Act I
Sung through, Les Misérables opens in Bagne prison in Toulon, France, in 1815, where the prisoners work at hard labour ("Work Song"). After nineteen years of imprisonment (five for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family, and the rest for trying to escape), Jean Valjean—"prisoner 24601"—is released on parole by the policeman Javert. By law, Valjean must display a yellow ticket-of-leave, which condemns him as an outcast ("On Parole"). He then meets the Bishop of Digne, who offers him food and shelter. Valjean steals silver from the bishop and the police catch him shortly. The bishop, however, lies to save Valjean and helps him begin a new life ("Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven"). Humbled by the bishop's mercy and kindness, Valjean decides to follow the bishop's advice and breaks his parole. ("Valjean’s Soliloquy" / "What Have I Done?").
Eight years later, Valjean, having assumed a new identity as Monsieur Madeleine, is a wealthy factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. One of his workers, Fantine, has a fight when the other workers discover she is sending money to her secret illegitimate child. The girl is living with an innkeeper and his wife ("At the End of the Day"). The Mayor breaks up the conflict, but asks his factory foreman to resolve it. The other women demand Fantine's dismissal, and because she had previously rejected his advances, the foreman agrees and throws Fantine out.
Fantine sings about her broken dreams and about the father of her daughter who abandoned her ("I Dreamed a Dream"). Desperate for money, she sells her locket and her hair, before becoming a prostitute ("Lovely Ladies"). When she fights back against an abusive customer, Javert, now stationed in Montreuil-sur-Mer, arrests her ("Fantine's Arrest"). "Madeleine" soon arrives, and realising his part in the ruination of Fantine, orders Javert to let her go and takes her to a hospital.
Soon after, the Mayor rescues Fauchelevant, who is pinned by a runaway cart ("The Runaway Cart"), reminding Javert of Jean Valjean (who was abnormally strong), whom he has sought for years for breaking parole. However, Javert assures the mayor that Valjean has been arrested recently and will be in court later in the day. Unwilling to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, Valjean confesses his identity to the court—that he is the prisoner 24601—revealing the convict's brand on his chest as proof ("Who Am I?—The Trial").
Before returning to prison, Valjean visits the dying Fantine and promises to find and look after her daughter Cosette. ("Come to Me" / "Fantine's Death"). When Javert arrives to arrest him, Valjean asks three more days to fetch Cosette, but Javert refuses to believe his honest intentions ("The Confrontation"). Valjean eventually knocks Javert out and escapes.
The next scene occurs in an inn at Montfermeil run by the Thénardiers, where Cosette has been living. The Thénardiers have been abusing the little girl, while indulging their own daughter, Éponine. Cosette dreams of a better life ("Castle on a Cloud") before Madame Thénardier sends her to fetch water in the dark. As the inn fills for the evening, the Thénardiers cheat their customers in various ways ("Master of the House"). Valjean finds Cosette fetching water ("The Bargain") and pays the Thénardiers fifteen hundred Francs to let him take her away ("The Waltz of Treachery").
Nine years later, Paris is in upheaval because General Lamarque, the only man in the government who shows mercy to the poor, is ill and may soon die. The young street urchin Gavroche mingles with the prostitutes and beggars on the street, while students Marius Pontmercy and Enjolras discuss the general's imminent demise ("Look Down").
A street gang led by the Thénardiers prepares to ambush Valjean, whom Thénardier recognizes as the man who took Cosette ("The Robbery"). Éponine sees Marius, whom she secretly loves, and warns him to stay away, but Marius accidentally bumps into Cosette and immediately falls in love. Javert thwarts the Thénardiers' attempt to rob Valjean and Cosette, not recognising Valjean until after he escapes ("Javert's Intervention"). Javert gazes at the night sky, comparing his hunt of Valjean and justice to the order of the stars ("Stars"). Meanwhile, Marius, although he does not know Cosette's name, persuades a reluctant Éponine to help him find her ("Éponine's Errand").
The scene shifts to a political meeting in a small café where Enjolras leads a group of idealistic students to prepare for a revolution that they believe will materialise after General Lamarque's death, ("The ABC Café—Red and Black"). Marius arrives late and when Gavroche brings the news of the General's death, the students march into the streets ("Do You Hear the People Sing?").
