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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1999)
Aggielife Page 3 • Tuesday, March 23, 1999 'esse! 25 years -m continue!! • ttut the font *V can’t pred vs conference •ost expansive ning for office, icstions. ; >bby of Cairo' c for women ters noted th; xpressed hi; .1 to run forty an journalisi ask Clint the future. >t lady mi toy. "Well, t to Luxor, 1 om the asst “s and Egypt tree moreqm it on the top know, 1’ved r the past moa as been souai isers and po, her chano of retiring liel Patrick cd to leave toi heir judges,"a lid Texans ofts y said requiriq osition of raist r before them, amendment nt me Court, Tea ante appellate ci o\'ernor's appti| . After a six-yea to keep or reii Top: French soldiers man the barricades during a war scene. Right: Marius played by Brian Herriott, bottom: Jean Valjean played by Robert Evan performs one of the the songs written by Claude- Michel Schonberg Tony award-winning musical based on Hugo novel brings 19th-century France to Rudder Theater BY BETH FOCHT The Battalion T he wigs have been powdered, the sound check is complete and, after two full days of preparations, one of the biggest pro ductions in the world has come to Bryan-College Station. The Opera and Performing Arts Society presents “Les Miserables,” a musical about pre-rev olutionary France, in eight perfor mances March 23 through 28 at Rud der Auditorium. A Story of Epic Proportions “Les Miserables” is based on Vic tor Hugo’s epic novel of 19th century France. The story begins in 1815, as the audience is introduced to the main character, Jean Valjean. Valjean has been released on parole after 19 years in prison, but is being persuad ed by Javert, a police officer, after vi olating parole. The plot then jumps eight years — Valjean has become a changed man. He has not only become a successful factory owner but is also mayor of the town where the factory is located: The plot continues to thicken with the introductions of Fantine, a work er in Valjean’s factory and her daugh ter, Cosette. Valjean promises Fantine on her death bed to take care of her daughter, and the plot takes a nine- year leap to Paris in 1832. Hints of a brewing revolution and unrest in the streets accompany the underlying plot of a student revolu tion, one of the many uprisings lead ing up to the French Revolution. The main plot weaves itself around this idea as the fates of Valjean and Cosette are determined, along with the students leading the uprising. “Les Miserables” and Victor Hugo Alfred Hitchcock once said, “That book [Les Miserables] would make a wonderful musical.” Coincidently enough, years later Les Miserables was made into the world’s most pop ular musical. Numerous movies have been based on Hugo’s epic of France before the revolution, and each movie illus trates the horrors Hugo speaks about. Dr. Cynthia Bouton, a history pro fessor at Texas A&M with a back ground in French history, said Hugo wrote the novel, in some ways, as the history of 19th century France. “You can locate the story of Les Miz in a 19th century context,” Bou ton said. “It is almost as Hugo was writing about the history and legends of this time period through his nov el.” For those who do not have the time to read Hugo’s Les Miserables or brush up on their French history. Bouton will be giving a lecture pre sented by OPAS and MSC Literary Arts that will explore a brief look at French history and Victor Hugo’s nov el. The lecture will be today at 5:30 p.m. in Rudder 301. Bouton said she hopes to provide people with these historical contexts to help explain what the musical is about. “The lyrics make references to im portant points of history and audi ences can get a sense of how turbu lent these times were without the historical background,” she said. “The story will of course make more sense if you know this information, but it is not necessary. The musical is very historical, but it is also a great story. ” The story in the novel formally see Musical on Page 5. /ate 3n ery P tionsfltf MCA tions 314 YMtf edu u/slo/adt IVERSITY oto Editor Opinion EdP ;ditor gielife Edito f ? b Editor Radio Pr 0 ^ laugier. jgers, Cart/lo Cas® oiMarkMcPW*" Victor Van Scoit'* Amy Daugherty 1 * nt, Deidre Perl®*''' ener, Christi Beaid**'’ nda Gangawer.B"^ • /aughn.JeffW* 1 * i Ti P ton ' 0 ( student PubMjA 845-3313; Fat: 8<5 i pus, local, and ^ l, and office hous* of Die BattaM-g' ,0 for the summer ere and Monday W agePaidatCo'Wj- lollegeStaton. 1 *' J Brothers Under Christ Presents Island Party Six Bands - Ten Hours Absolutely Free the waiting Chasing Furries plumb Nickel & Dime Shane & Shane Saturday, March 27, 1999 2 p.m. - Midnight At the Polo Fields SPONSORED BY: Aggieland Digital cJavicI ^arcJner'j Jewelers ♦ Gemolocists MCCOY’S BUILDING SUPPLY CENTERS DANGEROUS HAZING: DANGEROUS HAZING has the greatest potential for endangering the lives of students. It can also endanger the life of a campus organization. Dangerous hazing encompasses a wide range of activities that can cause bodily harm or severe psychological damage to a person. It can result in death. Dangerous hazing includes but is not limited to: • Forced drinking of alcohol • Branding or marking • Restricting body movements by confinement in an area that is uncomfortable or dangerous • Transportation and abandonment (road trips, kidnaps, walks) • Forced eating or ingestion of unwanted substances • Intense calisthenics • Dehydration or exposure to extreme weather • Paddle swats, pushing, shoving, tackling, beating or similar physical contact. STAND UP FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS. REPORT HAZING IMMEDIATELY. PREVENT A DEATH. To report hazing, contact one of the following offices: The Office of the Commandant: Call 458-1341 to report hazing involving members of the Corps of Cadets. University Police Department: Call 845-2345 to report any incidents of hazing. This advertisement is brought to you by Student Conflict Resolution Services-the Department of Student Life, within the Division of Student Affairs. The Department of Student Life Student Conflict Resolution Services: Call 847-7272 to report any incidents ot hazing. The Department of Student Activities: Call 845-1133 to report hazing involving members of a recognized student organization.