#Man Gavroche's Death makes me so sad ;(

[wow-its-jester-hat]

I saw a video of the ‘subtle foreshadowing’ trend with gavroches death😭

I don't know what the subtle foreshadowing trend is but djdjdbjddj

[random-ikea-drawer]

ok so i love les miserables

AND I JUST GOT TO SEE IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE NORTH AMERICA TOUR (more specifically Montreal! (yes i flew to an entirely different country to see it)) and i am incredibly attached to enjolras and grantaire so here are just things i saw that made my nails dig into my thighs <3 (not just enjoltaire)

oh my dear months old source of no big sad

this is 90% incoherent rambling (SPOILERS)

- Grantaire had long hair and a long coat i think that deserves its own point

- During Red and Black, Grantaire did the old “Don Juan” with the bottle right in Enjolras’ face (he was not impressed)

- In this same song, Enjolras got really close to R’s face during “don’t let the wine go to your brain”

- Again, in Red and Black, when they tossed Grantaire’s bottle to Enj, teasing him, Grantaire grabbed the bottle in a… way… when he was giving it back to him

- Same song 😭 Grantaire was bouncing on a guy’s lap during the first few verses

- In DYHTPS, Grantaire pulled Gavroche aside away from the students crowding Enjolras (this broke my heart, he clearly loves him and doesn’t want him to be in a war)

- “Glad to do a friend a favor” with a very suggestive hand gesture

- In the “dogs will bark flees will bite”, Grantaire pointed a finger at Enjolras, the former getting real close putting his weapon between them. They got REALLY close

- Gavroche pulled the middle finger at Javert lmao

-Eponine fucking died (i knew that already, seen every bootleg and version available, still hit hard)

- During Eponine’s death Gavroche ran onto the stage, closely followed by Grantaire being held onto by Enjolras

- Gavroche tried approaching Eponine (that’s his sister bro :()) but was stopped and held onto by Grantaire. When she died however, Grantaire quickly bent to hug Gavroche, man the grief was so clear with them both.

- After she died, everyone cleared to their positions but Enjolras and Grantaire, seemingly for Enjolras to try and comfort him, but decided against it quickly and pushed past him. Grantaire placed his hand on his chest in mock offense 😭

- When the attack was about to start, Grantaire mocked and toyed with tied up Javert. When Enjolras called for hold, Grantaire threw his arms around Javert with a “yep!” and cue the battle starting immediately when that happened

- During Grantaire’s verse during Drink With Me, it’s back to Enjolras and Grantaire being center stage. Enjolras approached him, held onto his arm and with the same hand moved up to brush R’s hair, which lead to him breaking off the contact and rushing to the other corner of the stage.

-He was followed by Gavroche, who hugged him from behind and then they both fell asleep next to each other :((

- Gavroche fucking died (i knew he did still heartbreaking) and was caught by Enj, who handed him to Grantaire

- During the Gavroche solo, Grantaire stood center stage looking to the crowd, not even flinching when the gun sounded, only turning around when Gavroche was already at the top of the barricade

- He tried shaking him awake :(( then set him down and stared at him :((

- That was until Marius fell, Enjolras rushing to check on him, making Grantaire rush to his side

- R grabbed onto Enj and they both held the back of each other’s necks,, from my angle it looked like their foreheads touched but idk if they would do that but MANNN

-Enjolras fucking died first (no wtf :(( )

- Grantaire fucking died last (BRO.)

- Everyone fucking died bro

- Except Marius and JVJ of course

- Mr Thenardier, instead of singing “This one’s a queer but what can you do”, sang “This one’s a queer, I’ll try it to!” and dipped a guy in the wedding 😭

- The “to love another person is to see the face of god” line always makes me emotional just :((

that’s it haha hopefully y’all enjoy the ramblings, ty for reading this far, i seriously recommend going to watch it if you can it’s truly the most amazing thing i’ve ever seen man 😭 may be biased but i’m serious

[dis-astre]

BREAKDOWN OF LES MISÉRABLES IN FRANCE : ACT II

and i'll be trying to gather my thoughts in a condensed and cohesive way (update, i failed. it's a very long post.) even if yesterday i had to yap for 10 minutes worth of voice messages to my best friend

- ngl i cry at the first notes of act II (and cry at the first note of act I too, but it was to be expected) and just on the overhaul cried a lot

- i felt it was very very quick? again i have vague memories of the west end version sooo but i was moving pretty quickly (maybe also due to the absence of the rotating stage)

- eponine's actress was singing SO GOOD, on my own broke my heart (even tho they changed some lyrics and some of them were... idk maybe too much on the nose in my opinion but eh)

- cosette's actress also was really good, her vibrato and singing was really clear and nice to hear

- enjolras and marius carrying gavroche on their shoulders when javert was discovered and parading him all around the barricade

- R jumping in front of all of les amis screaming something along the lines of LETS GO and was like very excited and ready to fight (it was nice to see him have a lot of stage presence and being involved, like he is here because and for his friends and idk it made drink with me 10 times sadder just with this little intervention)

- R stayed with gavroche all the time, and everytime there was a gunshot he was jumping on him, protecting his tiny body with his (god the kid was SO SMALL it broke my heart, he bet he wasn't even 10 yo)

- a little fall of rain broke my heart (my heart was broken a lot of times here), no one even noticed her dying in marius arms until almost the very end of the song; and at this point it was almost her last words and one of the students realised what was going on and rushed to go get some things to try and save her, came back for her last words and R stopped him like no it's too late

- also during a little fall of rain they made fake rain with the transparency and stuff, and everyone was doing forts with pillow and blankets and cuddling underneath and it was really soft and sad

- drink with me was so different too; basically enjolras and courfeyrac were on the top of the barricade yknow the usual, everyone is cuddling and drinking and trying to keep the spirit, and then for R'a part the acting was so different that i'm used to ! normally i'm used to seeing interpretation when he's soooo drunk and mad and cynical and overhaul this angry desperate drunk and cynical man- but here he was just... sad. like broken, sad and basically crying the whole verse to a point were he was slurring his words and struggling to talk between sobs... and he was so alone in this moment like everyone was just watching him in despair. and then he fells into feuilly's arms, they hug, then he hugs marius

- after drink with me, R takes gavroche in his arms (he's sleeping inside a big blanket) and he goes a bit away from the barricade to sleep cuddling and holding on to him (and also there's a girl with them, she spend all of her time on the barricade taking care of gavroche)

- when gavroche goes outside of the barricade, everyone scream and enjolras and marius try to catch him (and R is like... at the other side of the barricade which makes me so sad bc it's the ONLY time he's not near him and that's when he dies), he goes out and there's a gunshot then his hat goes back inside the barricade in a deadly silence

- when gavroche goes back inside of the barricade to die, he's on top of a bench, sing his little song and then doesn't finish and fall right into R's arms and dies in his arms (i was like kill me now i can't do this anymore)

- R spend all the remaining time of the revolution crying over gavroche body, until one of les amis forces him to his feet and yeet him so he goes and fight one last time

- after gavroche's death (and even eponine's), enjolras slowly shuts down and he almost doesn't speaks or interact with anyone and during drink with me it looks like he's dissociating and... idk i really love this acting choice, on the overhaul he was rlly giving book!enjolras like he wasn't the most talkative and energetic enjolras ever which again i think comes from the fact that the french loves to stay true to the original material and honestly i'm not against it, it gives another perspective on enjolras' character

- and when the last battle comes, he 'snaps' out of it and he's suddlently yelling and all but it just feels like something is broken inside and it's just suicide at this point, like the end feels so empty of hope (kinda mirroring R in drink with me) and it's really painful tbh

- enjolras is the last one to die but the worst thing is that he gets to see everyone die before his eyes, and when R dies, he hides for like almost a minute behind the barricade, breathing heavily and contemplating the bodies of his friends, before taking the flag and jumping in front of the barricade; which was giving suicide and also there's some feelings of guilt in this and i... please put me out of my misery at this point it's too much for my heart

- we got the iconic falling with the red flag on the barricade so yay

- i honestly forgot the song "fureurs cannibales" ("dog eat dog" in the english version) existed but i was pleasantly surprised, thenardier can sing like go off king

- javert suicide was amazing, again this actor is SO GOOD, i loved his singing and acting bc it felt so raw and real and powerful ! he was also on a very high platform so that was a tad bit scary but the staging was super cool on this

- les amis don't appear behind marius during empty chairs at empty tables but on a structure behind him you have shadows drinking and talking and basically it's the shadows of les amis when they were alive in the musain

- the thenardier were so funny during the wedding, and we got to see the orchestra and they interacted with the maestra and it was super fun ! also for the line "this one's queer" (i think it's that i'm not 100% sure), or "c'est une pédale" in french, thenardier pointed at montparnasse's actor and... well yeah mate we knew

- enjolras and valjean shook hands during the finale in heaven and i am unwell

and just on the overhaul i really really liked this production ! i cried so much honestly, the cast was amazing and the new lyrics really added another interesting dimension, and made it less funny than the 1991 version + more modern. i feel so lucky honestly, and i am so so happy

[delusionalbitchinthehouse]

So, I saw the French production of Les Misérables at the Théâtre du Châtelet and oh my fucking godddd.

I loved it so much, I was pretty close to the stage so I had a great view (I was on a folding seat tho so my ass was KILLING me but it was worth it lmao)

The set was so rich and cleverly arranged, very detailed and dynamic, i really thought it was impressive (I had only seen in live the staged concert before that so it was a big jump in terms of staging), and the costumes were gorgeous, I would kill to get a more thorough look at them.

The actors were fantastic, Fantine got tears out of me almost immediately, Valjean seemed so gentle and lovely, Cosette and Marius were the cutest, Javert was so driven and intimidating, Enjolras was OOZING righteous fury and determination it was crazy, Gavroche was so funny and playful, Grantaire was more optimistic than he usually is but you get to see him gradually lose hope and that's heartbreaking, The Thénardiers were more sinister than usual though still pretty funny in an awful way if you know what I mean, and Eponine's feelings were so raw I loved it.

As a bilingual french girl, being able to compare the lyrics in the two languages was sooo interesting, and I do sometimes have issues with french songs but those were genuinely soo good, so yeah, loved it.

Extensive yapping below the cut, be warned :

Gavroche's death was AWFUL, he dragged himself all the way back while still trying to sing before collapsing, you could hear people gasping and sobbing

Some actors were entering from the back of the theater, and since I was at the end of the row they were literally right next to me, during the finale an actor was singing almost in my ear while waving his flag lmao, it was so cool

The Amis de L'ABC's death was as painful as ever, shout out to the guy playing Enjolras who had to stay hanging from one leg for at least a good minute, i wouldn't have wanted to be in his place lmao

Valjean actually lifting the cart was super cool btw, that's my favorite senior citizen with ungodly strenght right there

The prostitues being more solidary with Fantine than the factory women and trying to protect her from Javert was a nice touch i think

The audience couldn't help snorting when Eponine sang the french version of "little he knows little he sees" because she was saying something like "y comprend rien" in a tone that clearly read something like "is he fucking stupid wtf", even though it's actually pretty sad

When Valjean and Javert were fighting right after Fantine's death, the nuns were trying to stop them (and more specifically Javert because mf had a whole-ass rifle, man was NOT playing) from killing each other, so when Valjean knocked the gun out of Javert's hands one of the nun grabbed it, panicked, looked around and hid it under a patient's mattress lmao.

Marius deadass nearly knocked himself uncouncious against the wall of Valjean's property while climbing it, it was weirdly endearing to see and sooo in character

During Empty Chairs At Empty Tables (Seul Devant Ces Tables Vides), instead of the students coming back in the background to bring candles, their shadows were projected behind Marius and somehow it made me cry even harder (also it fitted the whole "phantom shadows on the floor" bit super well)

Javert's suicide had me clutching my pearls because I actually thought for a second he'd fall for real

During the wedding scene, Thénardier tried to make the orchestra play again because he interupted them, called "maestro", but it was a woman so she corrected him and the whole audience clapped for her for a good minute, you could see Thénardier's actor trying not to smile it was pretty cute

Grantaire was so playful and touchy with all the Amis it was adorable, he kept fucking around just for their amusement and urgh I love him so much you know ? Also he took such good care of Gav and crumbled when he died :(

Gavroche was soooo insolent, it took two people to drag him away from Javert when he was roasting him on the barricade (also right after Stars Gavroche said that Javert thought he was "le p'tit Jésus" lmaoo)

Enjolras tried to hug Grantaire after Gav's death but R flinched away </3

Also one of the students (idk which one it was, I think it might've been Courf or Joly but i'm not sure) noticed Eponine dying in Marius' arms and ran to get bandages but he was too late :(

When Enjolras asks all the women and fathers to leave, the scene where everyone was saying goodbye was heartbreaking, you didn't even needed to hear them talk, I really liked that they took the time to show that

I swear Enjolras had so much energy, man was RUNNING around to get his point across (My mom elbowed me so hard when he started singing, she knows what's up)

Cosette actually recognized Eponine, and for a second they just stared at each other like "oh, shit, I know you"

I know the students also being guests for the wedding is because they needed people to fill the roles but I like to think there's a symbolic behind it and they were there in spirit because I am in Denial tm

Also Grantaire doing everything and anything to catch Enjolras' attention during Red And Black !!!! Joking around, patting or downright grabbing his arm, bumping shoulders, constantly calling his name....my boys !!! I love them so much <3

[a-heart-full-of-dumb]

I just need to talk about the dynamic between Grantaire and Enjolras in the Dutch tour I saw yesterday cause holy shit it was good

I saw an understudy for Grantaire (Leon de Graaf) and the main actor for Enjolras (Mark Roy Luykx) so I am not sure if this dynamic is different with the main actor for Grantaire.

The moment we get introduced to Grantaire in red and black he's sitting at a table in the corner, already very clearly very drunk. He's joking with Bossuet, already making a mockery of the whole revolution while also desperately glancing at Enjolras.

The moment Marius comes in and starts rambling about love, Grantaire perks up, sensing there's something he can go along with to maybe get Enjolras's attention (but also cause 'finally something interesting happens' as he's definitely still a bit of an asshole at this point) and full on throws himself into Marius's arms and plants himself on his lap while Enjolras is staring daggers into his back. During the end of Grantaire's solo as his bottle gets thrown around the backroom, Enjolras catches it and Grantaire nearly stumbles over his feet coming to a stop in front of him. The look on Grantaire's face omg. I genuinely expected cartoon heart eyes to pop out if his. The man definitely admired, loved, and venerated Enjolras. During Enjolras's scolding speech to Marius, Grantaire makes a very big mockery of it, jokingly marching around the room, making funny faces, etc. But when he notices Enjolras doesn't notice it, he sits back down.

