synopsis

Synopsis

Act I

Prologue
1815 - Toulon

Our story begins on the chain gang. ("That's the sound of the men, working on the"- No wait, wrong song...) After the prisoners finish singing of their miseries (yes, we meet some "Miserables" right away), we meet a police inspector. He calls forth prisoner 24601, who has spent the last 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread - five for the actual theft and the rest for escape attempts. The prisoner's time for parole has come, and he is given a yellow ticket-of-leave. The prisoner reveals his name is Jean Valjean, and the inspector reveals his as Javert, and warns not to forget that name.

Dinge

Our hero Valjean is havng trouble finding work or board in this town. The paper he is required to show tells everyone that he is a prisoner on parole, and no one wants anything to do with him. Finally the saintly Bishop takes him in, giving him food and a place to sleep. Valjean still has criminal instincts, though, and steals the silver place settings while the house is asleep. He is quickly caught by two constables and brought back to the bishop's house. The bishop, however, tells the constables that the silver was a gift, and gives him two silver candlesticks. Sending the constables away, he tells Valjean that "you must use this precious silver to become an honest man" and that "I have bought your soul for God". Valjean is so moved by the mercy and generosity of the bishop that he decides to start his life fresh and on the right track, tearing up his yellow ticket-of-leave and breaking his parole.

1823 - Montreuil-Sur-Mer

The miserables in this town include poor people and factory workers singing "At the End of the Day". The factory girls are worked up over a girl named Fantine who has been rejecting the foreman's passes at her and angering him. A nosey girl reads a letter over Fantine's shoulder and discovers she has a child living with and innkeeper and who is apparantly ill; she must send money to the innkeeper for medical bills. A fight breaks out over the letter, and in comes the mayor, Monsier Madeline. It is really Valjean, who has changed his name and risen to become the mayor of this town. He leaves the matter to the foreman, and the girls tell the forman about the child that lives with an innkeeper, and that Fantine must be prostituing to make the extra money (she really is not, and sends most of her factory earnings). The foreman, enraged that "You play a virgin in the light but need no urgin' in the night", promptly fires her.

Fantine then sings "I Dreamed a Dream", telling of her shattered dreams and the man who gave her love for a summer and "was gone when autumn came". While a few sailors meet a group of whores ("Lovely Ladies"), Fantine sells her locket and her hair to try and get money for Cosette, her daughter. Then the whores convince her to join them and sell herself. Disgusted by this proffesion, she gets into a fight with a prospective customer, and who should arrive on the scene but Javert (you didn't forget that name did you?). He is about to arrest Fantine when Monsier Madeline (whose true identity is unknown to Javert) arrives on the scene as well. Discovering who the girl is, and ashamed that he let this happen to her by not intervening at the factory, he demands that she be taken to the hospital instead of the jail (she is sick from being on the street). No sooner is this done than a runaway cart traps its owner beneath it. With no one else to rescue the man, the mayor lifts the cart and saves him. This superhuman strength reminds Javert of a prisoner he's been tracking named Jean Valjean, who he claims has just been rearrested and goes to court today. After singing "Who am I?", Valjean decides he cannot let this man go to prison in his place. He goes to the court and reveals himself to the court, including Javert, before departing for a visit to the hospital.

In the hospital, Fantine is hallucinating in fever and belives she sees Cosette. Valjean comes in and comforts her and promises he will raise the child as his own, then Fantine peacefully dies. Immediatley Javert, who has followed Valjean from the courtroom, enters to take Valjean to prison. Valjean begs three days to find Cosette and fufill his promise, but Javert argues that he can not be trusted. They sing in counterpoint of their conflicting morals until Valjean knocks out Javert and manages to escape.

