Les Miserables

Destructo Girl

you can't wait to fall
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
389
Age
35
Location
the moment
Hey people!
Right now, my school is presenting Les Mis....well, a theater is also doing it and I'm trying out for Eponine...yeah, so, I need the basics. I need to get the basic storyline, the characters profiles, etc. I read the beginning of the book two years ago and never finished and I'm sorta in the dark. I need to know basically everything, lol, from arcs to even how to pronounce people's names. Everything.
So, Epo, that means you! 🙂
Thanks for the help!
 
Lol. Aw, I guess you know how jealous I am right now 🙂 Sounds so great, I really hope you get to be Eponine, you gotta tell me if you do.

Okay, I start with some ranting, lol:
It's a very long story. There's this man, Jean Valjean, he's an ex-convict recently released from prison. The main story of the books is about him trying to live a better life. For a while he's the mayor of a town, and everyone loves him..
But there's this police officer, called Javert, who worked as a guard when Valjean was in prison. All through the books Javert tries to find Valjean to put him back in prison.. And he is always kinda close to succeed.
When Valjean is a mayor he meets Fantine, a prostitude, who is really sick and tells him about her daughter Cosette who lives with a family called Thénardier because Fantine can't both work and take care of her daughter. When Fantine dies, Valjean goes to the Thénardier family, and finds out that they have been treating Cosette really bad, and that they made Fantine pay a lot of money.
Valjean sort of adopts Cosette, and takes her with him to Paris. Cosette grows up in a church, where Valjean works as a gardener, not knowing anything about her mother or her "father's" past life, but believing Valjean is her father. When Cosette a bit older, she wants to leave the church and both of them do. Cosette falls in love with Marius who falls in love with her as well. And they start having these secret meetings, that Valjean know nothing of.
Now, as I said, Javert is after Valjean. But so is Thénardier, who has moved with his family to Paris as well. He is more or less a thief, and tries to get money from Valjean (not recognising Valjean or Cosette).
The Thénardier family are neighbours with Marius. à‰ponine is in love with Marius, but she would never tell him.
Okay, there is this whole thing with a revolution where Marius and his friends are in charge. And he almost dies, but Valjean saves his life. Although Valjean wasn't too pleased when he found out about Cosette and Marius' relationship.
Javert finnaly finds Valjean, and is about to put him in prison again... But (long story) committs suicide instead, realising that although he himself has always followed the law and so on, Valjean has actually lived a better life, helped more people, and been a better person.
Anyways, Valjean finally agrees to let Cosette marry Marius. Marius har rich relatives, although he hasn't had much contact with them lately, which changes when he marries Cosette.
Valjean tells Marius about his past, which Cosette still knows nothing about. Marius and Valjean decide to pretend that Valjean has left country, and that he and Cosette shall never meet again. Although he is actually still in Paris. So, Cosette believes her "father" is travelling and she is very sad that she cannot see him.
But, years pass.. and Thénardier still tries to get money from Valjean.. and now he knows this is Valjean. Thénardier talks to Marius about Valjean's past. And then Marius understands what an amazing person Valjean really is. And that Valjean was the man who saved his life (which he didn't know before). And Marius takes Cosette with him to Valjean. Who lives not to far from them. Valjean is very sick, and dies in a heartbreaking scene, with Marius and Cosette as his side. Finally Cosette knows the truth about her "father".

Um yeah, that's the really short version..