He keeps drinking and mocking and laughing loudly at everything during the remainder of the song until the point where Gavroche comes in with the news that General Lamarque had died. The moment Enjolras starts about how they will rise on the funeral day, Grantaire drops his mockery and just panics. The fear and sadness in his eyes as he looked at Enjolras omg. Enjolras, again, doesn't notice.

From this point on, Grantaire seemingly only uses his mockery as a mask and a way to get Enjolras's attention.

At the start of act 2, after the dogs will bark flees will bite part, Enjolras hands Grantaire a rifle. Grantaire gives Enjolras a surprised look and then looks at the rifle like he had never seen one before. He shakes his head, hands the rifle to one of the woman on the barricade and storms off stage. (Immediately followed by a worried looking Bossuet.) Enjolras doesn't see this either. Nor does he notice Grantaire's spiraling from that point on. All he sees is the mockery, the laughing, the pointing, he just hears how loud Grantaire will laugh at his statements. This is what Grantaire seemingly wanted him to see too.

Then drink with me happens. At the end of their solo's, Feuilly, Jehan and Joly are standing next to each other as Grantaire pushes himself through them, laughing and exclaiming loudly "drink with me!" The others laugh as well, being used to this behaviour from Grantaire. At first Enjolras just shoots a glance into his direction, but the moment Grantaire goes onto his next line, Enjolras keeps an eye on him as if intrigued by what might happen. The moment Grantaire mentions death he nearly starts a fight and sends Joly into another panic attack. Enjolras decides that that's his que to come in and climbs down the barricade.

He stops maybe a few metres in front of Grantaire, but he doesn't look mad. The expression on Enjolras's face was kind and soft and concerned. This seems to be the first time Enjolras really sees Grantaire without the mockery. He's now standing in front of an emotional and terrified man. Enjolras starts to say something (the audience doesn't hear what) but Grantaire cuts him off. Enjolras goes to pull Grantaire into a hug, but Grantaire pushes him away. Enjolras tries again, Grantaire pushes him away again and storms past him. He leans against a wall at the side of the stage, his back turned to the others and sobs. Enjolras stares at his back for a few seconds, looking sad himself before going back to the barricade. Gavroche had run after Grantaire and pulled the man into a hug as Grantaire kept sobbing.

Grantaire continues to spiral even harder from that moment on. Completely collapsing after the death of Gavroche and I genuinely thought he was gonna drink himself to oblivion.

Then the final battle happens. Grantaire starts it the same way he went trough all the battles so far, slumped in a corner, drinking heavily. When Marius gets shot however and falls to the ground both Grantaire and Enjolras run over to him. After checking Marius's pulse Enjolras stands up to go back to the barricade, but Grantaire just clutches and clings to him and pulls him back down. Enjolras frees himself from Grantaire's grasp and holds Grantaire's face with both hands. Grantaire says something to him we can't hear as an audience, looking completely desperate. Enjolras says something back. Again we don't hear what.

Enjolras goes back to the barricade but instead of following him, Grantaire does the only thing he can think of. He reaches for his bottle. Looking determined to drink himself to death. After one sip however, he changes his mind and rushes back to the barricade, ready to follow Enjolras this time. But he gets pushed back by the other amis. They won't allow him onto the barricade and its as if they're trying to get him to leave this place and safe himself. So Grantaire has to helplessly watch how Enjolras gets shot and killed. Grantaire is looking completely overwhelmed and desperate and sad and like he doesnt know what to do with himself anymore. However something changes in Grantaire as he sees Enjolras die. He freezes up for a few seconds, before standing up straighter than he'd done before, determined he pushes back the last remaining amis, who are still trying to get him to leave and starts climbing the barricade as the last of the students get shot. Looking more steady, determined and sober than he had done the entire musical, he reaches the top of the barricade, spreads his arms and gets shot.

[itisthefuturethattheybring]

I feel like I just need to take a moment to update you all on the current cast of Les Mis at the Sondheim, in London. Because OH MY GOD.

petit gervais was included. Right at the beginning as jvj makes his way into town he steals the coin, like in the book, and I haven’t ever actually seen that done. So I was like, wow, thats some detail

Fantines arrest and death made me SOB. Chanice Alexander- Burnett is one talented woman. I remember her grasping hold of jvjs collar and just her anger in ‘you let your foreman send me away’ was so raw.

The DETAIL of the Cafe Musain, woah. I know it’s because the cast doesn’t move theatres so they can afford to go all out but it was so incredible. It was just now detailed and in depth it was witu the flags and posters. They even had a cobbled street flooring out the whole way through the show.

Jordan Shaw as Enjolras is something else entirely. He’s so so perfect (and he was super nice because I met him and he was just talking to me and he was actually the one to come over first when he saw me having a heart attack over his presence). He’s the perfect mix of angry revolutionary fervour (much like Ramin Karimloo) and hope and passion and care (as I think Bradley Jaden conveyed very well). I also think he had the same sort of humanity that Aaron Tveit gave us in the movie- you know with his tears and just that look of understanding? Not to mention that man can SING. He also wore red the entire way through which I thought was interesting

I don’t know if this is just my bad memory but I could have sworn that ‘Cosette, now I remember, Cosette how can it be’ was only from the movie? I know the latter half of it is definitely in there but I don’t know. Either way it was in this.

DRINK WITH ME. OH MY GOD. Connor Jones’ Grantaire is just *cheffs kiss* and I’m positive he knows about Enjoltaire. That man followed Enjolras around stage and just stared at him constantly. In his drink with me solo it started out with him getting applause and praise for singing, quickly turning into irritation as he grew more cynical. But when the abc sort of rolled their eyes or got annoyed, Enjolras went right up to him and just looked at him in this really kind way. He tried to hug him but Grantaire just sort of flinched away and staggered into a corner. When he started to cry, Gavroche hugged him, and he just slid down the wall at the back and curled up. Gavroche then went to sleep on his leg which just set me off it was so bittersweet.

Gavroche’s death was heartbreaking. You couldn’t actually see him over the barricade but you could hear him singing. And they thought he’d made it, when he appeared at the top, but when he was killed Enjolras was the one to catch him and hand him over to Grantaire. CONNOR JONES’ REACTION BROKE ME, I was sat so close I could see his lip trembling. Bradley Jaden (as javert) prayed over his body later on, after the abc had died, and it even looked like he was crying.

I watched Enjolras and Grantaire very closely in the final battle. Grantaire made no attempt to fight, too broken over Gavroche’s death, until he saw Marius get shot. He threw himself over, checking if he was alive. Enjolras then appeared beside him, clearly thinking Marius was dead, and just embraced Grantaire in this really fierce hug. And then he looked at him for a long second and ran up the barricade. Grantaire tried to follow, desperately trying to pull him back down, but he wasn’t quick enough. Enjolras was killed first. And so Grantaire desperately tried to pull his other friends away from the fight but he has little success. He was the last person left alive and instead then just climbed to the top of the barricade and put himself in show to be killed on purpose.

The abc had little candles in Empty Chairs. They appeared as he sung about ‘and I can hear them now’ and they held these candles up to Marius and it was so so sad. They blew them out at the end of the song and it was just like this final goodbye and it absolutely broke me. Harry Apps was an amazing Marius and his emotion in that song was so obvious

Bradley Jaden as Javert is one incredible actor and singer. His EYES were so captivating in ‘Javerts Suicide’ he looked so wild and desperate that, of course, I was in tears. But you could just hear his confusion and anger and desperation it was so real. Literally everything about it- in the way that he couldn’t stand still, his hair was everywhere and he was shaking like crazy. It was unbelievable.

LUKE FUCKING MCCALL AS JEAN VALJEAN OH SHIT. That man has some TALENT and if you’ve never heard him I urge you to go listen to him on YouTube right now. He’s the youngest west end actor to play Valjean and The Phantom (he’s like 28) and that man can do fucking everything. Again, so much emotion. He just portrayed jvj so well in everything he did and HE HUGGED THE BISHOP IN THE EPILOGUE

But yeah. I’ve never cried as much in my life and it was by far the absolute best performance of Les Mis I’ve ever and probably will ever see. My goal now is just to save up so I can go back and watch it all over again.

If you haven’t seen it, YOU NEED TO

[cometomecosette]

Character ask: Grantaire

Tagged by anonymous

Favorite thing about them: Despite his small role, he’s such a rich character who appeals on multiple levels. For starters, he’s funny, witty, lively, and fun-loving, which provides much-needed relief from the story’s heavy drama. But at heart, of course, he’s a “sad clown,” and his cynical worldview is poignant and sometimes all too relatable. And then there’s the key contradiction within his character, which is both fascinating and moving: the fact that despite being a resolute skeptic, he adores his idealistic friends, is only happy in their presence despite mocking their beliefs, and loves Enjolras, idealism personified, to the point that he chooses to die with him. He would be a compelling character even without the gay subtext, but the fact that he’s almost explicitly in love with another man makes him all the more engaging for modern audiences. It’s impressive that Hugo managed to put so much substance into a minor character who only appears in a few scenes.

Least favorite thing about them: Well, he is a loose cannon who fails to make himself useful as a revolutionary. As much as we might like him, it’s understandable that Enjolras dislikes him until the end. In the novel (glossed over in the musical), there’s also his casual sexism, which was probably to be expected from such a wild and worldly young man in the 1830s.

Three things I have in common with them:

*I’m often disappointed with the state of the world and feel tempted to become a total cynic.

*I enjoy physical pleasures and sometimes indulge in them too much. (I’m more prone to overeating than drinking, though.)

*I admire Enjolras’s idealism enormously.

Three things I don’t have in common with them:

*I very rarely drink alcohol.

*I don’t belong to a group of revolutionaries.

*I’m female.

Favorite line: From the novel, it wasn’t easy going through his long speeches to pick out favorite lines, but I finally narrowed it down.

About Christ’s cross: “There is a gibbet which has been a success.” (Or, in another translation, “a gallows that made good.”)

About Enjolras: “What fine marble!”

From his first rambling speech: “Life is a hideous invention of I know not whom.”

From the famous dialogue in “Enjolras and his Lieutenants,” when Enjolras asks him if he’s good for anything: “I have a vague ambition in that direction.”

When Enjolras accuses him of believing in nothing: “I believe in you.”

From “Preliminary Gayeties:

"...I suspect that God is not rich. The appearance exists, it is true, but I feel that he is hard up.”

“Marius and his Marie, or his Marion, or his Maria, or his Mariette. They must make a queer pair of lovers. I know just what it is like. Ecstasies in which they forget to kiss. Pure on earth, but joined in heaven.“

And of course, from his ultimate self-sacrifice:

“Long live the republic, I’m one of them!”

And his final words, to Enjolras:

“Do you permit it?”

From the musical:

“I am agog, I am aghast!

Is Marius in love at last?

I have never heard him ooh and aah!

You talk of battles to be won,

And here he comes like Don Ju-an!

It’s better than an o-per-a!”

and

“Drink with me to days gone by.

Can it be you fear to die?

Will the world remember you when you fall?

Can it be your death means nothing at all?

Is your life just one more lie?”

brOTP: His fellow Amis, and in many productions of the musical, Gavroche.

OTP: Enjolras, though less in the main plot than in the afterlife, and/or in a better time and place where they could have reached an understanding sooner.

nOTP: Any woman.

Random headcanon: His backstory, with everything that made him such a skeptic and yet gave him such a profound need for others’ idealism, would probably be worthy of its own novel.

Unpopular opinion: While I do think he’s in love with Enjolras, I don’t take great offense to seeing his devotion read in a platonic way too, because it does have much more depth than just romantic attraction. And I certainly don’t think Enjolras is in love with him; I ship them in a sense of “what could have been.”

Song I associate with them: “Drink With Me.”

Favorite pictures of them:

This illustration by Gustave Brion.

Anthony Crivello with crazy ‘80s hair, Broadway, 1987.

And with normal hair in the 10th Anniversary Concert, 1995.

Paul Truckey, US 3rd National Tour, 1996.

Tom Zemon with Stephen Buntrock as Enjolras, Broadway, 1997.

Hadley Fraser, 25th Anniversary Concert, 2010.

George Blagden, 2012 film.

[storiesforallfandoms]

for the revolution ~ enjolras;les mis

word count: 2101

request?: no

description: she wants to fight for her country, but he won’t let her, so she decides to disguise herself

pairing: enjolras x female!reader

warnings: swearing, violence, death, mentions of steamy stuff at the beginning

masterlist

i watched les mis for the first time last night, so if this has an inaccuracies please forgive me as i’m currently writing after one viewing (also i’m gonna be changing how it all ends just for a more fluffy ending instead of a sad one)

His body was pressed against hers, both of their bodies still stuck together with sweat. Enjolras’ lips gently grazed her neck, causing her to giggle every time he touched her sweet spot.

It took a lot of will power, but finally Enjolras separated himself from her. He began to stand, only for (Y/N) to take hold of his hand and pull him back into the bed.

“Must you go already?” she asked with a pout.

“I have to meet with the boys,” he told her, although he moved his arms around her to hold her close.

“You’re starting a revolution tomorrow, you can spend one night with your girlfriend. Especially since you are leaving me tomorrow.”

Enjolras sighed and kissed the top of (Y/N)’s head. “Not this again, my love. You know I am leaving you for your own safety.”

(Y/N) propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at her boyfriend. “I do not understand why you won’t let me join you lot. Gavroche is fighting with you, and he is a child!”

“You know it has nothing to do with your gender, as you keep insisting it is. It is because I cannot stand the thought of you being hurt. This is my fight, our fight, this isn’t a fight for you.”

(Y/N) cupped Enjolras’ face. “It is our fight, Enjolras.”

He sighed and pulled away from her. He turned his back to her as to make it easier to dress himself to leave. He knew that if he looked at (Y/N)’s face he would cave and stay with her. He promised his men he would meet them tonight, he had to meet them tonight. They started their revolt in the morning.

(Y/N) watched sadly as Enjolras reluctantly pulled his clothes on. She understood that he was just worried for her safety, but (Y/N) was also worried for his. She knew how dangerous this was going to be, she knew that the policemen would not stand down against the Friends of the ABC, and neither would Enjolras and his friends.

She just wanted to protect him, and to fight for her country at his side. She wanted to be a part of history.

Enjolras turned to look at (Y/N) one more time. She looked up at him with those beautiful eyes that he loved more than anything. He approached the bed and leaned over to gently kiss her forehead.

“I will come back to you, my love,” he promised.

“I will be waiting,” she responded.

Enjolras smiled. He had to pull himself away from her before convincing himself to stay.

Once the door closed behind him, (Y/N) softly counted to 60, making sure he was gone and that he wasn’t coming back, before she quickly jumped up from the bed. She made quick work of collecting some of the clothes Enjolras had left at her place and pulling them on. They were very obviously big, but nothing too suspicious. And they covered any...identifying features on her body.

