Josef Weinberger: Les Miserables

One of the most successful and beloved shows in musical theatre history, LES MISÉRABLES has been specially adapted for young performers in this new author-approved 'School Edition'.

For the first time, Sir Cameron Mackintosh has released performing rights in this legendary musical, seen by almost 50 million people all over the world. LES MISÉRABLES: SCHOOL EDITION is a new version of the show that runs for approximately two hours and is available for performance by schools and youth groups (performers must be no more than 19 years old). Schools and groups that license the show will receive a package of theatrical resources designed to help both cast and crew adapt the show for their school auditorium; details of these can be found left by clicking the link to "Other Resources".

"All I can say is it is fantastic, and provided you have highly talented students, it is a great show!! The resources, scripts etc. were a great help - it's a shame all shows aren't prepared like Les Mis is!! The only problem we have is ..... what will we do next year???? If anyone else is doing it and they want advice from a musical point of view, please do not hesitate to pass my name and email address to them."
Nick Duff, Director of Music, Rydens School

"I have just been the production manager and performed in the school version of Les Miserables. It was an absolutley magnificent experience with a standing ovation every night and comments that it was the best show they had ever seen. The headmaster said: "It was the proudest moment he had ever experienced." If I had the chance to do it again I would. There was one moment before the dress rehearsal when the band were playing the Epilogue (end of) and the cast came from their dressing rooms singing and it was one of those magical moments that made the week special."
Jonathan Roberts, Southend High School for Boys

INFORMATION

rehearsal material

casting suggestions, character descriptions & vocal ranges

IMPORTANT NOTE CONCERNING VIDEO RECORDING OF THE SHOW
We are now able to permit video recording of performances of LES MISERABLES SCHOOL EDITION subject to a special licence and fee.

REHEARSAL MATERIAL
The full rehearsal set consists of 1 Director's Script (detailing show research, technical requirements, and guidance on how to create a vivid stage picture), 1 Piano Conductor Score, 1 Piano-Vocal Score, 30 Vocal Books, a logo pack (containing the show's official logo on disk and slick) and sound effects CD. As the musical is through-sung, there is no separate libretto. NB: All of the performing material and resources are available on hire only.

CASTING SUGGESTIONS, CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS & VOCAL RANGES
Below you'll find a list of characters in order of appearance, a brief description and their vocal ranges.

Jean Valjean is the hero of the show. It is his life journey that we follow. Jean Valjean is supposed to be stronger than other men, and so physically should appear robust. He should reasonably carry himself as mature and paternal. Valjean's ability to change is his greatest asset. The key to his character is his great humanity and compassion. Jean Valjean is a vocally demanding role. Vocal range: Low A to high A (above Middle C)

Javert is the inspector who serves as antagonist to Jean Valjean. Javert is unswerving in his belief that men cannot change for the good. "Once a thief, always a thief" is his mantra. At first glance Javert might appear to be the villain of the story, but on closer examination it is clear that he is not an evil man. He is aware that in society some people achieve control through evil and others through the power of the law. He is a dedicated policeman, with a profound sense of duty. Unlike Valjean he cannot change. His attitudes are rigid and unmoveable. He is stern, forbidding and lacking in compassion. Your Javert should be a talented actor who can convincingly stand up to Jean Valjean. Javert should have a rich baritone voice and be a good singer. Vocal range: A (below Middle C) to F sharp (above Middle C)

Chain Gang The Chain Gang consists of Jean Valjean's fellow prisoners. There are four soloists (indicated as convicts 1, 2, 3, 4). The overall vocal range of the convicts is low and they should be able sing in a rich baritone if possible. Vocal range: Low F to High E flat

Constables There are two solo constables in the show. Consider keeping the constables the same throughout the entire show to save a bit on costumes, since period uniforms tend to be expensive to build. Vocal range: E to High E

Farmer and Labourers The Farmer and a Labourer have solo lines that are a bit difficult to sing. In addition you may cast as many additional labourers as you like, however the labourers are non-singing. Farmer - Vocal range: Middle C to D flat Labourers - Vocal range: A sharp to D flat

Bishop of Digne The Bishop is a good man who saves Valjean with his compassion. Don't overlook the importance of this role. The Bishop of Digne's compassion carefully establishes the premise of the show by literally buying Jean Valjean's soul for God. This is a powerful role requiring a nice baritone voice and a good actor. Vocal range: Low A to High E

Fantine is the beautiful young girl who, abandoned by her lover, is left to fend for herself and her daughter Cosette. She is rejected by society and forced through circumstances to become a prostitute. She is a brave woman defeated by life, sustained by her love for her daughter and clinging to her dignity. Sick with consumption, we witness her descent through poverty, hunger, cold, loneliness and destitution to death. She is a noble and proud character, whose life becomes a series of terrible events that rob her of her pride, character, and ultimately her life. The actress playing the role needs a powerful voice that is more mezzo (or alto) than soprano. Vocal range: G flat (below Middle C) to E flat

