Info on Les Mis

[Connie of Trenton]

Does anyone know what the play Les Mis is about? Also what do the words Les Mis mean? Is it a sad play or is it upbeat-maybe both? Thanks for sharing any info.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Les Misérables translates to 'poor wretches'.


It is a beautiful musical, we saw it here in Chicago several years ago. This might explain it a bit. http://www.lesmis.com/inspiration/author/aboutnovel.htm

It is not upbeat. I would say it is certainly sad at times but then uplifting and rewarding.


Here is another synopsis. A link does not work as it is in frames. http://www.lesmis.de/en/index_e.html

Prologue: 1815, Toulon

Jean Valjean, released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang, finds that the yellow ticket-of-leave he must, by law, display condemns him to be an outcast. Only the saintly Bishop of Digne treats him kindly and Valjean, embittered by years of hardship, repays him by stealing some silver.
Valjean is cought and brought back by the police and is astonished when the Bishop lies to the police to save him, also giving him two precious candlesticks.
Valjean decides to start his life anew.

1st Act: 1823, Montreuil-sur-mer

Eight years later Valjean, having broken his parole and changed his name to Monsieur Madeleine, has risen to become both a factory owner and Mayor of Montreuil-sur-mer. Javert, meanwhile promoted inspector, is working in Montreuil-sur-mer, too not able to identify Monsieur Madeleine as the parole-breaker Jean Valjean.
One of Valjean`s worker, Fantine, has a secret illegitimate child. When the other women discover this, they demand her dismissal. The foreman, whose advances she has rejected, throws her out.
Unable to pay for medicines for her daughter, Fantine sells her locket, her hair, and then joins the *****s in selling herself. Utterly degraded by her new trade, she gets into a fight with a prospective customer and is about to be taken to prison by Javert when Monsieur Madeleine arrives and demands she be taken to hospital instead.

The mayor then rescues a man pinned down by a runnaway cart. Javert is reminded of the abnormal strength of convict 2-4-6-0-1 Jean Valjean, a man who broke his parole whom he has been tracking for years but who, he says, has just been recaptured. Valjean is unable to see an innocent man go to prison in his place. So he confesses to the court and Javert that he is prisoner 2-4-6-0-1.
Valjean escapes and goes to the hospital to swear to the dying Fantine that he will find and look after her daughter Cosette. Javert enters and tries to capture Jean Valjean who knocks out Javert and escapes again ...


1823, Montfermeil

Cosette has been lodged for five years with the Thénardiers who run an inn and ask her to work very hard while indulging their own daughter, Eponine. Valean arrives and pays F1500 to Thénardier to take Cosette away and takes her to Paris. But Javert is still hunting him ...


1833, Paris

Nine years have passed and there is great unrest because General Lamarque, the popular leader and only man left in the government who showed any feeling for the poor, died. The boy Gavroche is in his element mixing with the *****s and beggars of the French capital. A street-gang led by the Thénardiers sets upon Jean Valjean and Cosette. Meanwhile Cosette and the student Marius see each other and both fall in love. Javert rescues Valjean and Cosette not recognising Valjean until he has made good his escape. Thénardiers daughter `Ponine is secretly in love with the student Marius who only thinks of Cosette ... .
In a small café some idealistic students meet to prepare for a revolution they are sure will erupt on Lamarques death and stream out into the streets to whip up popular support.
Although Valjean sees that Cosette is changing very quickly he refuses to tell her anything of his past. Marius finds Cosette with the help of the Eponine who prevents an attempt by her father`s gang to rob Valjean`s house. Valjean, convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette that they have to prepare to flee the country. On the eve of revolution Enjolras, leader of the revolutionaries, Marius, Cosette, Valjean, Eponine and Javert see the situation from their different viewpoints.
INTERVAL



2nd Act: One day later, the same place

The barricade is built. Marius notices Eponine who is dressed as a boy at the barricade. He sends her with a letter to Cosette. Javert, giving wrong informations to the students, is exposed by Gavroche as a police spy. In trying to return to the barricade `Ponine is shot and dies in Marius` embrace.
Now Valjean joins the students in search of Marius. He is given the chance to kill Javert (!) but instead of taking his revenge he lets him go.
In the following night Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught which is to come. The following day the rebels including their leader Enjolras are killed.
The unconscious Marius is carried into the sewers by Valjean. There Valjean meets Thénardier, who is robbing the corpses of the rebels, he emerges into the the light only to meet Javert ones more. He pleads for time to deliver the young man to hospital.
Javert decides to let him go. But his unbanding principles of justice having been shattered by Valjean`s own mercy. So he kills himselfs by throwing himself into the swollen River Seine.

Unaware of the identity of his rescuer, Marius recovers in Cosette`s care. Valjean confesses the truth of his past to Marius and insists after the young couple are married, he must go away rather than taint the sanctity and safety of their union. At their wedding the Thénardiers try to blackmail Marius. Monsieur Thénardier maintains that Cosette`s father is a murderer and as proof produces a ring which he stole from the corpes in the sewers the night the barricades fell.
Marius recognises his own ring and realises it was Valjean who rescued him that night.

The end of the 2nd act


Epilogue: 1833, Paris

Marius and Cosette go to Valjean where Cosette learns for the first time of her own history before the old man dies, joining the spirits of Fantine, Eponine and all those who died fighting for their rights.

 

[Michelle]

Les Mis is short for Les Miserables, in French. The musical is based on Victor Hugo's novel, and it does have some wonderful music but it definitely is not an upbeat show.