She picked up one of Enjolras’ hats and stuffed her hair underneath it. There was no way to change her face, the face that Enjolras knew so well. She just had to hope that he wouldn’t see her, or that none of his friends would recognize her face.

Her heart was racing as she made her way to the pub that she knew the Friends of the ABCs always met at. When she arrived, they were already setting up the barricades. She was quick to join, trying to blend in the best she could.

“Oi! Who are you?” asked one of the men. (Y/N) recognized him as Joly, one of Enjolras’ friends. He was looking at her long and hard, waiting for her response. She privately prayed that he wouldn’t recognize her.

“I-I - ” she stuttered, trying to come up with an answer.

“She’s with us Joly.”

Another familiar face came to (Y/N)’s aid, but this one, much like her, was dressed in a disguise.

“You don’t have to be so suspicious over everyone, Joly, she is just a young buck like us,” Eponine said, putting an arm around your shoulder. “Come, arm yourself.”

She led (Y/N) away from a still suspicious looking Joly.

“What are you doing?” (Y/N) whispered to her brave friend as she picked a gun and shoved it into the waistband of Enjolras’ pants.

“The same as you apparently,” Eponine responded. “I want to be part of the revolution, and I’m trying to look out for Marius.”

(Y/N) followed Eponine’s longing gaze towards the man she had been hopelessly in love with for years; Enjolras’ best friend Marius. Her heart ached for Eponine, especialyl with the latest news that Marius had fallen in love with a strange, blonde girl.

“I just want to be a part of the revolution,” (Y/N) told her friend. “Enjolras refuses to let me take part, but I want to fight for this country. You cannot tell him I’m here, please.”

“Of course, they don’t even know that I am here,” Eponine promised. “Just...stay safe, please.”

(Y/N)’s eyes trailed back to Marius, who was now talking to Enjolras. She looked at the man she loved, imagining the devastating heartbreak he would feel if he lost her on that day.

“I will,” she told Eponine. “I promise.”

~~~~~~

The watch was boring at first. Little excitement happened, besides the reveal of an undercover police officer trying to infiltrate the barricades.

(Y/N) was sat behind the barricade, huddled next to another of the men, when a shot rang out. She quickly looked over and felt her heart break when she saw little Gavroche holding a bullet wound with one blood soaked hand.

“No!” she exclaimed before she could stop herself. “He’s a child, leave him alone!”

Another shot rang out, hitting Gavroche again. He stumbled this time, his skin turning deathly pale. A final shot deafened (Y/N)’s ears, but she couldn’t tell from what side the shot had come as one of the police officers fell at the same time that Gavroche did.

She began to climb over the barricade, desperate to get to the lifeless little boy. Someone grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back. “Are you insane?!”

“We can’t leave him out there!” she cried, forgetting to disguise her very feminine voice. “We have to bring him back, we can’t leave him!”

Whoever grabbed her pulled on her arm hard, causing her to spin to face him. (Y/N) came face to face with the blue eyes and curly blonde hair she loved more than anything.

“(Y/N),” Enjolras breathed.

(Y/N) pulled her arm free from her boyfriend’s grasp before he could say anything else. She pulled her gun from her waistband and began to fire on the closing officers.

A sense of pride swelled in her as she watched officers fall from her gunfire. The other men followed suit, climbing from their hidden spots and opening fire. They were outnumbered, but they weren’t going down without a fight.

(Y/N) saw the officers coming closer to Gavroche’s body. She looked over her shoulder at Enjolras, who was busy trying to battle himself. She took a deep breath and leaped over the barricade, quickly sliding down to cradle Gavroche’s small body in her arms.

He felt weightless as she lifted him. His whole life ahead of him, taken by those damned officers. (Y/N) had started back up the barricade when she felt a stabbing pain run through her shoulder. She screamed in pain but refused to back down. She was near the top when another searing pain shot through her stomach, causing her to exclaim in pain again.

One of their men took Gavroche from her as another pulled (Y/N) the rest of the way. At some point, she had lost the hat concealing her hair, but she didn’t care anymore. She laid back against the barricade, one hand covering the wound on her stomach. She winced as she put some pressure on it in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

“Out of the way!”

Through her blurring vision (Y/N) could see Enjolras as he knelt in front of her. He looked over her injuries, trying to put pressure on the wound on her shoulder but stopping every time she winced.

“Why did you do this?” he asked her as he pulled her into his arms, cradling her the same way she had cradled Gavroche. “Why did you come like this? Why did you come at all? I told you - ”

“Foolish of you to think I’d listen,” she responded, her voice weak.

Enjolras smiled through the tears forming in his eyes. “You have me there.”

(Y/N) smiled as well before beginning to cough, the taste of something metallic coming up in her mouth. Enjolras held her tightly and kissed her forehead. “Stay awake for me, okay love? We’ll get you help, but you have to stay awake.”

The edges of her view were starting to fill with black spots. “It’s getting hard to see, Enjolras.”

“I know, love, but you have to fight it, okay?” Over the continued gunfire, he shouted, “I need help! Someone, get her some help, please!”

The sounds around her became more and more muffled as the black began to swallow her whole.

And suddenly, she felt nothing.

~~~~~~

(Y/N) woke up some time later. She wasn’t sure how long she had been out. She wasn’t even sure she was alive. She was sure those wounds had killed her, that she was waking up in heaven.

The hot pain coursing through her shoulder and stomach, however, alerted her that this was far from the truth.

She opened her eyes and immediately cringed as the sunlight beamed in through the windows. She closed her eyes as her head pounded from the sudden bright light. Through her closed lids, she could see the light disappear. When she opened them again, she could clearly see the face of Enjolras leaning over her.

“You’re awake,” he said, softly. “I was so scared that you...”

He trailed off as he took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

“How long have I been out?” she asked him. Her throat felt raw, from lack of use she assumed.

“A few days,” Enjolras replied.

Her eyes widened. “What? Days? Enjolras, what have I missed? Where is everyone? Have we won?”

“Calm down,” he told her. (Y/N) realized then how painful her wounds felt when she got worked up. “We won.”

Relief washed over her and she couldn’t help but laugh to herself. Enjolras smiled at her response, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

A realization hit her in that moment. “Gavroche.”

Enjolras’ face darkened as he looked down at their intertwined hands. “We...we lost a few good people. Eponine was among them.”

(Y/N)’s heart broke. She felt tears welling in her eyes. “And Marius?”

Enjolras shook his head. “No, Marius made it out. Eponine took a bullet that was meant for him. She...she died in his arms.”

Although the fact that her friend was dead hurt her greatly, (Y/N) was glad to know that Eponine had died in the arms of someone she loved, someone who loved her even if it wasn’t in the same way that she wanted.

“I’m so sorry, Enjolras,” she said, her voice just barley a whisper. “I’m sorry for going against what you asked me to do, and for worrying you like I did. I just...I wanted to - ”

“I know,” he cut her off. “You wanted to fight like the rest of us. I understand. I cannot be mad at you for that. I’m just...I’m so glad you’re alive. I’m glad that I haven’t lost you.”

(Y/N) squeezed his hand. “You’ll never lose me, love. I promise.”

Enjolras smiled and climbed onto the bed next to (Y/N). He took her in his arms and held her close, the way he had that fateful day before the revolution started. He held her tightly to him, as if afraid that letting go would mean losing her again.

(Y/N) settled into Enjolras’ chest, taking in the familiar scent and warmth that came with him. “I’m glad you’re okay, too, love.”

Enjolras smiled to himself and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Rest, love. When you’re feeling better, I’ll take you out into our new world.”

[not-a-christmas-tree]

i watched the dallas theater company les mis and here are my observations part TWO

i recently watched a modern adaptation of les mis from 2014! i took hella notes bc les mis being set in modern day has a LOT MORE than you would think! i just posted my act one notes, so here are the ones from act two. enjoy! :D

ACT TWO

(Building The Barricade)

oh javert,,,you and your red beret-scarf combo

everyone shakes hands the same way?? they all like. half bro hug. young people ig 🤷‍♀️ 

oh on my own is gonna hurt me huh

éponine has her hands up when she goes to take the letter to cosette that’s an interesting take

jvj looks so done lmao “really bruh just give me the letter i’ll give it to cosette it’s FINE”

omg first time i’ve ever seen éponine not take the money after the letter!! that actually makes so much sense bc she doesn’t take marius’ money when he asks her to find cosette’s house either. that,,,yes that’s good

the modern era begs the question... why didn’t marius just ask for cosette’s number?? i’d assume it’s just a thing that jvj doesn’t allow her to have a phone bc The Cops, but. maybe marius and cosette are the straight version of cottagecore lesbians they just write letters for ~The Aesthetic~

(On My Own)

i was right on my own was gonna hurt me

first time i’ve ever seen an éponine disguise where she actually passes as a boy lmao 

FINALLY A VERSION OF OMO WHERE ITS NOT JUST FORLORN SELF-CARESSING THANK YOU

surprisingly i have less notes here that’s fun i thought i’d have more

(Javert at the Barricades)

WOAHHHHH THEY DID NOT SKIMP ON BARRICADE SET PIECES THAT SHIT IS COOOOOL

oh the barricade scenes are already hitting too hard 

cops are in riot gear cops. are in. riot gear.

oh the javert spy thing that also hits funny because obviously

gavroche is armed with a bat i love you son

FULL VERSION OF LITTLE PEOPLE AT THE BARRICADE AYEEEEE

(A Little Fall Of Rain)

wait hold on why is marius not,,,singing to éponine on “why have you come back here?” he’s like. scolding someone,,, huh??

oh enj goes to help marius with ép!! and he calls over who i assume would be joly i STAN

MARIUS CRIES AFTER ÉP DIES KILL MEEEE

(The First Attack)

i like how jvj does the second confrontation here. he looks less angry and more like,,,compassionate and that MAKES SENSE bc yk. he’s telling javert he’s wrong but he’s not doing it out of spite he’s doing it bc this guy NEEDS to know what he does as a cop and realize that being a cop isn’t just enforcing rules, and it never was just that. 

i do love the exasperated “gO” from jvj that’s kinda great ngl

(Drink With Me)

i’m very sad that there won’t be any exr from these boys

v e r y sad here

i do see grantaire looking PRETTY sad though

bold of y’all to assume that the modern day amis would all be straight

okay i can tell that grantaire really is going hard on the Existential Singing like,,,sure he’s just standing there but like. damn bro

SO THERE A R E LADIES ON THE BARRICADE WHY TF ARENT THEY FIGHTING

BETTER SEE SOME CHANGE THERE

i just realized that the cockades are buttons that is the BEST

(Bring Him Home)

jvj actually looks kinda happy in BHH and tbh i kinda like it?? it’s only on the “he’s like the son i might have known” line but i like it

oh those vowels oh boy they TALL

(The Final Battle)

enjolras is for some reason, still angry...why...why bro....

the staging for gavroche’s death is INTERESTING bc he’s reaching up at the sniper on the tower. hm. i dont hate it

OH SOMEONE ON THE BARRICADE IS RECORDING I THINK!!! GOOD ADDITION!!

i can’t imagine how many blood packs they went through 

oh enjolras’s death okay so. he’s in a like. No Man’s Land almost, and the riot cops come in after him. it’s an interesting take because it almost mirrors the scene in the book, except obvs grantaire isn’t here. they also have an added scene after he dies where cops are checking out and using radios that is. that is EERIE.

jvj walks over to enjolras’s body 🥺

HE ALSO FUCKIN S C R E A M S WHEN HE SEES MARIUS ON THE GROUND GODDAMN MAN O U C H

thenardier steals combeferre’s glasses wow thanks for that added pain

thenardier and jvj have a mini fight oh that’s kinda cool hm

(Javert’s Soliliquy)

javert opens his soliloquy with some SPICY SADNESS OH B O Y he sounds broken already!! start strong!!

emotions go broken - anger - confusion? - mAJOR confusion - hopelessness 

javert can FLY! no legit he’s on ropes

(Turning)

turning is. turning is almost a funeral. 

OH THEYRE N U N S !

nuns are visiting the barricade 🥺 

OH DAMN “what’s the use of praying if there’s nobody who hears?” THAT CERTAINLY HAS WEIGHT NOW THAT THEY ARE N U N S

it has just occurred to me that people have been dead on the floor for like. a solid five minutes 

(Empty Chairs At Empty Tables)

“now my friends. are dead. and gone” he pauses like he’s realizing it just then oh OUCHIE

wait is marius,,,at the barricades? is he legit singing to his friends dead bodies? oh shit oh NO

OH N O OH NONONO THIS IS WORSE

THE BARRICADE BOYS RISE UP FROM THE FLOOR OH N O OUCH OUCH

they group up and salute him and wALK OFF NO OWWWW

*cosette and marius kiss* jvj: *COUGH COUGH*

marius and valjean’s lil conversation is interesting in the way valjean seems to ask marius “who am i?” rather than ask himself. he phrases it in a way that makes me think he’s like. quizzing marius lmao 

(The Wedding)

omg i think baby cosette and éponine are flower girls 🥺🥺

“go away thenardier” *madame mouths ‘dammit!’*

thenardier your boat shoes hurt me

madame: “get up! get up!” thenardier: “stop—STOP IT!” 

TWO GUYS ARE DANCING TOGETHER AND WAVE AT THENARDIER ON “this ones a queer, but what can you do”

yeah i think i found my new favorite thenardiers thank you dallas theater company

fantine sits on the bench when cosette comes by, cosette sits on bench next to her, and fantine tries to touch her but can’t 🥺

jvj just gave a hand-over-heart head nod to cosette but fantine gave it back i,,,ouch

ENJOLRAS AND GAVROCHE ARE WITH FANTINE AND ÉPONINE FOR JVJ’S DEATH

the chain gang is in the epilogue i repeat the cHAIN GANG IS IN THE EPILOGUE

the orchestra rests on the last “say do you hear the distant drums” and that was the coolest thing i’ve ever heard

that final harmony is MONEYYYY and i want to cry

OVERALL NOTES:

this javert has the most interesting interpretation because up until his FINAL SCENE he is the stone cold police officer, and he plays it SO WELL. like i have never been truly angry at a javert up until this guy, and whether that was because it was modern and resonates A LOT in 2020 or he just looks like a cop i want to punch, I DON’T KNOW but he plays it SO WELL and i love it so much!!

these thenardiers are the fucking BEST NGL they are the perfect mix of funny and cruel. madame t is also funny as HELL and i wish i had her talent lmao

i said it before but the police costumes in this show are. woosh. kudos to the costumer i took one look at those guys and was like “haha, no!.” vaguely related to that, i think this was the first time i nearly cried at Look Down like. the first song at the show, simply because of the convict getting the SHIT beat out of him on the floor. that hurt me and i hate that it is completely accurate to what happens in prisons today.

lovely ladies was,,,a LOT and tbh, i feel like it didn’t need to be. obviously it does show how horrible it is for sex workers, but that is why the music is there. the music and lyrics is there to tell what you don’t show visually. (though i do love the male prostitute lmao he took no shit)

i also said this before but the fact that there wasn’t bigger of a relationship between enjolras and grantaire kind of annoys me simply because they are revolutionaries in the present day. you can’t tell me that ALL OF THEM WERE STRAIGHT. with how many people i know now that identify under the queer and trans umbrella, and also how queer they are (to me) in the brick, the absence of any exr in a modern interpretation hurts a little.

in conclusion, this show was fucking FANTASTIC and even though i’m six years late, it still resonates hard given the time we live in today. i think i nearly screamed when i saw the cops in riot gear on the barricade because that is LITERALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. this just reminds me how timeless the story of les mis is because you had to change LITERALLY NOTHING from the story to make it make sense in the modern age, and that is really the lesson you should learn from les mis; these things happen everywhere, and they need to be fixed. 

thank you for listening to my rambling, i am sure i forgot something because there was just so damn much but i hope you enjoyed otherwise! not-a christmas-tree out! :)

[your-angle-of-music]

Anyone want my playlist for my dream cast version of Les Miserables?

