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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.
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