From Oklahoma to Jagged Little Pill, I am an avid lover of musicals: classical or contemporary, original or jukebox, Broadway or West End. As a performer myself, I have watched, listened to, and loved hundreds of musical theatre shows, ergo it is very rare when I do not know much about a production- the musical of Les Miserables is one such exception!

Truthfully, I’m not sure if it was initial inoffensive disinterest, given the massive success of the staged version (afterall, anything that is so universally lauded is rarely as GroUnDBreAkinG as hyped up to be), or if I just forgot about the tried and true tale when I began to dive deeper and deeper into the musical theatre canon, uncovering more new pieces. Regardless, I was ecstatic to begin learning about Les Miserables when reading this summer and quickly realized why this beautiful story is so appreciated. I can offer an interesting perspective on the stage production, having read the book first without exposing myself to the musical!

All in all, it is impossible to ignore the pure genius it took in crafting a stage production of such an intense, winding, and iconic story. To take a 1306 page novel from the 1860s and to condense it into a 2-act, 2.5 hour musical is a feat beyond belief! I was intrigued to see what the writers- Claude Michel-Schoenberg, Alain Boublil, and Jean-Marc Natel- focused on for the musical. When examining the stage production, I was pleased to find it was quite true to the text, with a slight shift in focus on Eponine that the book did not delve into and minor adjustments to the story for the sake of dramatization. In the Hugo book, the text is divided into 3 different volumes: Fantine, Cosette, and Marius. Because of this, I was expecting for Valjean’s and Javert’s supporting character cast to include these three, but I found that Cosette’s character was made less significant than Eponine’s- a perplexing shift from the original story.

I noticed immediately that while Cosette sings her brief “I Want” song as a child (“Castle on a Cloud”), her character does not sing another song that is her own; Her next three tunes are duets and trios with Valjean and Marius (as well as Eponine) while also centering around her adoration for a man. As Professor Chater raised in class, this is notable as it paints her character as a woman who cannot exist alone, but solely in relation to men. I thought this was fascinating because the writers of the musical imposed a similar tragedy onto Eponine, as she only sings about her frustration at being invisible to Marius; after all of her suffering to help him, she is killed at the barricades and passes away in his arms, ultimately dying for the sacrifices she has given to a man who pays her no mind. Eponine is also clad in men's clothes, as if her dressing like a man will aid in earning Marius' affection. Other minor alterations to the plot, including a complete dis-inclusion of Marius’ family and an inflation of Gavroche’s ties to all characters and shift in the sewer scenes, were prominent as well to the reader of Les Miserable, but none so highlighted as the discrepancies between the women in the text and on the stage. Ultimately, I believe this to be a symptom of the general state of musical theatre in the 80’s. Of course, this does not absolve these critiques, but in understanding the whole condition of gender across musical theatre history, this is not a uniquely Les Mis frustration, nor is this prioritization of the male perspective unlike the book.

Despite noticing these things, I loved the musical and I had a wonderful time viewing the production! There is nothing like taking in such a timeless piece that has earned its spot in the most legendary musicals of all time with such a high production value, especially for my first time seeing the show. I thought the score was incredible and the actors were very strong with standout performances by the actors portraying Jean Valjean, Javert, and Fantine.

As a theatre major who has trained in voice and taken many classes on theatrical storytelling (amongst other performance related aspects), I had a lot of fun drawing connections through the music especially! Prior to watching the show, I was familiar with a few tunes- such as “On My Own” and “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”- but generally unknowledgeable of the score. I noticed immediately in “Prologue/Look Down” that both of these songs are referenced.

The first example of this is when the melody to “On My Own”, a song sung by Eponine in the second act detailing her tragic invisibility to Marius, is played beneath Valjean’s release from prison. In this instance, the melody plays as underscoring for when Valjean is ostracized for being a convict following his freeing from the prison hulks. He sings about being alone and continuing to be punished when all he did was steal a loaf of bread for his sister’s ailing children. I thought this melodic comparison was very smart because when Eponine sings this song, she focuses in on her loneliness and her preserving desire to help Marius despite his blindness to her heartache. Both of these characters have faced intense hardship and have been sentenced to lives of struggle under the law. These characters are also akin in the sense that despite their suffering, they are benevolent and caring figures who have simply been dealt bad cards; Where Valjean becomes a self-made millionaire while incognito, sponsoring not just Cosette but also the villagers of their towns even when he lives frugally, Eponine works to help Marius in any way she can- even foiling her own father to keep him and Cosette safe. As Eponine and Fantine sing to Valjean when he passes away, “To love another person is to see the face of God”.

“Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, a ballad cried by Marius when he realizes he is the only Friend of the ABC that is left living after the battle at the barricade, is referenced when Valjean is shown kindness by the Priest of Digne when he is pardoned for stealing his silver. Like the Priest forgave the ex-convict and saved Valjean’s soul “for God”, Valjean reciprocates this generosity when he rescues a dying Marius from the barricade. A significant aspect of “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” is Marius’ survivor's guilt when he believes he should have died alongside his friends for his actions in the revolution, which in turn is mirrored by Valjean’s belief that he deserves to suffer a life of punishment for taking advantage of an altruistic man even when he is shown kindness. Both men were shown divine kindness and in turn, grew to be better people.

Although these are just two examples of comparisons the musical makes, the story is peppered with analogies and references. I also enjoyed dissecting the production design choices; for example, when we were introduced to Cosette and Valjean’s house, it struck me that the gate between their lodgings and the street wrapped around only half of the area. By doing this, they left both a practical walk way and a playing space for actors, but more importantly, this was significant as it helps the audience visualize the giving nature of Valjean; his doors are always open, even when it can leave him vulnerable. This also helped to show the fine balance between the world of the poor and those living with a comfortable income. By walking past the divide you are automatically in the world of the peasants- notable as it shows the speed at which one can come into or come out of wealth. This also shows that Cosette and Valjean belong to both worlds.

What a pleasure it was to see this musical of such artistry! Although I have a few criticisms as a woman and a modern viewer informed with a well-rounded knowledge of musicals, I thoroughly enjoyed our evening at the Stephen Sondheim Theater and had so much fun tying together the references in the piece. I cannot wait to see what the rest of our class brings and I hope you’ll continue to follow me on this journey!