Characters:
Jean Valjean: An ex-convict who has been in prison for 19 years because he stole some bread. He is like the kindest person, or he is supposed to be, personally I don't love him. But he tries his best to do the "right" thing, after he's released from prison.
Javert: A police officer who was a guard at Valjean's prison. His mission in life is to capture Valjean and bring him back to jail. Until he finally understands, and commits suicide.
Fantine: A young woman who has to become a prostitude to be able to get money to send to the Thénardier family who takes care of her daughter. Valjean takes care of her, her last months, and the two of them have some sort of love for eachother.
Cosette: Fantine's daughter, who grows up with the Thénardier family.. But doesn't remember them later when Valjean "adopts" her and takes her with him to Paris. She is very sweet and a pretty uninteresting character in my opinion.
Thénardier: The other "bad guy". First he treats Cosette really bad when they are supposed to take care of her. Then he lives his life as a thief or something, trying to get money from everywhere. He does this because of his family though.. who are or more or less thieves.. mhm.
Madame Thénardier: Thénardier's wife. She is pretty much exactly as her husband, except he is the one we see more of.
à‰ponine Thénardier: The older daughter in the Thénardier family. She is about Cosette's age, and when they srow up together, she always makes fun of Cosette. à‰ponine falls in love with Marius, when they all live in Paris, but they are only friends. SHe tries to ruin Marius and Cosette's relationship.. but finally admits to Marius what she has done.. And dies, in the revolution, to save Marius' life.
Azelma Thénadier: The younger sister. She is quite sick, when they live in Paris.. Hm, we really don't know that much about her.
Marius: A rich young man who sort of pretend not to be rich and is the leader of the revolution. When he first sees Cosette, he doesn't like her. But then she grows up and becomes beautiful and he falls in love with her. He is okay and all, but when he finds out about Valjean's past he doesn't want Cosette to see him anymore. I don't like Marius, lol, but yea.. He is the love of both Cosette and à‰ponine's lives..
Gavroche: A boy who helps Marius with everything. He dies in the revolution.
Fauchelevent: When Valjean is mayor of that town, he saves Fauchelevant's life, and later on he ends up helping Valjean and Cosette.

Ah, there are so many characters. Lol. This was mostly just ranting. If you wanna know anything else or if this was very confusing, just ask me okay? Hehh.
 
Thanks Epo! I was just gonna read the book, but I couldn't find it anywhere! I was gonna audition for Cosette at first, but decieded against it...don't really know why...just did, lol 🙂
This helps alot, thanks again!
 
Yeah à‰ponine is a much more interesting character than Cosette, believe me. I mean, Cosette is more important to the story but she is too sweet and innocent, really. à‰ponine is a more real character with personality and ideas of her own. I really wish you all the luck 🙂
 
Oh wow, Les Mis is such a great production! I was so glad I got to watch it when it was in town in '98. Eponine's song is so moving too. One of my faves, definitely. Good luck on the audition!
 
One of my very best friends played Marius in Les Mis last year... It was incredible... Done out of a local theatre company... I was tagged on as Stage Manager, but I had gotten sent away to Halifax during the last couple months of rehearsals, so I had to enjoy it from the outside :raisedeye
 
Yeah I love Eponine's song as well.. I'm a huge musical fan so.. mhm..
Even though I really recomend reading the book.. If you don't have a lot of time but want to get to know the story, I can also recomend the French short TV series with Gerard Depardieu as Jean Valjean. Or, if you just want to get to know the feeling and stuff, I can really really recomend the French movie, which is called Les Misérables, but is actually about World War 2.. mroe or less. It tells the story and is inspired by Les Mis.. and so are the characters.. It's a great movie and it's got the Les Mis feeling...
 
Master of the House is a good song too. I remember watching and not being able to keep from smiling!
 
Les Mis is my favorite play i have ever seen. i've gotten to see it twice now (professionally only) once in London (which i don't really remember because it was about 5 years ago) and also one that was here. The show is amazing and Eponine is my favorite character by far. She's just such a great character and i love her. i wish that my school would put it on....(very unlikely....it's a very small school....) i would love to be in it even if it was just chorus or something (which i'm very used to 🙂 it's pretty much all that i've gotten in all of 16 shows i've done....lol) anyways, good luck with your audition and let us know how you did!
 
I'll know in about a week! Are we talking about the song 'On my own', or whatever? Cause I know that one! 🙂 And that's the only one I know...The only reason I know that song is because Dawson's Creek. But, at least I know it!
 
Yeah it's On My Own. Lol yeah I've also seen Katie sing that one on Dawson's Creek, hehh. But the versions I've heard (with different Eponines) are a lot better.

So you have auditioned and stuff? How did it go?
 
Ugh. I think it went horrible! But my girlfriend went and said I did great. So I don't know. My voice cracked once while I was singing and I almost started to cry! lol. I thought that would be it. But they let me redo it which was cool. I really couldn't tell if they liked it or not...they pulled the 'no emotions' look, which really sucks, cause I want to know! 🙂
 
Ah, yeah that's annoying, when they're not showing at all what they thought. I've never been to an audition but I can imagine.. I'm sure you did great though, listen to your girlfriend 🙂 Lol, I'm all excited for you because playing Eponine is like a dream of mine that I'd probably never dare to do.. Like sing.. I can't do that, heh. (Really hope you get it!)
 
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