Victor Hugo's novel is considered the greatest piece of literature of nineteenth-century France, possibly of all French literature, in its characterization, and sweeping, compassionate depiction of the suffering lives of the poor and their fight for freedom against a pitiless tyranny. It is equally grand in form and scope, covering some 1,200 pages and thirty years of the most dramatic history of France.

Certainly the compression needed to transform such an epic piece of writing into a workable musical meant a good deal was lost or boiled down. (In popular reference, even the name of the show was shortened to "Les Mis!") For example, the whole panorama of starvation and misery was compressed into vignettes and choruses, the most notable of which is the brief "Look down," first used to portray the hopelessness of the convicts, later repeated to show the misery of the poor in France in general. However, a good deal of the flavor remains, especially in such stirring moments as "One day more" and "Do you hear the people sing," and the characterful touches as the song "Master of the house" for M. Thenardier. Some of the other moments, such as "Castle on a cloud" and "I dreamed a dream," are unabashedly sentimental, sometimes becoming calculatedly tear-jerking in performance.

Not too surprisingly, it is quite operatic in scope and style, and despite all the cuts, in length; there is no dialog, with the songs, duets, and ensembles held together by recitative and orchestral bridges. There are also strong operatic influences throughout the music; the opening is reminiscent of Beethoven's choral writing, and the ensembles are often Verdian. (The same team was to go in 1991 on to adapt Miss Saigon from Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly.)

The work was premiered in Paris in 1980, opened in London in 1985, and finally to Broadway in 1987. It won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score, and Trevor Nunn and John Caid, John Napier, Michael Maguice, and Frances Ruffelle won Best Director, Best Scenic Design, Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical respectively. In the year 2000, it became the longest-running show on Broadway, with 5,633 performances as of November 16.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.