Montfermeil

Young Cosette is eight years old and sweeping up the floors of the inn while singing "Castle On A Cloud". The innkeeper's wife comes in and yells at her and complains about how little the mother sends (none of which has been used for Cosette), while spoiling her own daughter, Eponine, who is the same age as Cosette. She sends Cosette to the well in the woods for water. Thenardier, the innkeeper, welcomes the guests in for the evening and sings the rolicking "Master of the House". Meanwhile, Valjean comes only to find Cosette wandering in the dark woods on her own and brings her to the inn, saying he is here to take her away. The Thenardiers put on a show, lying about how much they cared for her and how much they payed for medicines when she was always ill. Valjean finally gives them 1500 francs for their "sacrifice" and takes Cosette away, giving her a new dress and a doll.

1832 - Paris

Oooh, I love the lead-in to this scene! Shivers! Alright, as ten years pass in one chord change, we are in the streets of Paris, where there is great unrest among the poor. Little Gavroche, an urchin boy, introduces himself as master of the streets. The students are wondering about the fact that General Lamarque, the only politician who cares about the situation of the poor, is ill and close to dying. They say something must happen soon. Gavroche introduces us to Thenardier. After the money he got for Cosette ran out, his inn went under and he moved his family to Paris. As Gavroche explains, he now heads a gang in which all his family is involved, including his daughter Eponine, who now knows her way around the streets as well.

Thenardier organizes his gang for their next robbery, telling Eponine to watch for the cops. But much to her mother's complaint, she is distracted by the student Marius, whom she rushes to talk to. He, however, does not pick up on her incessant flirting, much to her discouragement. She is then scolded by her father to get back to her post, and warns Marius to stay away so he doesn't get in trouble. While running after Eponine, he bumps into the beautiful Cosette, who is walking with her "father", Jean Valjean. Valjean just happens to be the intended victim of Thenardier's robbery. He and his wife are playing beggars trying to get the man to give them money. Just as he recognizes the convict who came and took Cosette all those years ago, Eponine shouts to "...run for it it's (guess who?) Javert!"

Javert of course has also relocated to Paris in pursuit of his prisoner. But before he arrests the gang, he notices that the victim (whom he did not recognize) and his daughter have disappeared. Thenardier informs Javert that the man was the one who should have been arrested, because he had a prisoner's brand on his chest. Javert relizes who slipped away and dismisses everyone on the street. Then he sings the soliliquy "Stars", telling God he shall never rest until he catches Valjean. But after Javert leaves we see Gavroche was listening, and reminds us that he, not Javert, runs this town.

Down the street Eponine realizes that she too recognized Cosette and mentions how their roles are now reversed. Marius comes in and it is obvious that he is now in love with the girl he bumped into. Eponine reluctantly agrees to find the girl's address for him.

In the back room of a café, a group of students are preparing for the uprising which they know will happen in Paris soon. Marius comes in late and in love, distracted from the cause. ("Red and Black"). Gravroche comes in bringing the news of General Lamarque's death. Enjolras see's this as the sign that will bring the workers of Paris together, and instucts the students to go into the streets to gain support for the cause ("Do You Hear the People Sing?") As the scene ends Eponine appears and leads off an excited Marius (she has found the address).

In her garden at their house on the Rue Plumet, Cosette thinks about Marius, with whom she has fallen in love. Valjean is concerned that she is feeling too isolated living with him, but refuses to tell her anything about her past or explain why they must always keep to themselves, to her discouragement. Meanwhile outside the garden, Marius can't wait to be close to the one he loves, while Eponine is already close to the one she loves, but can't have him. ("In My Life"). Marius climbs the gate and enters the garden. He and Cosette introduce themselves and express their love while Eponine watches, realizing Marius will never feel that way for her. ("A Heart Full of Love").

Outside the garden, Eponine meets a member of her father's gang and realizes they have found the address as well and plan to rob the house. She is worried that Marius will think she gave them the address and led him there as part of the robbery. When the gang arrives, she bravely stands up to her father and screems to warn of the robbery. As the gang escapes to the sewers, Marius hastilly introduces Eponine to Cosette, hears someone coming from the house, and climbs back over the gate. He and his escort scramble to hide just as Valjean comes out, asking about the scream. Cosette lies to her "father" for the first time and tells him she screamed because she saw three men outside. Valjean thinks Javert has found his cover and tells Cosette to pack because they are leaving for England tomorrow.

