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Les Miserables

Description: Les Miserables the musical is the third longest running show in Broadway history. / Jean Valjean, released on parole ... more

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

Newest Review: ... where these two characters crackle with tension, and the hatred is conveyed superbly in the music. The relationship between Valjean and Javert calls into question the differing ideas of the Law, Justice and Morality. We actually pity both characters, one because he is hunted down, the other because he believes he is doing the right thing. While the relationship between Valjean and Javert ... more

... drives the action, others give the play its heart. As with so much of the play, it is a series of unfortunate events that see Valjean taking custody of a young girl, Cosette. This is the closest Valjean comes to a sense of domestic happiness, and ...more

Read Reviews for Les Miserables

Les Miserables: Do you hear the people sing? (682 words)
by - written on 05/11/08 (Very useful, 304 readings)
Rating:

I would class Les Miserables as one of the two biggest shows in the West End. This is based on longevity, quality of characters and music, scale, and how memorable the show is when you leave the theatre. The other is The Phantom of the Opera, although The Lion King is gaining on them. Les Miserables (Les Mis) has been homed in different theatres in the West End for 23 years. That's an awfully long time - think about how long The Lord of the Rings lasted, and how you blinked and missed Gone with the Wind. It might not have had the lifespan of The Mouse Trap but, with all due respect, the only reason people see The Mouse Trap is to see why it's always been ... Read the complete review

For stealing a loaf of bread? (326 words)
by - written on 29/04/08 (Very useful, 47 readings)
Rating:

Les Miserables is the musical based on the book of the same name by Victor Hugo. The Plot Set in France, Les Miserables follows the life of Jean Valjean and the people whose lives he affects. Imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's baby, Valjean manages to escape, and is pursued by the dogged policeman Javert. With France on the verge of Revolution, the story is picked up years later, with Valjean having started a new life under a new identity as the mayor of a small town, where he protects and supports a multitude of people. He becomes embroiled in the student revolutions, all the while fearing that Javert will track him ... Read the complete review

Les Miserables: We love the Frenchies.... (413 words)
by - written on 13/01/04 (Very useful, 110 readings)
Rating:

I saw Les Miserables (or Les Mis to it's fans) a couple of years ago so it wont have the same cast now. However I think whoever they cast will be fantastic as I could not fault one member when I saw it. As far as I am concerned Les Mis is the best musical I have seen, on stage or as a film. How it only got into the teens in the 100 greatest musicals on C4 I will never know. The musical is an adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel of the same name. It starts with the character Jean Valjean as he is released from a chain gang after serving umpteen years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister's baby. It is set in pre-revolutionery France so ... Read the complete review