Foreman The Foreman begins Fantine on her downward spiral of desperation. He should be virile, commanding and a bit sleazy around the edges. Vocal range: E (below Middle C) to D flat (above Middle C)

Girl 5 (Factory Girl) The Girl who fights with Fantine. She is mean, catty and selfish. She also is most likely having an affair with the Foreman and is jealous of Fantine. Often the Girl will serve as Fantine's understudy or as a Fantine double. Vocal range: B flat (below Middle C) to C (above Middle C)

Sailors Three sailors begin the Docks scene. All three have solos but do not need to be great singers. Vocal range: Low C to Middle C

Bamatabois is the "customer" who taunts Fantine into violence. He is dressed in expensive clothes. He is a wealthy dissolute young man who thinks of himself as a gentleman. He is drunk and in a sadistic mood and chauvinistically feels it is his right to buy anything, even Fantine. Vocal range: D (below Middle C) to High D

Old Woman The Old Woman is a nice feature part. This is the character that purchases Fantine's hair. Her vocal solo is a bit tricky so cast a strong singer if possible. Vocal range: E (above Middle C) to D

Pimp The Pimp controls the prostitutes at the docks. He is mean, aggressive and abusive. The Pimp has a small solo line in "The Docks." Vocal range: E (below Middle C) to D

Fauchelevant is the victim of the cart crash. The role requires little, a few solo lines and some painful yelps. Vocal range: B (below Middle C) to E flat

Judge The Judge or Judges are non-singing roles. Vocal range: N/A

Mistaken Jean Valjean and family These characters are also non-singing. This is the man who Javert believes to be Jean Valjean. Vocal range: N/A

Young Cosette is the child of Fantine. She is the ward of the Thenardiers, forced into child labour and sings "Castle on A Cloud." She is a trembling little creature, underfed, beaten by Madame Thenardier and bullied by Eponine. Make sure your Cosette is small and looks properly pathetic and yet warms the audience's heart who should be sympathetic to her plight. It is essential that your Young Cosette be as small as possible, especially against Jean Valjean and the Thenardiers. Vocal range: A (below Middle C) to C

Madame Thenardier She is the wife of Thenardier. Madame Thenardier is as "one" with Thenardier.Together they con the world as partners in crime. They were made for each other, although she complains about him, she loves him dearly. She is coarse and vulgar; unhappy in her existence without knowing why. She is romantic, greedy, stupid, evil and larger than life. She is mean and nasty to Little Cosette and able to improvise in nearly any situation. You need an actress with excellent physical comedy skills, who is also a good musician with a good sense of rhythm. Vocal range: G sharp (below Middle C) to D

Thenardier is the true villain of Les Misérables. He is amoral and an opportunist. That said, he should also possess a wicked sense of humour. He delights in cheating, robbing, fraud and blackmail, relishing every aspect of them with glee. He is tough, greedy, brutal, stupid and crafty and yet irresistible. He hates society and blames it and everyone else for all his misfortune. Thenardier is also the opportunist and realist of the show. He is a thief, a liar and a cheat. He steals valuables from the dead with no remorse. He is also the comic relief of the production. However, his comedy is based in reality and shouldn't be too exaggerated. He is married to Madame Thenardier and father to Eponine and Gavroche (although he has abandoned Gavroche to the streets of Paris). Cast an excellent comedic actor who also has a nasty edge. Vocally the role is not incredibly demanding, a character voice is best. Vocal range: C (below Middle C) to G sharp (above Middle C)

Young Eponine is the pampered daughter of the Thenardiers. She does little except enter the stage and taunt Young Cosette. The role requires no singing or speaking. She should be a smaller version of grown Eponine and resemble Eponine in appearance and features. Vocal range: N/A

Gavroche is Thenardier's son. He is left to fend for himself and lives by his wits in the streets of Paris. His "arch enemy" is Javert the Policeman. He is brave and witty. He should be cocky and have a fantastic unbroken voice. Think a young Artful Dodger. Gavroche is best played by the smallest believable boy available. Gavroche has a very dramatic death at the barricade. Make sure your Gavroche is a good enough actor to believably die onstage. Vocal range: B (below Middle C) To G

Gavroche's Gang If you have access to many young children (ages 7-9) you may add a gang of kids who follow Gavroche about. Remember that Paris at this time would be full of orphans (due to years of wars and revolutions) and representing these young people on stage is a nice addition. Do not include Gavroche's Gang in the barricade scenes as it will negatively impact the dramatic arc of the show, taking away from Gavroche's death. Vocal range: N/A

Eponine is the daughter of Thenardier. She is a young girl who is streetwise and tough, but also sensitive and lonely. She is in love with Marius, knowing that he will never love her. She bravely follows Marius to the barricades in the hope that they will die there together. Once grown up, Eponine moves with her family to Paris where they fall on hard times. Now poor, living hand to mouth, she survives by helping her father break the law. Eponine is a tragic character, hopelessly in love with Marius. She sings one of the most famous numbers in the show, "On My Own" and should therefore be an excellent singer with a contemporary edge to her voice and an excellent actress. Vocal range: F sharp (below Middle C) to E