Here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyXOfYb8cpflTuoC6FuFMwyCuD60-V0J4

It’s as close to the full show as I can get. Let me know if I miscredited anyone, am missing any major songs, or have anything listed out of order. I’m happy to be convinced that a different version of a song should reign supreme as well, so hit me up!

Song/actors list and explanations under the cut.

1. Overture/Work Song - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert (Original Broadway)

It’s a big, bombastic, awesome beginning. I definitely vibe with the especially over-the-top synth and these particular convicts’ generally growly, desperate tone. Wilkinson’s Valjean, eternally my favorite, doesn’t seem feral like some versions I’ve seen, but rather like he’s trying so hard to just be good and get through this and keep it together, until he snaps a bit at “My name is Jean Valjean” and the way he acts that gives me chills. Mann’s Javert seems more cold than over-the-top aggressive, which I always like, although he doesn’t stick out thaaat much to me.

2. On Parole/The Bishop - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Paul Monaghan as Bishop Myriel (10th Anniversary)

I love everything about Wilkinson’s Valjean’s “freedom is mine” bit. His unique diction and his perfect tenor-ness and the hope in his voice...yeah. The way he hits and holds that “fliiiiiiiight” note is also pretty perfect. It sounds like the scream he was holding in the whole time he was in prison. I also appreciate Monaghan’s Bishop’s sudden earnestness at the “But remember this, my brother” part and the way he holds that last low “I have bought your soul for God.”

3. Prologue/What Have I Done? - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (Original London)

Wilkinson’s Valjean seems to make the beginning part properly fast and frantic, then switches to a gentle, heartwrenchingly vulnerable tone, then his absolutely anguished “this is all I have known.” As always, he excels at those high notes and long notes.

4. At the End of the Day - Lea Salonga as Fantine, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Jeff Nicholson as the Factory Foreman (25th Anniversary)

All the women here sound so angry, at everyone and everything, and it’s pretty great. Honestly, it was Nicholson’s factory foreman here that really caught my ear, with his nasty “oi!” after the “and in a bed” line and his frankly terrifying “on your way!”. I like Salonga’s Fantine’s note of desperation, although she honestly could sound a little angrier. This track includes a tiny bit of the beginning of “I Dreamed a Dream” and then cuts off — sorry about that.

5. I Dreamed a Dream - Maureen Moore as Fantine (1988)

Something about this recording makes it sound like it’s much older than it is, and that slightly echoey sound makes it sound all the more haunting. A lot of Fantines sound enraged here, and I like that too, but something about Moore’s just utter sadness and vulnerability just sells it for me like no one else can. She sounds so young, because Fantine is. And then the way she belts “shame” is perfection. The way she goes from quiet and gentle at the beginning to desperate belting at the end and then the soft last lines murders my soul every time.

6. Lovely Ladies - Randy Graff as Fantine (Original Broadway)

Honestly...I haven’t found a version of this song that I love yet. There’s still this air of humor to it that feels incongruous at best and mean-spirited at worst. But I really like the worn-out, older sounding voices of a lot of the women singing to Fantine, and Graff’s Fantine’s anguish and slightly breaking voice is definitely good, as is her “don’t they know they’re making love to one already dead?”

7. Fantine’s Arrest - Caissie Levy as Fantine, Nathaniel Hackmann as Jean Valjean, Earl Carpenter as Javert (2014)

I love Levy’s Fantine here, with her fear and her fierceness. The way she spits out that “even a whore who’s gone to the bad won’t be had by a rat” is perfect in every way, as is her pleading after. Carpenter’s Javert has a lovely bass and is also cold and punchable, as all Javerts should be. This is one of the only songs on this playlist I have a video for, and I appreciate the blocking; the women crowding around Fantine and then fleeing, and the way Hackmann’s Valjean keeps his distance from Fantine and generally radiates  respect and tenderness.

8. The Runaway Cart - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert (Original Broadway)

Thank you @lesbianrung for this recommendation! The ensemble sounds frantic and scared here, sometimes screaming more than singing, but for a chaotic scene like this, it works. Mann’s Javert is more reserved here than some I’ve seen, a bit more like the authority-fearing, self-loathing Brick Javert. Wilkinson’s Valjean sounds like a wreck when he’s begging someone to help him lift the cart, does a great little nervous laugh on “say what you must, don’t leave it there,” and belts his “how can you be sure that I am not your man” to excellent effect.

9. Who Am I? - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (Original Broadway)

Hey quick question did I mention that I love Colm Wilkinson? God that tormented shiver in Valjean’s voice...the softness of that last “I am damned”..his buildup up to “I’m Jean Valjean”...the way he hits that last “two-four-six-oh-oneeeeeeee”...yeah no there is one (1) Jean Valjean and that is Colm Wilkinson.

10. Come to Me/Fantine’s Death - Ruthie Henshall as Fantine, Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (10th Anniversary)

Henshall’s Fantine sounds so gentle yet so powerful here. The way she sings “I will sing you lullabies and wake you in the morning” absolutely shatters me and always will.Her belting sounds beautiful and clear and perfect, vulnerable yet strong. The way she fades out on her last word, “wake,” is utterly haunting. Wilkinson’s Jean Valjean sounds soft and caring, and the way he half-breathes a lot of the words is. Oh.

11. The Confrontation - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Philip Quast as Javert (10th Anniversary)

Quast’s Javert has a true bass quality that really, really works, like in the way he says “you’ll wear a different chain.” In general, the way he seems to bite off his words and the steely determination of his voice is perfect. He balances really well with Wilkinson’s Valjean who, for the first time, sounds scary, but can switch to softness for the dead Fantine. The last “I will be there” is excellent all-around.

12. Castle on a Cloud - Zoë Hart as Little Cosette (Original London)

Hart’s Little Cosette is insanely good! She really does sound like a little kid and still has awesome acting and she’s in tune! Her “there is a lady all in white, holds me and sings me a lullaby” bit is heartbreaking.

13. Master of the House - Barry James as M. Thenardier, Gay Soper as Mme. Thenardier (International Symphonic)

James and Soper are my favorite Thenardiers of all time, by far. I like this longer version that mentions M. Thenardier’s Waterloo shenanigans. James’ Thenardier sounds gleefully evil, and I like his whispery, growly tone or rowdy almost-shouting. You can absolutely hear his nasty grin. His affected r-rolling also reminds me a lot of the Brick characterization. Soper’s Mme. Thenardier has a weasely quality to her voice that seems appropriate, but she does not shy away from the ruder lines (”lifelong shit,” “not much there,” “up the master’s ass,” etc.) and she, like her husband, seems to be having a lot of fun and lapping up the attention. I adore how she delivers her “bastard in the house” line.

14. The Bargain/Waltz of Treachery - Barry James as M. Thenardier, Gay Soper as Mme. Thenardier, Gary Morris as Jean Valjean, Marissa Dunlop as Little Cosette (International Symphonic)

Morris’ Valjean and Dunlop’s Little Cosette’s “la la la la la la la la” harmony is amazing and tender and adorable and may or may not make me cry which is not supposed to happen before Act II. Morris’ delivery of his “now her mother is with God” and “I stand here in her place” lines is powerful, too. The Thenardiers sound delightfully sleazy and dramatic, too. I like that Morris’ Valjean sounds actually angry at them, unlike many others I’ve seen. I almost have to admit though, I miss the movie version of the final lines, where they had “Will you be like a papa to me?”/”Yes Cosette, yes it’s true, I’ll be father and mother to you,” while here, like in other stage shows, they have “Will there be castles and children to see?”/”Yes Cosette, yes it’s true, there’s a castle just waiting for you” because 1) I like Valjean’s father and mother role that Hugo kept talking about in the Brick, and 2) in the musical, it seemed pretty clear that there weren’t actually any other children around Cosette until Marius showed up!

15. Suddenly - Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean (2012 movie)

Yes, I’m including this song from the movie. Honestly, I don’t like the song itself that much, and I don’t think Jackman’s Valjean has the strongest voice, although his acting is extremely sweet, and when he almost whispers “full of light” and “like the sun” I definitely almost lose it. But I’m mainly including this song because the musical really did need a song that fills this role. The stage musical devotes a weirdly small amount of time to Cosette and Valjean’s relationship, considering that it drives Valjean’s actions for the rest of the story and it is central to the Brick (and one of my favorite parts of it, too). This is the first time that Valjean has ever felt truly loved in his life! Something suddenly HAS begun!

16. Look Down - Ross McCall as Gavroche, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras (International Symphonic)

I fell in love with this version because of the ensemble, honestly. It started out loud and powerful and strong, even more so than the Overture/Work Song bit. McCall’s Gavroche is beyond perfect, though. He is strong and sassy, and angry too, more than most Gavroches in the beginning, but he also sounds so young! Warlow’s Enjolras has an incredibly powerful voice as well, and makes a pretty awesome first impression.

17. The Robbery - Carrie Hope Fletcher as Eponine Thenardier, Rob Houchen as Marius Pontmercy, Cameron Blakely as M. Thenardier, James Gant as Javert (2013)

This is another song I’ve got the blocking for. It’s pretty standard, although I always like when a Marius, like Houchen’s, gets involved in the Fray to defend Cosette. I love the dynamic between Fletcher’s Eponine and Houchen’s Marius, with affection and teasing and care, and their little smiles and head shakes, but also with a bit of discomfort on Marius’ end — he seems a little awkward about trying to get his books back with minimal contact, and he seems to be deflecting the “I like the way you grow your hair” thing as nicely as he can, but definitely deflecting. Blakely doesn’t make much of an impression as Thenardier (although his “told you so” is really funny), and Gant is not my favorite Javert, but Fletcher’s “It’s Javert” is ridiculously awesome.

18. Stars - Philip Quast as Javert (10th Anniversary)

Quast’s Javert is...yeah, what else is there to say?

19. Eponine’s Errand - Kaho Shimada as Eponine Thenardier, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy (International Symphonic)

I wish this recording weren’t missing Gavroche’s little part beforehand, but I think Shimada’s Eponine and Ball’s Marius are worth the trade-off. Shimada sounds a little softer and sadder here, not angry like in some versions, which I don’t mind. But when she sees Marius, she switches to determinedly playful which is all the more heartwrenching. And her “I don’t want your money, sir” hurts. Ball’s Marius’ voice is nice and lovestruck and also not softening his single-minded obliviousness. I like his gentle desperation at his “Eponine, do this for me.” I also like that the lyric here is “don’t let her father know” instead of “don’t let your father know.”

20. Red and Black - Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, George Bladgen as Grantaire (2012 movie)

Embarrassing as it is to admit, Eddie Redmayne is my favorite Marius. He’s emotional and, well, a noodle, but also very sweet and sings well and has a higher, lighter voice than most Marii I’ve seen. He’s young!  They’re all so young! And I like that Tveit’s Enjolras feels a lot less shouty here ; it's more accurate to Brick descriptions of his interactions with his friends, and reflects his kind of angelic vibe. And I definitely appreciate that Bladgen’s Grantaire’s mocking is a little softer here — he knows a thing or two about impossible love. I do love his little laugh when he says “it is better than an opera.” And that last “they will come when we call” makes me feel things.

21. Do You Hear the People Sing? - Michael Maguire as Enjolras (Original Broadway)

Sometimes you need an angelic Aaron Tveit, and sometimes you need a powerhouse Michael Maguire. Damn.

22. In My Life - Judy Kuhn as Cosette, David Bryant as Marius Pontmercy, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (Original Broadway)

Kuhn’s Cosette has such a sweet voice, and you can hear her quiet fierce excitement in the beginning. She manages to sing Cosette’s high notes with softness and gentleness really well for the most part, although I’m not that fond of the sound on her “does he know I’m alive? do I know if he’s real?” high notes. Wilkinson’s Valjean seems gentler than some of the others I’ve seen, even on the “no more words” bit, and a lot of his negative emotion seems to be directed inward. Bryant’s Marius is in love, and sounds perhaps a bit too confident and a bit too old for my taste. No, what really stands out here is Frances Ruffelle’s Eponine. God, I love Frances Ruffelle’s Eponine. Starting off strong with that agonized “every word that he says is a dagger in me,” she sounds so young, with an almost-whiny, heartwrenching edge that reminds me the most of her Brick characterization, but she gets so gentle on her last “waiting here.”

23. A Heart Full of Love - Katie Hall as Cosette, Gareth Gates as Marius Pontmercy, Rosalind James as Eponine Thenardier (2010)

This recording picks up with James’ Eponine’s “waiting here,” definitely an interesting comparison. She sounds awesome throughout this piece, with a lovely warm alto voice. And I love love LOVE Katie Hall’s Cosette, with all her strength and sweetness. God, you can hear her smiling. She shines the most when she sings her softest lines, like “no fear, no regret,” “I'm awake,” and the last “after all.” Gates’ Marius is incredibly charming, but still absolutely an awkward mess, and you can hear him dying inside when he says “oh God, for shame, I do not even know your name.” The balance between all three of their voices is perfect.

24. Plumet Attack - Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Bernard Leo Burmester as M. Thenardier (Original Broadway)

Burmester’s Thenardier is properly scary here. Once again Ruffelle’s Eponine steals the show, belting all of her lines perfectly. Her “told you I’d do it” is haunting and perfect and brave in that oh-so-Eponine way, with a hint of petulance.