Cosette is infatuated with Marius, and although Valjean realises that his daughter has grown up, he refuses to tell her about his past or her mother. ("Rue Plumet—In My Life"). In spite of her own feelings, Éponine leads Marius to Cosette ("A Heart Full of Love"), and then prevents her father's gang from robbing Valjean's house ("The Attack on Rue Plumet"). Valjean, convinced that Javert was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette that they must prepare to flee the country.
On the eve of the 1832 Paris Uprising, Valjean prepares to go into exile; Cosette and Marius part in despair; Éponine mourns the loss of Marius; Marius decides to join the other students as they prepare for the upcoming conflict; Javert plans to spy on the students; and the Thénardiers look forward to robbing the corpses of those who will be killed during the coming battle ("One Day More").
Act II
As the students begin a barricade ("At the Barricade – Upon These Stones"), Javert, disguised as one of the rebels, volunteers to "spy" on the government troops. Marius notices that Éponine has disguised herself as a boy and has joined the revolutionaries. He sends her with a letter to Cosette, which will also carry Éponine to safety. Valjean intercepts the letter, promising Éponine he will tell Cosette about the letter. After Éponine leaves, Valjean reads the letter, learning about Marius and Cosette's relationship. While walking the streets of Paris, Éponine decides, despite what he had said to her, to rejoin Marius at the barricade ("On My Own").
"At the Barricade" the students defy an army warning them to surrender or die. Javert returns and tells the students that the government will attack ("Javert's Arrival"), but Gavroche exposes him as a spy ("Little People"). Éponine is shot as she returns to the barricades and dies in Marius's arms ("A Little Fall of Rain"). Valjean arrives at the barricades in search of Marius as the first battle erupts, and he saves Enjolras by shooting a sniper ("The First Attack"). As a reward, he asks to be the one to kill Javert, but instead he releases him and even gives him his address. The students settle down for a night ("Drink with Me"), while Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught ("Bring Him Home").
As dawn approaches, Enjolras realises that the people have abandoned them. He sends away women and fathers of children, but resolves to fight on ("Dawn of Anguish"). With ammunition running low during the second attack, Gavroche scurries in front of the barricade to collect more cartridges. As he runs back behind the barricade, he is shot three times and dies ("The Second Attack / Death of Gavroche"). Enjolras and the students realise that they will likely die. The army gives a final warning for surrender, but the rebels refuse, and as they continue to fight, all are killed except Valjean and Marius ("The Final Battle").
Carrying a wounded Marius on his back, Valjean escapes through the sewers. Meanwhile, Thénardier is also in the sewers, stealing valuables from bodies, laughing that he is performing a "service to the town" ("Dog Eats Dog"). Thénardier takes a ring off Marius's hand as Valjean is resting, and then escapes when he sees Valjean getting up. When Valjean reaches the sewer's exit, he runs into Javert, who has been waiting for him. Valjean begs Javert to give him one more hour to bring Marius to a doctor, and Javert reluctantly agrees. After Valjean leaves, Javert, unable to bear the gift of Valjean's mercy to him, commits suicide by throwing himself in the Seine ("Javert's Suicide").
Back on the streets, several women mourn the deaths of the young students ("Turning"). Marius also mourns for his friends ("Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"). As he wonders who saved him from the barricades, Cosette comforts him, declaring that she will never go away ("Every Day") and they reaffirm their love. Valjean then confesses to Marius that he is an escaped convict and tells him that he must go away because his presence endangers Cosette ("Valjean's Confession"). Valjean makes Marius promise never to tell Cosette, and Marius makes only a half-hearted attempt to hold him back.
Marius and Cosette marry ("Wedding Chorale"). The Thénardiers crash the reception in disguise as "The Baron and Baroness du Thénard". They tell Marius that Valjean is a murderer, saying that they saw him carrying a corpse in the sewers after the barricades fell. When Thénardier shows him the ring that he took from the corpse, Marius realises that he was the "corpse" and that Valjean saved his life. Marius punches Thénardier, the newlyweds leave, and the Thénardiers enjoy the party and celebrate their survival ("Beggars at the Feast").
Meanwhile, Valjean prepares for his death, having nothing left for which to live. Just as the ghosts of Fantine and Éponine arrive to take him to heaven, Cosette and Marius rush in, in time to bid farewell and for Marius to thank him for saving his life ("Valjean's Death"). Valjean gives Cosette his confession to read, and the souls of Fantine and Éponine guide him to Paradise, his long struggle over. The entire cast of characters, living and dead, asks once more, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" ("Finale").
|
- Synopsis