Here is a synopsis:

PROLOGUE: 1815,DIGNE
Jean Valjean,released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang,finds that the yellow-ticket-of-leave he must,by law display,condemns him to be an outcast. Only the saintly Bishop of Digne treats him kindly and Valjean,embittered by years of hardship,repays him by stealing some silver. Valjean is caught and brought back by police,and is astonished when the Bishop lies to the police to save him,also giving him 2 precious candlesticks. Valjean decides to start his life anew.

1823,MONTREUIL-SUR-MER
Eight years have passed,and Valjean,having broken his parole,and changed his name to Monsieur Madeleine,has risen to become a factory owner and Mayor. One of his workers,Fantine,has a secret illegitimate child. When the other women discover this,they demand her dismissal. The foreman,whose advances she has rejected,throws her out.

Desperate for money to pay for medicines for her daughter,Fantine sells her locket,her hair, and then joins the *****s in selling herself. utterly degraded by her new trade,she gets into a fight with a prospective customer and is about to be taken to prison by Javert when the Mayor arrives and demands she be taken to hospital instead.

The Mayor then rescues a man pinned down by a runaway cart. Javert is reminded of the abnormal strength of convict 24601 Jean Valjean,a parole breaker whom he has been tracking for years but who,he says,has just been recaptured. Valjean,unable to see an innocent man go to prison in his place,confesses to the court that he is prisoner 24601.

At the hospital,Valjean promises the dying Fantine to find and look after her daughter Cosette. Javert arrives to arrest him,but Valjean escapes.

1823,MONTFERMEIL
Cosette has been lodged for five years with the Thénardiers who run an inn,horribly abusing the little girl whom they use as a skivvy while indulging their own girl,Eponine. Valjean finds Cosette fetching water in the dark. He pays the Thénardiers to let him take Cosette away and takes her to Paris. But Javert is still on his tail....

1832,PARIS
Nine years later,there is great unrest in the city because of the likely demise of the popular leader General Lamarque,the only man left in the government who shows any feeling for the poor. The urchin Gavroche is in his element mixing with the *****s and beggars of the capital. Among the street gangs is one led by Thénardier and his wife, which sets upon Jean Valjean and Cosette. They are rescued by Javert,who does not recognize Valjean until after he has made good his escape. The Thénardiers daughter Eponine,who is secretly in love with the student Marius,reluctantly agrees to help him find Cosette,with whom he has fallen in love.

At a political meeting in a small cafe,a group of idealistic students prepare for the revolution they are sure will erupt on the death of General Lamarque. 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. Only Marius is distracted,by thoughts of the mysterious Cosette.

Cosette is consumbed by 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 the past. In spite of her own feelings for Marius,Eponine sadly brings him to Cosette and then prevents an attempt by her father's gang to rob Valjean's house. Valjean,convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house,tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country. 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 picking underground from the chaos to come.

-15 minute intermission-

The students prepare to build the barricade. 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. The barricade is built and the revolutionaries defy an army warning that they must give up or die. Gavroche exposes Javert as a police spy. In trying to return to the barricade,Eponine is shot and killed. Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius. He is given the chance to kill Javert but instead lets him go. The students settle down for a 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. The next day,with ammunition running low,Gavroche runs out to collect more and is shot. the rebels are all killed,including their leader Enjolras.

Valjean escapes into the sewers with unconscious Marius. After meeting Thénardier,who is robbing the corpses of the rebels,he emerges into the light only to meet Javert once more. He pleads for time to deliver the young man to hospital. Javert decides to let him go,and his unbending principles of justice having been shattered by Valjean's mercy,he kills himself by throwing himself into the swollen River Seine. A number of Parisian women come to terms with the failed insurrection and its victims. Unaware of the identity of his rescuer,Marius recovers in Cosette's care. 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 safety of their union. At Marius and Cosette's wedding,the Thénardiers try to blackmail Marius. Thénardier says Cosette's "father" is a murderer and as proof produces a ring which he stole from the corpse in the sewers the nigh the barricades fell. It is Marius' own ring and he realizes it was Valjean who rescued him that night. He and Cosette go to Valjean where Cosette learns for the first time of her own history before the old man dies,joining the spirits of Fantine,Eponine,and all those who died on the barricades.

 

[one_cat]

We've seen it three times. The music is beautiful. But the play is not uplifting though it ends on an up-note. Definitely see it at least once if you get a chance. You'll sing the songs all the way home.

 

[SeaSpray]

I absolutely LOVE the story of Les Miserables. I've seen it on Broadway in NYC and in Boston.

You will definitely want to know the story line BEFORE seeing this play because it is almost ENTIRELY sung, with very few spoken words. It is a wonderful story, with some very sad subplots along the way. It is beautifully written, however.

I want to add, I am not a person who is particularly fond of dramas or sad stories, or "tear jerker" types of movies (I normally prefer a comedy or action/adventure), but I absolutely LOVE this musical. Don't pass it up simply because of the sad parts!

 

[Briar Rose 7457]

I've seen it at least 10 times. so I guess you could say I like it.

There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in times gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And 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
And they turn your dream 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'll 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 has killed
The dream I dreamed.

 

[honeywolf7]

It's the one musical I've seen on Broadway and I loved it. It is definitely not the happiest story in the world, but it has a hopeful message in it.

 

[chell]

The story is beautiful! I fell in love with it in 10th grade French class. Luckily the next year my French teacher and I went to see it. WOW! I still love listening to the soundtrack. I can't wait to go see it again. My husband, who doesn't really like the stuff I like, is excited to go see it. You will not be disappointed if you go see it!

Several movies have been released. You might want to check on out to see if you will like the story line. The latest one I remember seeing was with Liam Neeson playing Valjean.