25. One Day More - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann as Javert, Judy Kuhn as Cosette, Davis Bryant as Marius Pontmercy, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Bernard Leo Burmester as M. Thenardier, Jennifer Butt as Mme. Thenardier (Original Broadway)

Everyone starts out so soft, and they make this song build so perfectly and balance each other out impeccably. Ruffelle’s Eponine’s “one more day all on my own” bit rises above it all, and her voice sounds so clear and powerful and good. Also did you hear that loud and long “one day more!” out of Wilkinson’s Valjean? And Les Amis’ triumphant swelling chorus? Everyone here is superhuman, I swear.

26. Building the Barricade (Upon These Stones) - Michael Ball as Marius, Kaho Shimada as Eponine Thenardier, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras, Philip Quast as Javert (International Symphonic)

It’s mistitled as “At the Barricade” but I pinky promise it’s not. Ball’s Marius sounds genuinely concerned and touchingly pissed. Shimada’s Eponine is sweet and playful, and her “little you know, little you care” has very little bite, which I’m not sure I like. What I absolutely adore, though, is the bit where she delivers Marius’ letter to Morris’ Valjean. Shimada sounds suddenly shy, and Morris seems in full adopting mode. Something about this exchange just feels incredibly sweet to me. And then when Morris reads Marius’ letter, and his little pause in the “you love me as well” part is perfection.

27. On My Own - Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier (Original Broadway)

What can I say? Ruffelle’s Eponine absolutely kills it. She has a lovely husky voice that sounds sweet and sad and angry and powerful and broken all at once. I love the way she sings “in the rain, the pavement shines like silver” and “and I know it’s only in my mind, that I’m talking to myself and not to him” and “all my life I’ve only been pretending” and of course that “a world that’s full of happiness that I have never known.” The way she builds up from sweet fantasizing to absolute anguish...and then she breathes out those last “I love him”s and she sounds like the teenager Eponine is. God. I need a moment. Or several.

28. Javert at the Barricade - Terrence Mann as Javert, I can’t find the Gavroche which enrages me to no end (Original Broadway)

Mann’s Javert isn’t as dramatic as I’d like, but I’m here for Gavroche. I do miss the Les Amis dialogue that happens in newer versions of this song, but the older version of this song, which includes a lot more of “Little People” is better in my opinion because it makes Gavroche’s death scene all the sadder. I adore this particular Gavroche’s sassiness and spunk and his powerful voice.

29. A Little Fall of Rain - Frances Ruffelle as Eponine Thenardier, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy (Original London)

Ruffelle’s Eponine sounds so utterly vulnerable here, but with a hint of strange almost-happiness that reminds me of the Brick’s version of her death scene. Her voice feels lighter and sweeter here than anything else, and Ruffelle’s Eponine always has a different way of singing when Marius can hear her from how she sings when he can’t, and here we feel them merging together, especially at her “hold me now and let it be, shelter me, comfort me.” And I adore Ball’s Marius softness here, especially during the duet part. His “hush-a-bye, dear Eponine” is angelic. The whole song feels so intimate with them. This is always the point where I start crying.

30. Night of Anguish - Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy, Anthony Warlow as Enjolras, Gary Morris as Jean Valjean (International Symphonic)

Somber all-around, and everyone’s voice is good. No performer sticks out that much, to be honest. I do get chills whenever the “Drink with Me” theme comes on in the background. And when Jean Valjean comes in, the rising terror of Les Amis becomes apparent, and all their voices are strong.

31. The Attack - David Burt as Enjolras (Original London)

Again, a plot song in between the big ones, so not too much to say here, but everyone sings well.

32. Drink With Me - Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, George Bladgen as Grantaire, Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy, Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche Thenardier (2012 movie)

Just to warn you, the sound doesn’t kick in until a few seconds in. I absolutely love this version (once the generous poster re-added Grantaire’s solo, of course). I love Tveit’s Enjolras’ weariness and gentleness at the beginning, reminiscent of Brick Enjolras who loves his friends in his fierce and quiet way. You can hear the heartbreak in his “Marius, rest.” I love how Huttlestone’s Gavroche echoes Les Amis’ lines throughout the chorus — I’ve never seen that in any of the stage productions. And God, Bladgen’s Grantaire. He is so much more earnest here than others I’ve seen, and I appreciate that he gets quiet on “can it be, you fear to die?” as if he’s past defiant anger and is already grieving. He just has a clear, lovely voice. And although it sucks that the movie cut his solo out and it had to be edited in this way, I almost like how faraway it makes this part sound, as if Grantaire is still holed up in the Corinthe with his wine, looking down at his friends, half-awake and helpless. I appreciate that Redmayne’s Marius’ lyric was changed from “Would you weep, Cosette, should Marius fall?” to “Would you weep, Cosette, if I were to fall?” because it sounds a lot more like something someone would actually say. Also, this is another clip with video, and I’m really happy with how it looks, especially the way both Enjolras and Valjean are off to the distance and the way it pans to Valjean when Marius is singing about Cosette.

33. Bring Him Home - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (10th Anniversary)

Wilkinson’s Valjean starts out so quiet, with the perfect sweet spot of vibrato. Literally all of his high notes sound perfect and still expressive! I almost don’t know what to highlight, but just listen to how he decrescendos on that “I am old, and will be gone” and the power in that “if I die, let me die” and that absolutely ethereal last “bring him home” which he holds for so so long for a note that high for a tenor. This man has the range, darlings.

34. Dawn of Anguish - Anthony Warlow as Enjolras (International Symphonic)

Warlow’s Enjolras absolute grief and tenderness is absolutely heartwrenching. The way he delivers the line “we will not abandon those who cannot hear.” And that little “Drink with Me” reprise feels like getting stabbed. Whenever they end it with “if I die, I die with you” I stop breathing for too many seconds.

35. The Second Attack/Death of Gavroche - Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche Thenardier, Aaron Tveit as Enjolras, Hadley Fraser as the Army Officer (2012 movie)

Huttlestone’s Gavroche is amazing. You can hear that he’s in pain but not even scared as he sings in a clear, powerful voice. Fraser also killed his “you have no chance, no chance at all” and I’m honestly surprised he didn’t get cast as one of Les Amis. And, of course, Tveit’s Enjolras’ “until the Earth is free!” could have singlehandedly killed King Louis-Philippe.

36. Dog Eats Dog - Bernard Leo Burmester as M. Thenardier (Original Broadway)

Barry James’ Thenardier might be the funniest, but Burmester’s will always be the scariest. His growly tones and big dynamic changes and dramatic enunciation really make this. The breathy way he says “when the gutters run with blood” and his powerful final “the harvest moon shines down” is beyond chilling.

37. Javert’s Suicide - Philip Quast as Javert, Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean (10th Anniversary)

Wilkinson’s Valjean here is the angriest I’ve ever seen his portrayal of the character. There is so much pent-up bitterness in his “I knew you wouldn’t wait too long.” Quast’s Javert is wonderful, as always. In his duet part with Wilkinson, with his half-feral “I will be waiting, two-four-six-oh-one,” both of them shine. And then during his main soliloquy, when he goes from snarling, “it is either Valjean or Javert!” to sounding so soft and lost as he begins the “how can I now allow this man to hold dominion over me?” bit. And at his “by granting me my life today, this man has killed me even so,” you can hear him making his choice to jump, and it’s awful, and it’s perfect.

38. Turning - Original Broadway Cast

Oh, this song is so underrated, and these people do a particularly amazing job with it. Their voices sound so tired and worn, sometimes old and rough, sometimes young and light, and all of them heartbroken. Their “where’s that new world now the fighting’s done” and the way they sing the round section is haunting and beautiful.

39. Empty Chairs at Empty Tables - Eddie Redmayne as Marius Pontmercy (2012 movie)

I have to say, no one does this one like Eddie Redmayne. His Marius’ grief is absolutely crushing. I like how this arrangement goes super light with the instrumentals at first, and how Redmayne’s Marius starts off very soft. His “at the table in the corner” section gives me goosebumps every time, and he nails every single high note. And by the time we reach “phantom faces at the window,” he seems to be letting it out, and his “oh my friends, my friends, don’t ask me what your sacrifice was for” has me sobbing.

40. Every Day/A Heart Full of Love Reprise - Katie Hall as Cosette, Gareth Gates as Marius Pontmercy, John Owen Jones as Jean Valjean (2010)

Ah, Les Mis, killing me with the parallels once again. This version seems to go by awfully fast, but Hall’s Cosette and Gates’ Marius are properly sweet, and JOJ’s Valjean is gentle and sad and heartbreaking. All of their voices balance each other well.

41. Valjean’s Confession - Gary Morris as Jean Valjean, Michael Ball as Marius Pontmercy (International Symphonic)

I really don’t like versions that shorten this; I feel like Jean Valjean needs to be wordy here. In the Brick, he’s almost hysterical. Morris’ Valjean is so gentle, and you can hear the pleading and pain in his voice, on phrases like “she’s had enough of tears” and “to save his sister’s son” and then his voice is so powerful and despairing on “who am I?” and then when it gets soft..yeah I’m not okay. Ball’s Marius’ “it must be so” is pretty, but he doesn’t stick out that much compared to Morris’ powerhouse performance. Also, God the score playing “who am I?” in the background was just cruel. I love it.

42. The Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast - Barry James as M. Thenardier, Gay Soper as Mme. Thenardier, Michael Ball as Mariius Pontmercy (International Symphonic)

James and Soper are just the right Thenardiers for the job. They are clearly having an extremely good time, and I love their sniveling and their scheming and their flamboyance. Ball’s Marius acts very well here too. I love his scoff at “do you think I don’t know who you are?” and his anger on Eponine’s behalf.

43. Finale - Colm Wilkinson as Jean Valjean, Randy Graff as Fantine, Frances Ruffelle as Eponine, David Bryant as Marius Pontmercy, Judy Kuhn as Cosette (Original Broadway)

I have no words.

[citoyenneangele]

Les Mis in Bernese (Swiss Les Mis part 3)

The most interesting finding I had during my research at the library was a script of Les Mis in Bernese German (Bärndütsch), a Swiss German dialect, my native language kind of.

I found this extremely fascinating, to read a story that means so much to me, in particular a version of it that is very close to the original in many quotes, in my local language. It was without a doubt a very particular experience for me, enriching in many ways.

This script was written by Ueli Bichsel in the occasion of a open air theatre production in the Bernese old town in 2011.

Sadly it was pretty hard to find actual footage of the show after 9 years, since many of the things are no longer available on the internet after such a long time. This sadly also includes the photos that the theatre company uploaded.

Here is a partly reconstructed version of the website, that does include some aspects of it, like the introduction to the play and the cast, but sadly no photos :(

Here is one of the few pictures I found on the internet a few months ago, featuring probably Javert and Gavroche

here is a little exctact of the play featuring Valjean’s dispair, a fair in Montreuil, the Thenardiers, Cosette and the other 2 kids, possibly Fantine...

The way this video is arranged makes me suspect there would be a whole recording, to which I sadly don’t have access, but this video just focuses on the woman who plays the accordeon.

Besides that the only file I have access too is a a few scenes that were featured in a christian tv show which you can find here. It is a portrait of the woman who did the co-direction of the production. The portrait starts at about 5mins in. It features besides the portait of Nathalie Trachsel also some behind the scenes clips from the rehearsals, also some scenes from the actual play: Javert upon Valjean’s release, Valjean and the Bishop, Fantine dying, Javert confronting; then after a break The Amis shouting “to the barricades!” (in particular Combeferre, Feuilly, and Enjolras (the guy with the red cravat), them building the barricade, the first attack, Gavroche shooting the sergeant and Gavroche dying, Valjean releasing Javert.

Now let me tell you about the particularities of this play and its adaptional choices:

The language: as I already said, this is the first time I hear and read Les Mis in my native dialect. It is a very poetic form of it using many specific Bernese terms of vocabulary, that I would probably not use on everyday basis.

The script is specifically designed for the square in the old town where it was realised in 2011. Multiple references concerning the nearby streets are being made. Also the actual cathedral of Bern, giving the square its name, is being integrated, as the seat of the Bishop of Digne. I think they invested also some part of the introduction to the play by stating that all of this could also have happened right here, in these streets, which is a pretty powerful message.

The play includes multiple dreamlike sequences, that also explain multiple cast of Valjean. The first dream is kind of a nightmare that Valjean has during his first night after prison where he sleeps on the stone bench which resumes the ordeal he experienced since his conviction for stealing bread (featuring various Valjean-actors at different stages of his life). The next one is the one where everyone surrounds Fantine and wants money from her after her dismissal. Another dreamscene is the internal debate that Valjean experiences after learing about the “trial of the applethief”, where multiple actors represent the different voices in Valjean’s head (Madeleine’s self who doesn’t want to give up his freedom and doesn’t want to give his town up and do good there instead, even if this means breaking with the past, Fantine who insists that he has to save her daughter and thus can’t go in prison, the apple thief who doesn’t want to go to prison for life in his place, the Bishop who wants him to stay with the truth...). The last dreamscene is the near-death experience Marius has after the barricade which is very similar to the finale of the 2012 film which it predates, except that they are actually not singing the finale but the regular Do You Hear The People Sing in (standard) German.

Another particularity is the insert of Javert as some sort of narrator that comments basically the entire story from his point of view. This is particularly interesting because this Javert seems to me more omniscient than I expect actual Hugolian Javert to be. And since there is no story without a narrator, this play ends with Javert’s suicide.

Generally the book seems to have been an important source of information, many of the dialogues are directly taken from Hugo

The influence of the musical is there and reaches also to the point of the already anticipated inclusion of a song into the play. But there are some part of influences that also make me think of other versions, in particular some dialogue seems to be directly taken from 2000 Les Mis (conversation about the cause from Marius and Enjolras)

Marius is a Republican (and sadly partially rude to Gavroche)

Javert tries to hire Gavroche to spy on the Musain, and the latter takes the money, but later uses this against Javert

Gavroche kills the artillery sergeant and not Enjolras, and gets killed while rejoicing his success

preparation for the barricade is featured

In general I have to say that I enjoyed reading this very much as it was really a well done adaptation from how I can tell this. Very detailed.

I am gonna keep a copy of this script. So if you have questions or would have to see something more in detail, just ask ;)

Click on read more to see the detailed summary.

Before the actual script several interesting documents are included

So the very first page is a letter that the director wrote to one of the actors in the play (he plays Le Noir, a elderly revolutionary, who gets a few lines of one of the unnamed workers of the Faubourg that Hugo quotes). He makes an excuse that it took so long, but they had to edit some things because there were not enough male actors for all the roles, so they had to change a few male roles into female roles, and they are also considering where someone may take over multiple roles.

Then we have a list of all the roles with the respective actors who played them. Some roles are still open, and marked with a question mark, as this list was made before the rehearsals actually took place

Next up we have a plan of the rehearsals, with days and hours and everything... interestingly enough they took place at a location that I personally know, so that is very meaningful for me.

Then follows the actual script. The title is Les Misérables - fate, death and love. The translation is by Ueli Bichel, last edited by Marlise Oberli-Schoch, in 2010.

