Les Misérables (theatre): Difference between revisions

Cameron Mackintosh is now producing a long-awaited film version. Directed by ''[[The King's Speech]]'' veteran Tom Hooper, the film will star [[Hugh Jackman]] as Valjean and [[Russell Crowe]] as Javert. Opening day is slated for 14 December 2012.

 

 

* [[The Alcoholic]]: Grantaire. And some productions more than others emphasize Fantine becoming addicted to drink.

* [[All Musicals Are Adaptations]]

** The upcoming film is using the same strategy, with [[Hugh Jackman]] (Valjean), [[Russell Crowe]] (Javert), [[Anne Hathaway]] (Fantine), [[Sacha Baron Cohen]] (Thénardier), [[Helena Bonham Carter]] (Mme. Thénardier), Eddie Redmayne (Marius), [[Amanda Seyfried]] (Cosette), [[Samantha Barks]] (Éponine), and Aaron Tveit (Enjolras) confirmed cast members. In addition, Colm Wilkinson will [[And the Fandom Rejoiced|have a cameo as the Bishop of Digne]].

* [[Anyone Can Die]]: Proven true, namely with the case of {{spoiler|Gavroche}}.

* [[It Was a Gift]]: Valjean's candlesticks from the Bishop of Digne. He keeps them until the end of his life.

* [[Karma Houdini]]: The only reprisal Monsieur Thénardier suffers for all his villainy is a punch in the face from Marius, right before "Beggars at the Feast". His wife gets off scot-free.

** Mid-song, in the case of {{spoiler|Gavroche}}.

** {{spoiler|Éponine}} also dies mid-song.

* [[La Résistance]]: Les Amis de l'ABC.

* [[Last Stand]]: Les Amis at the barricade.

* [[Lonely Rich Kid]]: Cosette spent a good size of her life alone. The song "In My Life" illustrates that Marius is a wake up call to the fact that there's a whole world outside of her garden.

* [[Love At First Sight]]: Cosette and Marius. Depending on the chemistry of the actors involved, this can range from genuinely sweet and believable to absolutely ridiculous. Michael Ball and Rebecca Caine, of the 1985 original London cast, were notable for their chemistry onstage, but some other productions haven't been so lucky...

* [[Official Couple]]: Marius and Cosette.

* [[Pair the Spares]]: Many fanfic writers seem to think that Éponine and Enjolras should be paired, on the basis that they are both single.

* [[Plucky Comic Relief]]: The Thénardiers, in a stark contrast to the novel.

* [[Rain Aura]]: The musical has a song that involves this.

* [[The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified]]: The Friends of the ABC are portrayed as heroic defenders of the common man.

* [[Shown Their Work]]: [[Compressed Adaptation|A lot got cut out]], but especially listening to the Complete Symphonic Recording, telling details from the original text sneak in: for example, M. Thénardier making his first fortune by robbing the dead after the battle of Waterloo, the fact that Valjean's [[Criminal Doppelganger]] is mentally deficient, etc.

* [[Voice Types|The Soprano]]: Cosette, so SO much.

* Song Types:

** [[Grief Song]]: "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" and "I Dreamed a Dream."

*** After "A Little Fall of Rain," Éponine gets a brief tribute from the Friends of the ABC.

** [[I Am Becoming Song]]: [[Heel Face Turn|"What Have I Done"]], and Cosette's "In My Life." Also, Fantine's part of "Lovely Ladies" is her {{spoiler|becoming a prostitute.}}

** [[Massive Multiplayer Ensemble Number]]: "One Day More"

** [[The Eleven O Clock Number]]: "Wedding Chorale"

** [[The Song Before the Storm]]: "One Day More" and "Bring Him Home."

** "Beggars at the Feast" is also a straight [[Villain Song]].

* [[Sour Supporter]]: Grantaire.