!
Everybody's boon companion
Gives 'em everything he's got

THENARDIER
Dirty bunch of geezers
Jesus! What a sorry little lot!

MME. THENARDIER
I used to dream
That I would meet a prince
But God Almighty,
Have you seen what's happened since?
`Master of the house?'
Isn't worth me spit!
`Comforter, philosopher'
- and lifelong ****!
Cunning little brain
Regular Voltaire
Thinks he's quite a lover
But there's not much there
What a cruel trick of nature
Landed me with such a louse
God knows how I've lasted
Living with this ******* in the house!


THENARDIER & CHORUS
Master of the house.

MME. THENARDIER
Master and a half!

THENARDIER & CHORUS
Comforter, philosopher

MME. THENARDIER
Ah, don't make me laugh!

THENARDIER & CHORUS
Servant to the poor. Butler to the great.

MME. THENARDIER
Hypocrite and toady and inebriate!

THENARDIER & CHORUS
Everybody bless the landlord!
Everybody bless his spouse!

THENARDIER
Everybody raise a glass

MME. THENARDIER
Raise it up the master's ****.

ALL
Everybody raise a glass to the master of the house!

 

[Sonya]

Eponine's solo always makes me cry. I also like the finale.

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

God on high
Hear my prayer
In my need
You have always been there
He is young
He's afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.
He's like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son.
The summers die
One by one
How soon they fly
On and on
And I am old
And will be gone.
Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy
You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live
If I die
Let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.


I've seen it at least 10 times! a friend of mine used to work for Cameron MacIntosh and was able to get us free tickets.

also saw it once at a local high school -- MacIntosh worked with the kids to see if the show could be adapted for high school use.

and the last time I saw the show we had a special treat -- the girl playing Cosette that night goes to school with my older dd, and "Cosette's" younger brother is in the same Hebrew school class as my younger dd.

 

[chell]

You MUST see Les Mis! It is outstanding.

Even though the CD set is a little on the expensive side GET IT!!!!! My favorite song is "Confrontation" by Javert and Valjean! I just love it. I'm going to have to take my CD's to work tomorrow to listen to it all day long!!!!!!

 

[fklhou]

I saw here in Houston ten years ago. It is one of my favorite musicals. I had the CD in my vehicle for the longest time.

 

[TracyK]

This has got to be the best musical of all time. I've got the video and the cd and I've seen the West End production three times. BRILLIANT.
Tracy