Prologue

Valjean enters from one of the side streads, is poorly clothed, unshaved, lies on a stone bench and sleeps.

Valjean has a nightmare. so there is a scene within the scene. Which explains the quantity of Valjeans that are employed. Like the Madeleine's self, they appear to the actual Valjean actor in the dreams. In this particular dream sequence Valjean is sentenced to 5 years galleys. While both Valjean and his sister Jeanne beg for mercy (because he tried to work but that was not enough to feed all 8 of them, and parents are dead and so on...)  the judge has none of this because the LAW.

Valjean2 is sentenced to more prison and other... corrective measures

Valjean 3 and 4 are sentenced to more prison and other unhuman treatment. Javert appears and lets the prisoners to be chained together. They go away

Javert has a monologue about Valjean. Basically he knows that we will say that this sentence is inhuman and that arresting people like JVJ causes more misery since he is the breadwinner of his family etc. But the law is clear and shall not be questioned. He is not in the position to judge the law, and he is also not responsible for the existence of criminals. His duty is it to find out about crimes and to fight them and to deliver criminals to their rightful punishment. He also gives Valjean his passport and tells him what he has to do and what happens if he breaks is parole...and then Javert speaks to the public and talks about how Valjean cried after his first conviction, and how he now doesn't show any feelings anymore. Wonders what happened to his soul.

A woman called Delacroix wakes Valjean up and asks him what he is doing here, why he sleeps on a stone bench and why he is not going to a inn. He says he was rejected everywhere. She gives him a tip and indicates... the actual cathedral that is on that square in Bern where the theatre takes place.

Image/Act 1

Valjean knocks at the cathedral door. First Magloire with Baptistine, then the Bishop come out. While the women are scared the Bishop approaches Valjean without fear  and calmly. greets him with a blessing. Valjean tells him who he is and that he has nowhere to stay, that they didn't let him in even in the prison and so on.... Bishop invites him. JVJ continues to talk about his yellow passport. and is surprised that he wants to take him in ... more conversation of this kind. Bishop says it is not his home, it is the home of jesus, that the door ask not how the one is called who comes in, that is asks if one has hunger or thirst.... Says Valjean come sfrom a place where lots of sad things exists, a place full of hatred and anger against the peple, you have the right to mercy. When you go from here with a benevolence, and thoughts of freedom, a penitent sinner and a peaceful man, then you are worth more than anyone of us. Lets him sleep there.[

Magloire has a panic attack because the silver is missing and what else terrible could have happened. The gendarmes bring the arrested Valjean back.The entire conversation about how the bishop exonerates Valjean, by saying he gave him the silver and why didn't he take the candlesticks... And tells him to become a honest man, that he no longer belongs to evil...Javert as narrator again comments the whole scenery and does not believe that Valjean can become a good person in such a short time. Because once a prisoner, always a  prisoner.

almost to prove Javert's judgement  the next scene is Petit Gervais, but with a girl called Odette, Valjean tears his ticket

Image/Act 2

there is some kind of fair with music and dancing and market, and all kinds of shows. Javert is there, Thenardier is in his inn, Mme T. is there too... Thenardier boasts about how he, sergeant Thenardier, saved a General in Waterloo with lots of overdramatic details People in the audience have mixed feelings about his narration. While someone is totally impressed, someone else has heard other things about this "ghoul". The Thenardiers have first names (Justin and Rose) They have a discussion about their newest visitor and how they can rip him off the best. Make some remarks about his job as a innkeeper that remind me distantly of Master of the house in the musical. Javert has a conversation with Mme T. about Cosette. Then a conversation about Javert, who is new in town. and once they know where he wants to go (the police prefecture) they suddenly ask lower prizes.

So apparently the Thenardiers are in the same place here as Javert, and thus probably also Fantine and Valjean..

Javert arrives at the police. there is a captain Bovet, who is currently ridiculously eating a sandwich and is not bothered by Javert's arrival until he says who he is, i.e. the new police inspector, and he keep telling him that he is not behaving the way he is supposed to according to the official instructions. He wants to see the mayor immediately. On the way, Javert has a conversation with Bovet about how much more clean it is here and how much less crimes there will be here than in Paris. Bovet says that is due to the glass manufacture that the life in Montreuil has never been better. He asks him if he wants to see it. He says, first the mayor. Whom does the factory belong to? To the mayor. He first worked as worker, but after the bankruptcy of the former owner he bought the entire factory six years ago. Javert thinks then it is even better if they first go and see the mayor, when he seems to be the driving force in this town. Bovet says, yes, but also that he is kinda extraordinary, eccentric, well very shy. He lives like an eremit, retired and alone. He even did not want to be elected, he had rejected to be mayor at first. The people think he is abit crazy, but Bovet thinks he is sympathetic and yet he has a bit of pity for him because he is so lonely. A very short, very formal visit at Madeleine's house, where for some reason a soldier is watching, and asking the mayor to come. The scene concludes with Javert-narrator wondering from where he knows this man, finds it weird that this man does not show any interest in the prefect of police (excuse me what are you now, Javert, prefect, inspector, officer? I have lost the overview in this play), wonders if he has something to hide, himself, his face, his voice, a movement, his language....

a woman called Ducret approaches Madeleine, and tells her about one of the girls at the factory, that she has not spoken to ehr yet, but everything indicates that she has a child. Madeleine asks if she is a whore. He only does not want that his workers are captured by moral disintegration. Ducret then suggests to dismiss her. Madeleine trust upon her judgement, and says in this case she shall give her 50 francs and send her away. Ducret has a conversation with Fantine which starts with innocent smalltalk and ends with her being dismissed. 

basically Fantine is in a state of powerlessness and everyone wants money from her and threatens her.  (The Thenardiers, the landlord the renter of furniture, the letter writer...) Fantine breaks down.

a woman called Françoise who offers haircuts, wigs and teeth, buys Fantine's hair. 

Whores in front of the Thenardier's inn and apparently Mme T. is there too, singing (apparently not being a whore). and Javert and Bovet are there too, about how they are being more and more... Two guys called Rambone and Savioni are harassing Fantine who looks worse than the other whores, and Fantine defends herself  tries to kick one of them in the eggs ^^ When Javert comes the men disappear... 

Javert arrests Fantine and as a narrator he makes a comment in which he says very clearly what he thinks about her (I am not gonna repeat that here though), but basically she is very criminal and is treating good and honorful citizens of this town badly and this can not be tolerated. She breaks down and asks him for mercy because Cosette, you know, but of course Javert doesn't care. So she breaks down and coughs even more...

 Madeleine intervenes, Fantine attacks Madeleine, who only wants Javert to release her, but Fantine thinks Madeleine is responsable for all her misery and spits at him. Madeleine says he know what happened, the men are at fault and should be punished, not she. But she insulted the mayor. But the mayor says that this is his business and not the justice's. The whole Javert-Valjean argument about Law and who has what competences Fantine is free. Madeleine wants to pay her debts and bring her daughter back and make that she can live a worthy life again. Fantine faints, and Valjean says to the soldiers to bring her to the hospital

Fauchelevent's incident with the cart. Involves various inhabitants of the town called Toutou, Zidane, Josephine, Fabienne, and Rahel Javert is there too, and in the end of the chapter he is sure that Madeleine has to be 24601

Fantine is deadly ill, Madeleine wants to bring Cosette before she dies 

Javert demands to be dismissed, featuring detailed description by Javert on the points where he thought to have recognized Valjean (and reading this script in its entirety makes me realise mistakes that they didn't. For instance here he still stole from a boy (i.e. Petit Gervais and not Odette). Equally detailed description of the apple thief, and who recognized him as Valjean. Mention about the trial the next day. Madeleine says he can leave. Javert insists to be dismissed. Madeleine says, rather than dismissed he'd need to be promoted, he appreciates him as the dutifuly man of honor that he is. Javert has another monologue that how each time when he arrested someone and mercilessly judged him, he told himself "help me god that you will never stumble", And now he stumbled and needs to accuse himelf. It is about justice, the law asks for an example. Valjean just says we'll see. 

dreamlike sequence. Features different actors that represent the different voices in Valjean's head.

Bishop: tells him to go his way. And stand to his identity, to lie would be very wrong, he promised to do no wrong anymore.

Apple thief: blames him for making him his substitute, the one who needs to suffer in his place

Madeleine's self: is relieved that Javert is no longer going after him. Valjean no longer exists. This was god's will. God wants me to do more good here, to be an example for others, everything else is destiny. And for that I need to stay the mayor who gives food to the ppor and makes that the orphans get good education. He shall break the candlesticks as he shall break with the past. He shall forget about the bishop. And also this apple thief is a criminal, he shall be in prison.

Fantine: asks when she will finally see Cosette, he owes her a lot for all the injustice she has suffered because of him. She doesn't think the apple thief wil be a better person but he will be an example for her child. He shall save Cosette who is suffering because she is mistreated by the Thenardiers

Valjean wakes up and tells Arnaud to leave for Arras.

Image/Act 3

again no trial scene, just a summary of a very angry Javert who wants to go after Valjean NOW, as he humiliated him

Fantine dying. Javert confronting Valjean and making respectless remarks to both Valjean and Fantine. Valjean in turn accuses Javert of having killed Fantine. Valjean attacks Javert with a chair so that he can pay his last respect to the dead Fantine. Then says to Javert that now he is at his command. Javert makes another extremely unnecessary stupid comment. Valjean approaches Javert and stretches out his hands, as Javert wands to bond them, he knocks Javert down and escapes 

Valjean sees Cosette and wants to help her carry the bucket of water home to ther mother. Cosette says she has no mother, thinks she never had one, that she brought her and never picked her up again. Valjean asks if she lives alone. She says, almost, Monsieur and Madame are only beating her. Realizes she is Cosette, says he wants to stay in the inn for the night, she shall show her the way. They talk about the two other children, Popine and Zelma, who never have to work and have beautiful dolls, and always are allowed to play, while she has to work all day and is not allowed to play as the two other kids don't let her. Only sometimes she is allowed to play, when she is done. But she has nothing to play with. She once played with one of the dolls but then Madam beat her. But she has a small sabre of tin with which she dissects leaves and rainworms

Usual Thenardier-inn conversations, in particular the one about the missing bread, the lost money, that Valjean miraculously finds, Valjean buying the work she'd have to do,  (socks), he buys her a doll in a nearby shop, the whole negotiation about Cosette, including Thenardier insisting to see a passport. Valjean saying he doesn't have any, it is not required here. If he takes Cosette with him they won't know his name or his address, they will break down all the bridges behind them . However he has the letter of Fantine. They leave quickly.

Here the Thenardiers don't go after him, they just regret that they didn't make more money

another Javert-narrator monologue, about the dangerous criminal that escaped him and that now also has an innocent girl in his hands. He searched with 36 men and 6 dogs but he is like disappeared from this world. He felt so bad wehn he told the police minister about this development. But the latter did not seem to be that interested, talked about social misery, about shortcomings in the health system. Told him about the beggars, the neglected, from the small criminals who kill another man for bread, about big criminals who in hordes rob reputable citizens, he shall not chase a phantom. But our dear Javert is obsessed with said phantom and doesn't want him to escape. He wants to follow his trace until he has him on (no, not under) the guillotine. He is coming to Paris, not for the miserables, for whom he does not care that much, but for Valjean!

Image/Act 4

Gavroche singing a song about Paris in the time text, yet missing

a coin falls on the square (no idea from where), an entire bunch of poor children and teenagers fight upon it. Gavroche, the most streetwise/smart/crafty of them takes it, and escapes, the other children behind him, he gets caught by Javert, the other children disappear Javert treats him badly and takes the money away from him. When he asks Gavroche for his name, he asks Javert back, but he doesn't seem to be interested in reavealing his identity.  But then Gavroche tells him his name, because he told him that there are many like him. And he insists that he, gavroche is unique. So basically Javert recruits Gavroche to spy on the Café Musain "because there are things happening that are of big significance for the state and the city", and Gavroche says yes, because he gave him money. Javert wants to know who is there, what they speak about and what they intend to do.

The students and workers in the Café Musain discuss the situation and Javert spies on them. The people is agitated, one fears that there will be a revolution, a uprising of the miserables Grantaire (who is absent in an older version of the script) declares that he only wants to drink and forget about life, a stupid invention without purpose. Bahorel and Joly have a conversation about Bahorel's lover Feuilly talks about Roman Gods (apparently we now have a Jehan Feuilly or is that a Feuilly Prouvaire or whatever?) Grantaire has a monologue about what they consume in different cities, and harrasses the waitress. Courfeyrac doesn't want any kings anymore and does not like the charter, thinks she belongs to the fire. Enjolras comes in with Marius, presents the latter as a friend of his who want to join them. Marius is a republican and declares that he wants to fight for the republic with all his force, however he hopes it won't get that far that he'll need to give is life. But he prefers to do so rather than life under a tyran (suspicously similar to 2000 dialogue if you ask me) They sing the Marseillaise until Louison tells them to stop, because she does not want the police to shut down her pub. Yes, apparently she now is an innkeeper too.

Outside the café: chaingang. Valjean with Cosette watching. The conversation between the two that ends with Cosette saying "If one of them would cross my way, I think I would die... Dad, what are galleys?" Valjean wants to leave. Marius sees her and wants to follow her, but loses her in the crowd. Goes after Gavroche instead and handles him pretty rudely  (Sorry Marius, but this is not how you do it). Basically he tells him to find an angel. Gavroche then is just like "but does this angel have white wings?" Marius instead gives him a detailed description of Cosette and her goldbrown hair and white dress, and how velvet her look is and how silky smooth her lips ar and everything... 

They are back to the Musain Combeferre says all the workers have to swear that they go to the streets at the first alarm and fight Feuilly says he can be sure, they fight. But the students have to pave the way. We workers fight, and even if there are as many enemies, we'll fight Feuilly says they are 300 already (oukei, now I am really impressed) Bahorel is convinced that in 14 days they will be as strong as the government i.e. 25000 Bossuet declares he doesn't go to bed, he makes cartridges. Feuilly wants to fight. now. Enjolras says first they need to have weapons Courfeyrac insists that the soldiers do have weapons. Le Noir has the "either for the people or against the people speech" that is more or less an exact translation of the speech that one of the revolutionaries in the Faubourg has in the preparations chapter. Gavroche comes, announces Lamarque's death Combeferre: what? Lamarque? The courageous freedomfighter, our advocate? Now we have resist on our own! Away with the government! Feuilly: we overturn the government! To the barricades! Enjolras: it is about us! now its about everything! at his funeral - to the barricade!

