Enloe will be performing Les Misérables this spring, and auditions are this month. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about this famous musical!

Q: Does Les Mis take place during the French Revolution? 

A: No! Les Mis does take place in Paris, and a revolt does occur, but it is not set during the French Revolution. The French Revolution is considered to have begun on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille. The musical starts much later in 1815, when Louis XVIII was king, but mostly takes place during 1832, amidst the June Rebellion against Louis Philippe. 

Q: Is Les Mis a depressing tragedy?

A: As you can probably guess from the title (which means “the wretched” or “the miserable ones”), Les Mis is not a story full of sunshine and rainbows. However, Les Mis doesn’t just end with death (as is usual for tragedies) but also with a happy marriage (the typical conclusion for comedies). So regardless of if Les Mis is a tragedy in the traditional sense, it is undoubtedly a drama. In fact, if there was one word to describe this play, it would be dramatic!

Q: Is the girl on all the posters the main character? 

A: No, she is not. Her name is Cosette, and it is a great mystery why a character who sings in just a fourth of the songs somehow became the definitive face of the musical. Plus, you only get to see “young Cosette” (as portrayed in all the pictures) for two songs, because halfway through the first act she grows up and is played by a different actress. In case you were wondering, the actual main character is Jean Valjean, who adopts Cosette after her mother passes away. 

Q: Does Jean Valjean escape from prison? 

A: Not really. Jean Valjean attempts to escape multiple times, but is unsuccessful, which leads to his prison sentence being substantially extended. He doesn’t actually get to leave until he has served his full term of 19 long years. So why is he on the run for the whole story? Because after he is released on parole, he tears up his legal papers and creates a false identity, which makes him a fugitive. 

Q: How is “Les Misérables” pronounced? 

A: This is a difficult question, especially considering that the French language is notoriously challenging to pronounce correctly for English speakers. Most people just say Les Mis (“lay miz”), which is much easier, but the full name is usually pronounced, “lay miz-air-ahb” or “lay meez-ehr-ahb-luh” (the “luh” should be said softly, if at all).

Q: Is Les Mis an opera? 

A: Not exactly. Like operas, Les Mis is completely sung through (meaning it has no spoken dialogue), but the music is not in the traditional operatic style. Many have classified it as a “megamusical”, which is the theater equivalent to “blockbusters”. Les Mis has also been called a “pop-opera” because of the pop-like qualities in the score. 

Q: Was the musical written for Broadway?

A: Actually, no! The music for Les Mis was originally released as a concept album in French, and the musical was first performed in Paris in 1980. The English-language version (adapted from the French one) premiered in London in 1985, where it became much more widely known. Broadway didn’t produce Les Mis until 1987, and the movie version of the musical came out in 2012. 

Q: Is the musical super long?  

A: Yes, but it could be so much longer. With the original novel containing over half a million words, there’s a lot of material to work with! A British Les Mis mini-series split the story into six 45-minute episodes for a total of 4.5 hours, and a French movie version from 1934 was nearly five hours long. In contrast, the musical is around three hours, including intermission. However, Enloe will be performing the school edition, which is closer to two and a half hours. This version shortens some of the songs but still keeps the full story. 

Q: How will auditions work?

A: Auditions will take place on December 13 and 14, and the sign-up sheet is in the 1500s hallway. There will be one portion for dancing and one for dramatic singing. More information can be found in this slideshow.

Q: When are the performances? 

A: Enloe will be performing Les Misérables from Thursday, April 11, to Saturday, April 13. Hope to see you there!