les miserables

Les Miserables
Les Miserables known in English as “The Terrible” is a musical
portrayal of the French Revolution. It is a musical tragedy, which served
as a major powerhouse competitor for Andrew Lloyd Weber musicals in
the early eighties and nineties. When first debuting on Broadway in 1987
it traveled a long hard road to compete with musicals of the decade.
However, in time many well-known performers were proud to associate
themselves with this wonderful work of art.
The musical play begins with its lead character named Jean Valjean. Jean
Valjean was released on parole after 19 years on the chain gang. In this
initial scene the audience can almost immediately feel the tonality of the
play with the constant reference to the number 24601. 24601 were the
prison number that became Jean Valjean’s identity for 19 years. The dark
and dreary ambiance set the tone for the first song of the libretto, “Look
Down. The lyrics to look down coincide with the chain gang, overseen
by brutal wanders, working in the hot sun. It is this series of songs in Act
one that take the audience through many turns of feelings and emotions.
These emotional songs are used to portray poor men and women working
in low class factories, women selling their bodies and more importantly a
class of people struggling to scrape by. The most vivid songs used to
identify the various themes of poverty and prostitution are Lovely Ladies,
A Heart Full of Love, and Master of The House. Moreover, it is a song
titled Do You Hear the People Sing? That prepares the audience for the
ending of Act one. Most if not all of Act one uses song, tonality,
character, pitch and tone to depict the various themes of the play while
the story is beginning to unravel.
Throughout the second and final act the musical content within the play
acts as a story of it’s own through theme and variation. Each separate
song represents a feeling and or mood and is enhanced as it is varied
throughout the act. Like the first act, the songs are used to portray
poverty, suffering, hardships, and even death. However, unlike the first

act, there is also a theme of love and happiness. Closure is brought about
with a sense of warmth and this is often heard through the display of the
tempo. When the times were tough the tempo decreased and was often
slow and morbid like. When happy times were brought about, the tempo
increased to a song and dance farewell. The final song of the musical
really brings the whole story together. The loose ends are tied and the
audience’s hearts are left captivated and moved.
This musical would not be complete without the dramatization of the
performers. It is each individual performer that brings song into the
story. Each of the eight main characters represents, in a sense, their own
theme and motivation towards the story. Without these characters the
notes and chords wouldn’t bring about any music. It would merely be
song without feelings or words. Each of them sings to sing to us in their
own different way and exemplify their role within the story. Together
these two important ideas make this play an excellent musical.
My personal reaction to this musical was surprisingly a good one. When
my girlfriend first told me that we were going to see a Broadway play I
wasn’t initially excited. However, after just about 30 minutes into the
opening act I was beginning to recognize and comprehend musical terms
that we had discussed in class. I then decided to be open minded and take
notice of not only musical but also theatrical happenings of the story. It
was amazing to be able to hear the tempo change, the timbre (tone color),
and also identify the theme and variation. It was often difficult to
understand the opera like approach to the play but all you needed was a
good ear and total concentration. I found that I actually enjoyed Les
Miserables and I wouldn’t be too quick to say no to another one.