Valjean and Cosette in the garden. They are considering to move again. Cosette: we are changing houses like we are changing names. Valjean is like "I know that must be weird for you, but one day you will understand". Valjean goes inside. Marius is with Cosette (Gavroche led him here, for money), lots of poetic blablabla, and <3<3<3, and you know, Marius shows her handkerchief and ask if it is hers, she says yes. In the end Valjean calls her. Says he keeps the handkerchief as a pledge 

The "Thenardier Gang" (yes that is how they are called nowadays) sets out to rob Valjean's house. Eponine tries everything that they don't. In the end she succeeds.. Claquesous blames not only her but also the sight of 2 fighting sparrows and a black cat during the day. Cosette tells Marius they are leaving for England and probably won't come back. Cosette says Marius he should follow them, but Marius says he has no money. He says e won't come tomorrow, only the day after, and also he dies if she leaves. Marius says they have to renounce on each other for 1 day, but maybe they'll win life. Marius tells her the address. or more precisely he graves it into the wall, says he lives with Courfeyrac. when he is gone, Valjean decides they need to leave immediately, he has seen people that don't please him and Paris is bubbling, they have no choice...

Image/Act 5 (named the revolution)

So basically Lamarque's funeral has already happened. And many of the poor have paid him their last respects. Then the subversive slogans suddenly caused the troops of the king to attack people. People are kinda angry and meet up in front of the Musain. Courfeyrac finds a group of workers who come from the funeral, but luckily have not been among those who were attacked by the dragoons (ah, they are not called dragons, good to know :)), but are very angry, Courfeyrac tells them to go inside they can use people like them. Bossuet speaks with a worker from another group, who has a grazing shot in the arm, but doesn't care, they discuss about their weapons Feuilly asks a working woman what she wants. She says: to fight. Show them up there that they push back against that. Feuilly approves. Another worker has no weapon but would fight if he had one. Bossuet tells him he should provide himself one. Worker sets out to pillage a armorer. Everyone in the crowd shares rumors about what happened, and the Thenardier and Claquesous are awaiting happy times. And Babet also. Extraordinary mention to Combeferre declaring this is the best day of his life. They start building a barricade and undercover Javert has made his appearance.

Eponine tells Marius Cosette has left, apparently without leaving a sign. Marius is heartbroken and wants to die on the barricade at any cost. Which again upsets Eponine because she loves him 

Inside Musain. Enjolras wants to know what is happening. Courfeyrac says the rumors are very contradictory and it is hard to tell what is truth and what is a lie. Lots of army, people is building barricades everywhere. Barricade is growing and more people are there. Gavroche comes over the barricade. Asks a worker who has the command. One who's called Enjolras. He wants to know if he is a general. Worker says no, the generals are on the other side. We are only brothers. Gavroche says Enjolras he wants to volunteer. Wants to send him to the ambulance. But Gavroche wants a gun. But Enjolras wants to arm first the men, then the women and only then the children. Gavroche leaves and comes back. Tells Courfeyrac and Enjolras there is a problem and draws their attention on Javert, and tells them how he offered him money to spy on them. For some reason he now knows his name. They arrest Javert  and by binding him on the post at the entrance they want to show a warning to anyone who dares to betray them 

they are awaiting the 1st attack Combeferre sees someone approaching. Enjolras says don't shoot, we know who it is. Bossuet says it's Gavroche. Gavroche wants his gun. who's there- french revolution. The whole Mabeuf thing except that they really present him as an ancient assemblyman who was "at the convent" (which is here not meant the place where nuns are, but the convention, which is apparently called convent in german for some reason). Javert gets another weird narrator-monologue where he denounces the stupidity of the students who throw their lives away and those of the workers because they always think you can change the world all of a sudden. And how they don't have a chance as badly equipped as they are against so many more well trained soldiers. That has to end badly. Either they die in the hail of bullets or "they are beheaded on the guillotine" (ok apparently this Javert has a guillotine obsession but doesn't know how such a thing works ) Javert goes back into the scenery where Joly reminds him that he will be next... The whole first attack plus Marius wants to blow the barricade up, and thus saves it, and asks for the leader, and Enjolras says its Marius. But all Marius wants is to be alone for a moment

Eponine dies and Marius discovers that Cosette still is in Paris 

they sing and women bring food, they reprepare the weapons, basically drink with me mode I guess... Marius writes his letter to Cosette and asks Gavroche to bring it. Gavroche doesn't want to miss the next attack and thinks he shall wait... Marius insists that he has to leave now, that they won't attack until tomorrow. And then it will be too late to go because all the streets are closed. Gavroche goes. 

It is night and they are trying to rest. One starts to sing the "Song of the Revolution (Musical)" and then the others join in. Combeferre and Gavroche come back. Gavroche has a bag of cartridges with him. Gavroche asks what is going on with them. Here no one sleeps anymore. The whole army of Paris is around etc. (basically what Enjolras says in the book divided between Gavroche and Combeferre) The whole we'll stay and build the barricade higher, conversation, and the uniform conversation, except it is reduced to the essential and Combeferre doesn't get to say anything, it is all Enjolras, in between Marius asks Gavroche who told him to come back. He says he delivered the letter "to the gatekeeper" Valjean comes with the 5th uniform, the 5 leave. Enjolras cares for Javert. Javert recognizes Valjean and says he's gonna have it easy now. Gavroche announces their arrival. A cannon is being heard, like it being rolled there. Cannon attack. 2 people die. Enjolras says this was a grapeshot, and that they needs to stop this cannon, i.e. that it needs to be "fireworker"'s turn. Gavroche says he takes that over. Before anyone can prevent him from doing so, he is up on the barricade and shooting. he hit his target, and is all excited and rejoicing about how he "blew out his lamp", that he evidently forgot that he is standying on a freaking barricade. This causes him to be also shot, of course, and he falls down dead right into the arms of Combeferre.

Enjolras says to all that the last one alive shall shoot the spy. Valjean asks Enjolras if he can crush this man's skull with his own hands, and since no one has objectsions he lets him. Final attack is announced by both Marius and horns. (yes another Hernani flashback for Autumn  ) . Everyone goes to the barricade Valjean and Javert alone. Valjean frees Javert with the mention of the promise he made to the bishop of Digne to never do anything unjust. And killing him because he did his duty as a policman here today, or because he followed him his entire life would be wrong. And if he against the expectance should make it out of here alive he can find him in Rue de l'homme armé. Javert says he hates this kind of games, he shall rather kill him. Valjean tells him to leave. He shoots in the air and goes back to the others where he says he is done. Heavy shooting happens. One after the other the defendants of the barricade die. Valjean does stay at the background and doesn't shoot on the soldiers, yet he supports the defendants of the barricade. he realizes that Marius was hit and falls from the barricade. Valjean goes to him. And whereever he looks there are just dying or dead "revoluzzers" (yes, this is the word he uses in the script, not revolutionaries or something like that). During the very last attack on the barricade he carries Marius away from the barricade and can escape with him  to the sewers. The soldiers pull the flags of the revolution out and plant the flag of the monarchy (whatever "the flag of the monarchy" may be)

Image/Act 6

We are in the sewers now. Barely conscious Valjean falls down on a sleeping Thenardier at the gate that leads out of the sewers who thinks he has made the great gain. and of course wants to steal from them. and comments this in a monologue this is observed by Javert. And of course now Thenardier is all about helping these people, if they aren't dead yet etc. Javert says him just to back off, calling him by his name. Thenardier insists to help, but he says he shall just leave. Valjean gets back his conscience and checks if Marius is still alive, wants to lift him up again, then sees Javert and lets him down again. But Javert just asked him if he needs help. Valjean says to Javert he hasn't given him the address , so that je can escape. Javert wants to know who that man is. And reminds Valjean what happened to those who were on the barricade. Valjean says he survives if he gets help quickly. He is a daredevil, an idealist, but a good person and he can do many good things yet for our country. Please let for once in your life reign mercy before law. Javert insists that he is dead Valjean says not yet. Insists that he needs to save Marius and then he says he'll come back They arrange a meeting at the same place at the same hour the next day.

Marius lies in the middle of the open square between Barricade and inn scenery. There is only the bed and Toussaint that cares ffor him and Cosette that is looking over him. Marius has a fever dream and is near death when they sees all the friends including Gavroche and eponing with the revolutionary flags and singing "The song of the barricade" climbing on the barricades. It is the german DYHTPS (Lied des Volkes), arranged kinda like the finale in the movie that came out notabene after this thing here. Basically Marius is convinced that they came to lead him to heaven, but in the end they get fainter again and in the end of the scene Marius is alive and awake  and with cosette.

Javert derailed made by Javert-narrator which linguistically resembles the confusion of Javert Valjean comes in in the middle of that and says "here I am" Javert halfway awakens from his trance, makes a step towards Valjean, holds his pistol agains Valjean for 2 seconds, then he turns around makes two steps back and holds it against his head. Light goes out. Shot. 

THE END.

[jupitersflytrap]

SUMMARY OF NEW WEST END LES MIS BECAUSE I JUST SAW IT ( hella long post)

ACT I

look down was just a brillant start to a brilliant show

THEY ADDED PETIT GERVAIS OH MY GOD

amazing, amazing valjean. 24601/10

valjean got absolutely battered by mr “feel the weight of my rod”

also there were flaming torches now and throughout which was pretty sick

valjean crying when the bishop redeems him

the hordes in at the end of the day had their shawls taken off to become the factory girls which was cool

there was a PROPER SCRAP between fantine and the factory girl

there was a lot of fighting in this actually

it was good tho

carrie hope fletcher just... *chefs kiss*

no teeth pulling for fantine in lovely ladies

and all the ladies were really good too

when fantine told valjean her story she was clinging onto him and crying it was… very emotional

have i mentioned javert yet? because he was really really good, bradley jaden really came through

fantine dying was extremely sad. as usual.

THE CONFRONTATION WAS THE BEST EVER IT WAS A PROPER FIGHT AND OOOH IT WAS JUST GREAT

THE UNIFIED “JAVERT!” GAVE ME CHILLS I SWEAR

anyways

madame. frickin. thénardier. was excellent. she was a really nice change from the normal pantomime vibes, like a cross between that and helena bonham carter in the film

the actor playing thénardier had some problem with his vocal chords so he wasn’t on, but the cover was acting his heart out and trying his best to sing but i think he’d lost his voice too which was a huge shame. he was still really good and funny though.

that master of the house… my god. hilarious.

there was a new bit at the start of it??? very exciting. it was like,,, people ordering drinks i think

valjean and little cosette was… so cute i literally can’t

the bargain was brilliant as per

GAVROCHE WAS AMAZING

look down featured enj and marius getting told off by the police and getting their banner taken down

also enjolras??? hello?????? he was amazing and pretty much exactly how i picture him. stellar work ashley gilmour.

and harry apps was a brilliant marius, big brick!marius energy

and!!! eponine was so cheeky with marius it was adorable

stars?????? amazing. emotional. the street-lamps were on wires which was nice.

red and black!!!!! new!!!!! harmonies!!!!!!! yes!!!!! also it was perfect in general marius was so melodramatic and grantaire was so… sexual with the bottle

do you hear the people sing!!!! oh lord i heard them!!

also all of les amis were just great

in my life!!!!! oh cosette!!! marius!!!! eponine!!!!!! oh god they were all so well cast and their voices were all unique and beautiful

a heart full of love!! my heart is full of love for this cast!!

oh side note montparnasse was very handsome and had a knife

ONE DAY MOOOOOOORE was as rousing as ever

ACT II

on my own,,,,, oh god my tears, shan ako’s voice is just gorgeous and i love what she did with the song

monsieur warnings was great

and the spy javert?? excellent scene. “SHOOT THE BASTARD” great work gav

they said “incoming!” instead of “there’s a boy climbing the barricade!” which i think was more fitting tbh

yeah so eponine got shot and little fall of rain nearly broke me

grantaire was holding gavroche back :(( my heart

AND WHEN SHE DIED HER HAT CAME OFF AND GAVROCHE HANDED IT BACK TO MARIUS OH MY GOD

drink with me had no right to be that emotionally devastating

grantaire was angry and enjolras tried to comfort him but he pushed him away :((((

on the upside tho whoever it was that sang the line about witty girls who went to their beds then got slapped by the witty girl it was directed towards lmao

OKAY SO bring him home!!!!!!!!! NORMALLY i really don’t like this song it feels a bit like torture to me BUT!! MR JON ROBYNS MADE IT SO GOOD, I WAS HANGING ONTO HIS EVERY WORD AND IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL

also the staging was great he was sitting on the barricade above sleepy marius

it was just generally great and the old man sitting near me audibly said WOW when he started singing

okay now it’s time for the deaths

FIRST OFF gavroches death was...... harrowing. he made it back to the top of the barricade before he died. when he got shot there was like a blood effect and i was just,,, shook tbh

now the other deaths

hoooooly shit

enjolras died first and i was not prepared AT ALL so i just started sobbing

everyone else died and grantaire was last f

it was super sad and i was crying basically the whole way through this bit lmao

jvj + marius -> sewers

BUT FIRST the bit with enjolras dead hanging off the cart!!! oh no!!!!!! the tears!!!! and when they picked up gavroche and put them together i just,,

yep

okay now dog eat dog

don’t like this song much but it served its purpose in distracting me from my tears by suddenly pulling teeth out before my very eyes

thanks thénardier

back to the surface! it’s javert! speaking in third person again! he’s very unhinged now which i like, hair all loose and everything

oh god the soliloquy i just,,,,, oh god, the staging of this was amazing but i won’t spoil it :))

TURNING YES IT WAS ALL I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR

empty chairs… oh marius baby he looked so broken, and all the candles were great as ever

oh marius whatever will we do with you

not to worry cosette is here to make it all better with her amazing voice, and her weird dad to make it all worse again with a criminal record

huge brick!marius energy here, very much passive until valjean told him to be angry lmao

THE WEDDING!! IT WAS SO SWEET! cosette’s dress was gorgeous

the thénardiers were great here as well, mrs thénardier was eating snacks the whole way through the bargain with marius

and marius punched thénardier in the stomach

i also cackled very loudly when mrs t tried to pass off stealing the silver as a magic trick

valjean kicked the bucket in the most stunning way he could have tbh

and of course the reprise of dyhtps had me in tears as always

amazing

just amazing

STAGE DOOR

added bonus: i got to chat to and get autographs of a few of the cast at stage door

they were all lovely!! carrie, shan, ciaran, harry, lily, jon, loved ya

also harry had a cut on his hand and someone asked how he’d got it and he said “i wish i could say it was on the barricade, but i cut it on a can of baked beans” and if that’s not the most in character thing ever i don’t know what is.

okay intense summary over hope u enjoyed

[sorry-im-late-again]

Some Observations from the Les Mis Concert

• The camera angles in the Prologue were so weird

• Holy Crap Alfie Boe

• Wait where's the mud?