In "One Day More", the first act ends with everyone's different viewpoints on the current situation. Marius and Cosette fear being parted so soon after they've fallen in love, Eponine realizes her life is not getting any better. Enjolras and his followers are ready to fight for freedom, with Marius reluctantly deciding to join them rather than follow Cosette. Javert prepares to stop the insurrection, while the Thenardiers are ready in the sewers to collect what falls from the fight.

Act II

The students are busy building a barricade and Javert pretends to offer his help and spy on the National Guard. Marius notices Eponine has dressed as a boy in order to join the insurrection. Just when she thinks he is worried that she is in danger, he tells her to take a letter to Cosette before she leaves. The letter is intercepted by Valjean, who promises to give it to Cosette but reads it, discovering that someone is in love with Cosette. Eponine walks the streets and sings "On My Own", realizing that her dreams about Marius will never come true.

At the baricade, the students pledge to fight until the end. Javert pretends to know the enemy's moves, but Gavroche knows better and reveals him as a police spy ("Little People"). Enjolras orders him to be tied up in the tavern and delt with later. Eponine returns to the barricade but is fatally wounded. She dies in Marius' arms ("A Little Fall of Rain").

Valjean arrives to join the barricade and proves great help in driving away the first attack. As thanks Enjolras lets him take care of the prisoner Javert. But instead of taking revenge he releases Javert, gives him his address, and fires in the air so everyone thinks he had taken care of it. As the students settle down for the night, they remenice in what they know are their last hours ("Drink With Me To Days Gone By"). Valjean hears Marius and realizes who his daughter is in love with. When everyone is asleep, he prays for God to protect Marius ("Bring Him Home").

In the morning, realizing that they stand no chance, Enjolras orders all the women and fathers of children to leave in order to spare lives, including little Gavroche. Those who remain again pledge to fight until the end. However, ammunition is running low. The dead National Guard people on the other side of the barricade have ammuntion on them, but who will go get it? Gavroche, who was hiding at the barricade, runs out to gather it, and is shot and killed on the street while singing a repraise of "Little People". Right after that the final battle comences, and all the insurgents are killed.

All, that is, execpt Valjean and Marius, who is badly wounded. Valjean picks up Marius and flees through the only way to escape - the sewer. Javert arrives and searches through all the dead trying to find Valjean. When none of the people are who he is looking for, he realizes Valjean must have entered the sewer and runs off to where he will emerge. All this is done durring a mournful oboe solo of "Bring Him Home".

In the sewers Thenardier is busy robbing the dead bodies and telling us about his twisted morals ("Dog Eats Dog"). When Valjean lays down to rest he proceeds to rob Marius and then recognizes Valjean and leaves. Valjean continues on and when he emerges, Javart awaits to arrest him at last. Valjean pleads for an hour to get Marius to a hospital, and Javert lets him go. All this mercy has thrown off Javert's unbending principles of justice, and he jumps off a bridge into the Seine.

A few months have passed. The Women of Paris reflect on the meaningless deaths of the students ("Turning") while Marius grieves for his friends ("Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"). Cosette comments on how well he is recovering, but Marius still wonders who saved him. The two pledge their love again. Jean Valjean takes Marius aside and tells him who he really is and that he is going away because he doesn't want his criminal past to harm Cosette, and he doesn't want Cosette to know about it.

There is much rejoicing and dancing at Marius and Cosette's wedding. Thenardier has crahsed the party and takes Marius aside, informing him that Valjean is a murderer. As proof he produces a ring that he took from the "corpse" the night that the barricades fell. It is Marius' ring, and now he knows who his savior was. He takes Cosette with him and runs off. Thenardier and his wife share one last moment of criminal chaos at the ball.

In a dark back room, Valjean lights his silver candlesticks and prepares for the end while he is visited by the spirit of Fantine. Marius and Cosette rush in. Marius finally thanks him for saving his life, and Cosette pleads with him not to die. Valjean gives her a paper on which he has explained her past, and then joins the spirtis of Fantine, Eponine, and all those who died on the barricade.