It is difficult to write an adequate review while you are feeling crazy emotions before watching the world’s longest running musical “Les Miserables”. Why crazy? Simple: since first learning about this musical, I have become obsessed with it.
The show’s first performance was on 8 October 1985 in London. Nowadays it takes place in Queen’s Theatre on Piccadilly Circus.
HISTORY
«When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums,there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes.» (‘Do you hear the people sing?’)
Les Miserables a sung-through musical based on the novel of the same name by French poet and playwright Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, and original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel.
According to Wikipedia it is set ‘in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean, a burly French peasant of abnormal strength and potentially violent nature, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his starving sister’s child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him to, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.’
A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE
20 July 13′ Les Miserables Performance
I may have been obsessed with the show, but I am still naive about how to book tickets in London. If I knew that all tickets are sold-out every day on every performance, I would have bought tickets in advance a week ago. I tried to buy a ticket to Saturday’s play on Thursday, and it was my lucky day, because I bought the last ticket!
My place was in Dress Circle, and there was a good view of the stage. So, if you want to see Les Mis, it would be better if you buy tickets week prior to the show. Friendly cashiers in the theater will help you to determine the best place in the hall for the best price and the most appropriate day.
THE PERFORMANCE
The main hall in Queen’s Theatre
I was so excited. I could not believe it was happening with me. To touch history. To see that a lot of people around the world only dream to see. I realized that a lot of my dreams came true here, in London, and Les Mis is one of them.
I do not think it was wrong that I saw the film “Les Miserables” (2012) based on this musical before the original performance. I have known all songs, all characters, I fell in love in almost all songs, charming melodies…and the best thing that could happened is watching this musical live.
But, was it going to be an anti-climax? Could anything live up to my expectations?
You can understand my emotions, if you are crazy about music and musical theatre, you will expect a lot from a show such as this. When the orchestra started to play the main theme and then “prologue”, my heart just stopped beating. I was immediately plunged into the atmosphere of 19th-century France.
My favorite songs are “I dreamed a dream”, “In my life”, “On my own”, “Do you hear the people sing?”, “Red and Black”. The order of songs in film is different from the musical. For example, in the film Fantine songs “I dreamed a dream” after she became a prostitute, and in the musical – before it. The film’s version is better, because you can see the whole situation of humiliated woman. All the songs are so emotional that I can not imagine how well actors can perform day-to-day.
«In my life she has burst like the music of angels
The light of the sun
And my life seems to stop
As if something is over
And something has scarcely begun» (‘In my life’)
I liked Javert, because he is an example of bad character who is not alien to genuine human emotions. The most tragic character is Eponine, the girl, who had a good childhood, but the worst adult life. She loves and does not require anything in return, she can sacrifice herself for happiness of beloved man.
Also I must mention the main character – Jean Valjean. The great person, he shows how wide and rich can be human’s soul, how people can change their destiny and life.
I want to notice good decorations. For example, I like the building-transformer that turned into barricades in act two. Also, in scene, where Eponine brings Marius to Cosette’s home, there are beautiful huge wrought-iron gates. All the scenery surprised by its scale and reasonableness. Sometimes there were special effects on the barricades. Gunshots, explosions, smoke…it was close to the real battle and even scary. (Photo: The Times)
Act two, ‘on the barricades’
Watching the musical, I compared it with its film version. It was interesting to me that theatre’s cast and film’s cast have similar voices, especially Gavroche. I even thought that theatre’s actor (Charlie Dillon) plays in the film. It is wrong, but both actors have similar manners of playing. I believe that film is also good, because it shows us all sides of “Les Miserables”, for example, the most popular scene, where Fantine’s hair was cut for money for her daughter. On the stage it was behind singing ladies, and audience did not see it.
All in all, it is must-see musical. I am sure that you will not waste your time in vain. My crazy emotions were, in the end, justified.
London International Summer School 