• Okay the staging is cool given it's a concert

• I reeeeally liked Gavin James as the Foreman

• Where's Bamatabois makeup?

• It looks like Carrie Hope Fletcher just tied her hair up instead of wearing a wig

• Actually, are any of the girls wearing wigs???

• I dont like the lovely ladies costumes as much as the original production sigh

• Okay runaway cart makes no sense without the runaway cart how were people who've never seen the show before supposed to know?

• That confrontation was very intense in all the best ways

• Alfie and Michael, dynamic duo

• Master of the House/ Bargain.... I mean, it's funny but why so many ad libs/ unscripted parts????

• That moment when little Cosette and Big Cosette swapped? ICONIC

• Oh okay hello there Bradley

• I've said it many, many times before but Bradley is a beautiful man

• Also I love Rob's Marius and always will

• The Eponine/ Gavroche moment was cute

• I missed Eponine's errand

• Also Eponine's mud

• I loved ABC Cafe

• (Bradley!!!!)

• Ray is great but it's so funny that his accent is so strong even when he sings

• The way he says 'You'

• I love him as Grantiare though

• One Day More is such a moment

I love Enjolras so much

• Okay yep act 1 was v good onto act 2

• Some interesting choices with notes on On My Own, I liked it but it was different

• All the deaths were actually good, considering it's a concert

• The battle scene looked cool even if it was a little weird they just stood there

• Okay Drink with Me hit my hard

• Also Bring Him Home

• ALFIE!!!!

• It was all just very very good

• When Rob is Marius at any sad parts like Little Fall Of Rain and Empty Chairs he looks so heartbroken I just wanna hug him

• Loved Act 2 tbh

• The Finale Was Epic (Spoilers ahead)

• One of my highlights was Michael giving Bradley his Javert jacket so emosh

• Also my fav version of Stars Ever probs

• Beautiful Bring Him Home

• CamMack seemed very emotional in his speech

• Also loved Claude- Michel's speech

• Aww it was just so good

• I Love this show so much

[raigash]

Watching the staged concert of Les Mis (pt. 2)

{So I actually did write notes while watching the Concert, and was intending on publishing the rest of them eventually...and then. You know. I was just never up to really doing the points the justice they deserved. But, now, for Part 2!} [Tumblr ate this BOTH times I’ve tried to write it so maybe THIRD TIMES THE CHARM]

Things I loved AFTER the 10 minute intermission

•Éponine is all hard edges and taught muscles (rightfully so) while going to make the delivery for Marius. This continues all the way up until Valjean pays her and shows her gentle concern. Her face VISIBLY softens, and a tiny smile started to etch her lips. You can see her relax slightly when he warns her of the dangers in the streets. Because this man I don’t know cares for me, and wants me to be safe. Why?

•Enter Marius, maudlin with affections perhaps unreturned. (Background) [R]: He he he [Enj]: no. Just. No. Don’t even think about it. [R]: But..But he’s...you can’t honestly expect me to turn this down! [Enj] I can, and I do. Don’t think about it. Don’t move. Don’t even breathe. [R]: ...fine

•(2 seconds later) HAHA YOU THOUGH I AM AGOG

•Grantaire and Gavroche’s interactions are the cutest thing EVER. I’m reminded of a gruff old hermit and his plucky little foundling (which is exactly what this dynamic is I will DIE on this hill)

•Literally like 30% of these bullet points were the proximity and banter Enj and R maintained throughout their scenes. It was so beautiful and I really got a different vibe then how I usually see them presented.

•Gavroche flIPS Javert OFF because he is 100% THAT BITCH. Grantaire laughs his ASS off because who wouldn’t?

•Afterwards though, when Javert’s been revealed, Grantaire looks absolutely disparaged. He genuinely always wanted to be wrong. He may be a rabble rouser, but you can see his heart shatter when he realizes he was right, and his friends have next to no chances now.

• At the break of the scene, R and Gav slink off despondently towards the back, and Enjolras kept glancing back and moves three separate times to comfort them, but keeps getting cut off.

•The final battle/death scene for the Boys gave me chills. The music rose and fell perfectly with each shot, and the lights going out hauntingly slow as each Boy fell and died. It was such a heartbreaking scene but the execution was brilliant, and it hurt all the worse for it.

•Enj and Grantaire’s deaths were. Just. Oh my gosh. Scooping Gav into his arms? Making his stand beside Enj? Gav dying in his arms just before he falls dead as well, leaving Enj the last to fall? The last flame to flicker out? Ow. Amazing. But ow.

•Javert is so obviously unhinged, and I think it was a phenomenal portrayal, inside and out. His hair down looking, disheveled and mad after Valjean lets him go and they meet again. His eyes were wild, darting every which way and his breathing was rapid and crazed.

•Just...Perfect job of struggling internally during that scene. A+

��He is begging GOD. I can feel this in my veins, the sorrow he’s portraying. He is begging for an answer, and the stars are silent. Oh my god he’s crying and begging god for answers

•his Heartbroken realization at the bridge of the song kind of shattered me. The switch in notes was hauntingly sad, and it felt as though the weight of his whole story had settled on his (and my) shoulders.

•WHAT SLOW AND BEAUTIFUL TURNING I’M CRYING IN THE CLUB

•THEYRE SITTING RIGHT BESIDE EACH OTHER IN THE DARKNESS AHHHHH RIGHT THERE

•The dead Boys interacting in the background of Marius’s lament was so sad, and so beautiful. I was breath taken when they all stood up behind him.

•Marius- simple colors

Valjean- complex colors and patterns

Both wear greens, though, and similar tones. Maybe an indication at the complexities of their stories? Discuss.

•THEYRE ALL PART OF THE WEDDING CHORALE IM SO HAPPY

•“Tomorrow never came”

You’re tomorrow, Marius. You and Cosette.

•Why is the top middle line of people exempt from the dance 😂😂

•Enj Gav R and Comb all interacting and being adorable in the darkened background

•EP AND FANTINE SINGING TAKE MY HAND BECAUSE ITS JUST SO FITTING

•THE DEAD SLOWLY FILING OUT AND GETTING LOUDER AND OH MY HEART

•JAVERT GIVING ENJOLRAS (NEW JAVERT) HIS COAT DURING THE END

•AND A DEBUT OF HIM SINGING

•THEY SING TOGETHER

•LOVE LOVE LOVE

•VALJEANS??? SINGING BRING HIM HOME TOGETHER AT THE END

•HARMONIZED VERSIONS OF SOLOS??? YOU BET YOUR SWEET ASS

•Accapella one day more end after the writer challenges Javert to sing his old Marius part and they all start singing together!!!!!

This took SO long to get out 😂😁

Part 1:

[thereadersdiary]

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Les Miserables is not a book per se, but a book series written by Victor Hugo from 1845 to 1861(ish), then published throughout the spring of 1862 in five volumes, which are then subsequently divided into books and chapters, in total 48 and 365, respectively. Though it’s widely considered the best novel of the 19th century, I don’t know if it deserves that title. Here’s my experience with the book.

First off, the book is really, really different than the musical. It has to be to condense a work over 650,000 words. Yes, stuff got removed and reorganized to fit, but the characters and the plot themselves end up changed to fit what modern consumers expect from something like this. To that measure, I’ll mention the musical as little as possible.

Les Mis the book is just plain weird. When it comes to the actual plot, it’s easy to get carried away in. It’s paced well, fast enough to keep you interested but not so fast that you don’t get a good picture of what’s happening, and the plot twists are so in-character that they never feel unnatural or done just for kicks. It presents a commentary about society, class the criminal justice system, and rebellion that’s still relevant today. If Hugo managed to stay on topic, I would say this book was required reading for any high school or college student.

However, Hugo does not stay on topic. About a third of the novel is superfluous to the actual plot: digressions on prison slang, street urchins, the Battle of Waterloo. Some of these digressions are quite short and don’t even register. Others are so long that Hugo divided them out into their own book. Reading through the longer digressions makes reading Hugo’s masterwork into a slog and hurts the story more often then helps. More than once I completely missed something important to the plot because it was tucked away in a digression and I had stopped caring. Other times, I wrote off characters that were reintroduced in the story because I thought it was a Monseigneur Bienvenu situation — lots of story for a character that would only be mentioned in passing a few times throughout the rest of the novel. By the end of the novel, you’d expect to be sad because of all the misfortune that Jean Valjean went through, or perhaps happy that he finally found redemption, but you’re just so exhausted by the writing that you can’t be anything but. If any writer ever questions the use of an editor, they should be forced to read this series.

The story itself — removed from the tangents Hugo so loved — is rather touching. At its heart is a man who’s fighting for virtue and redemption from society and from himself. Unfortunately, Jean Valjean is not the only character in this story and his plot arc is not the only one we learn about. This wouldn’t be a bad thing if it weren’t for the fact that nearly every other character is one-dimensional (the exception being Fantine, Gavroche, and, eventually, Javert). Marius is a prick. Eponine is the literal embodiment of selfishness. Cosette is such a waste of potential I can’t even tell you. The Thenardiers are evil. Enjolras is a revolutionary. Though the story made me want to care about them, they seem like stock characters, and I just didn’t, at least outside of their relationship with Valjean. It was disappointing. I should want Marius and Cosette to be happy at the end of the story. I should feel sad when Eponine, Enjolras and the other rebels die. I didn’t, and only partly because of word-fatigue.

However, I think the failings of these characters is because Hugo was doing what he did best, digressing. Marius and Cosette are not fully-fledged characters in their own right, only representations of Valjean’s search for virtue; Cosette represents his selfish attachments in the name of virtue and Marius, his surrender of them. Eponine and Enjolras are nothing more than digressions into Marius’s life in the same way that Monseigneur Bienvenu’s biography was. While much of it is entertaining and the writing itself is captivating, the story is not very well-written.

Now, none of this means it’s not a good read. Honestly, I enjoyed it. (Well, the parts of the story that was actually the story and not a history of the Paris sewer system.) However, I do think that many of the 4- and 5-star reviews are strongly influenced by the musical, where the characters are much more accessible. Taking everything into account, it was pretty meh. It wasn’t worth the time it took to read, but it is a story worth reading.

AO3-style warnings: major character death, minor character death, suicide, graphic violence, war scenes, prostitution, child abuse.

[harrynightingales]

a long and somewhat valvert focused review of the new sondheim les mis production:

overall it was lovely and i had a fantastic time. lots has been said about the fact that this is being treated like a “new” production but i do have to say that the energy from the audience was off the charts. its hard to compare but i was at phantom earlier in the day and it was like night and day in terms of audience reaction. seeing it once again reminded me how much i love this god damn show. anyways! onto the fun stuff

the madeleine era post-runaway cart section was perfect and rife with that classic sexual tension. i wanted to time how long javert held valjean's hand during the whole "you make me think of a man.." bit but it was probably upwards of 10 seconds. and afterwards we got javert helping valjean put on his coat which is one of my favourite little moments

it would appear that valjean dropping his handkerchief after look down is part of the blocking but unlike bradley, this javert (more on him below) just put it in his pocket before singing stars. twas still cute though.

as always, the scenes at the barricade were perf. before the first battle there was this lovely moment of extended eye contact and it felt like so much communication was happening. javert looked not so much angry as frustrated and resigned by valjean’s presence, and valjean gave this look that was like “i know you’re not happy about this but i’m doing it anyways”. it just felt almost domestic, like revisiting an old agreement for the nth time

and of course as per the photos i posted yesterday, the curtain call hug!!! what a perfect way to end the show. these pictures make me so happy its unreal.

other non valvert thoughts:

first, the cast! considering i got 3 understudies i was really hoping one of them could be luke mccall but nope, no such luck. but that being said my expectations were pretty low for jon robyns based on things i’ve read and i ended up being pleasantly surprised by him instead! i was pretty sad that bradley was off but his understudy, richard carson, was really solid. also i just found out this was only his second day, 3rd show ever as javert?? incredible. his javert was pretty lowkey for the most part which i appreciate - i don’t care for a ball-esque javert who half-screams everything. it also made his suicide a lot more impactful because up until getting released at the barricade he had been so composed. my one thing is i don’t know how i feel that, since the concert, this is the 3rd javert with a beard. i don’t think that usually happens and tbh i don’t know if i care for it. that’s just me being nitpicky though, overall i was super happy with him and its always exciting to see understudies do their thing. also if anyone is reading this (unlikely) i might post an audio of either his stars or suicide since there probably aren’t any out there - hopefully there would be some interest in that!

a photo because i still can’t believe this was only his 3rd time covering javert, what a champ!!!

my other understudies were emma warren for cosette and shane o’riardan for marius - both of whom were amazing and i loved!! considering the principal cosette is the girl from the concert show, i liked emma much much more. also she has a pretty strong resemblance to carrie’s fantine so the last scene seeing the two of them on stage together really hit home the mother-daughter relationship that we never got to see. and i didn’t realize until the middle of the second act that this marius is irish?? it was somehow incredibly endearing and made me very happy. his voice was perfect and he was a great marius. also fun fact! after the show i got some food and was walking towards the bus stop back to my hostel and i see a guy and girl walking in front of me and i’m like hey that guy’s hair looks a lot like marius’! and then his voice sounds a lot like marius.... and then we’re waiting at a light and i look and sure enough its both actors for marius and cosette!! we were awkwardly going in the same direction for a long time but when they finally turned i was brave and ran up and said hi. i didn’t want to be weird so i just said that they did great and that i really enjoyed the show, so hopefully that wasn’t too overbearing. now i lowkey regret not asking for a selfie but oh well.

the standing ovations had been going on for a while but i chose to stand up for these two because i was v proud of them :’)) ignore the weirdass filter, no idea what my phone was doing there

also didn’t get a luke mccall valjean but i spent most of the group scenes looking at him - he has such a great stage presence so i hope he has a long career in musical theatre! he sang the very first line of the show and absolutely killed it, plus his courfeyrac was amazing

other parts of the staging: i found it really funny that they obviously got rid of the revolve but then there were multiple scenes with the cast running around in a circle anyways. its like guys... you coulda just... kept it. especially since the turntable enjolras reveal is 100x better then the cart but what can you do. also with gavroche’s death i’m very glad that, in bringing over the part of grantaire holding his body, they did away with the stupid “nooooooo”. that was always so cringey and its much more impactful having grantaire looking out devastated at the audience as the final battle starts.

also from my seat in the dress circle i saw some fun stuff, i could see into the wings so sometimes i’d spot actors just chilling before their entrances. also a lot of the pit was visible and it was adorable, the two french horns were legit dancing up a storm when they weren’t playing during at the end of the day. 

this is way too long and probably no one cares but its fun to write it all out! i wish i’d done it right away because i’ve probably already forgotten things but oh well. if anyone wants to talk les mis (or phantom!) i’m always down

and now i have to hope that i can somehow see the touring production in toronto this summer......