Enjolras is the student leader. He is handsome, brave and daring, although youthful. He combines his revolutionary ideals with a strong charismatic leadership. He is described by Victor Hugo as "a thinker and a man of action". On the barricade he physically and vocally should dominate everyone else. Enjolras is one of the more difficult roles to cast. He should be charismatic, be a natural leader, be good looking, and have a very strong high baritone or a tenor voice. The role is also difficult to cast because many young actors do not perceive it as a coveted role like Marius or Jean Valjean, remind them that the original Broadway Enjolras won a Tony award for his performance. Casting a true leader of your organisation is one way to ensure the role is believable. Remember, Enjolras must lead the students to fight and ultimately die. His death at the barricade is one of the dramatic highlights of the show. Vocal range: A to G (above Middle C)

Marius is the handsome romantic hero of the story. He is impulsive, passionate, wilful and headstrong. His moods change according to his circumstances. He is sweet and tender but also capable of great courage and compassion. In Act I Marius plays Romeo to Cosette's Juliet. Marius matures after the Café Song as a result of his experiences on the barricade. Marius should have a lovely, lyrical voice with a contemporary edge. Vocal range: Low A to High A flat

Cosette is the beautiful daughter of Fantine. She is strong willed and loving. She is an intelligent, inquiring, personable girl. She is not in any sense a "soppy" romantic heroine. Once adopted by Jean Valjean, Cosette lives a comfortable, if secluded life. She is challenging towards Valjean, behaving always with imagination and dignity. She falls instantly in love with Marius, changing her world and her priorities. The role calls for an excellent singer with a lovely, lyrical soprano voice. Vocal range: B flat (below Middle C) to High C (2 octaves above Middle C)

Montparnasse, Babet, Brujon, Claquesous These are members of Thenardier's gang of thieves. In the professional companies men play them, but for the School Edition, these roles may be cast as a mix of males and females. Vocal ranges: C sharp (below Middle C) to E
Brujon - Physically very strong. The body of a bear and a pea sized brain. A genuine gangster, he is stupid and evil. Babet - Physically frail. He is lean and cunning. Claquesous - Tough, dangerous and secretive. Montparnasse - A teenager. Handsome and dangerous. Kills with a knife. He is well dressed, strongly built and supple.

Members of the ABC Society A secret society of students and workers, the letters "A" "B" "C", as pronounced in French, make the word "abaisse," which means "the underdog" or "the people below." The members are drawn from wealthy families, and members have chosen to fight for freedom in stark contrast to the poor who have no choice due to their downtrodden circumstance. Additional characters, besides Enjolras and Marius are: Combeferre - Is the philosopher and believer in peace. He is gentle, humane, strong and brave. Feuilly - Is a worker, self-educated and an orphan. A believer in "nationality." Affectionate, warm and poetic. Courfeyrac - Is a student. His is youthful, passionate and fearless. Joly - A medical student. Eccentric and light-hearted, although sometimes morbid. His name is derived from the English word "jolly." Prouvaire - A student of social studies. He is kind, softly spoken and at the right moments strong and masterful. He is also a poet. Lesgles - A student. Cheerful, laughing at life but unlucky. His close friend is Joly. Grantaire - A student. He is the opposite of Enjolras. He believes in nothing. Although he admires Enjolras he loves to mock him. Witty and drunken, he is happy being with the group and they put up with him because of his good humour. He also keeps a watchful eye on Gavroche, the mascot of the group, and is the most heartbroken when Gavroche is killed. So much so that Grantaire abandons his cynicism and rushes to die on the barricade. Vocal ranges: Low A to F

INSTRUMENTATION
Schools may perform the show using the full orchestration or may choose which parts they wish to use according to their instrumental resources. The show can also be performed just with keyboard accompaniment. The complete list of band parts:
REED I, REED II, HORN I, HORN II, TRUMPET I, TRUMPET II, TROMBONE, VIOLIN, VIOLA, CELLO, BASS, GUITAR, PERCUSSION, DRUMS, KEYBOARD I, KEYBOARD II, KEYBOARD III

OTHER RESOURCES
In addition to the normal standard set of performing material, the following resources are also available:

An Enhanced Study Guide including curriculum based activities for all age groups to help them explore important events and issues in 19th century France, as well as special assignments to assist cast and crew in creating a realistic depiction of the characters in the musical.

A Reference Recording to assist cast members in learning the musical score.

The RehearScore disk, a computerised recording of the Piano Conductor score for rehearsal purposes only, available for PC and Mac.

Production Slides to enhance set design.

PRICING INFORMATION
Performing royalties are charged at 16% of ticket sale receipts + VAT, with a minimum royalty per performance of £105 + VAT.

Hire fees for rehearsal material, with Director's Script, Logo Pack and Sound Effects CD included, are £275 for a period of three months.

Hire fees for full instrumental material are £170 for a period of four weeks.

The Enhanced Study Guide and Reference Recording are sold together for a cost of £27.

RehearScore costs £165 to hire for the duration of the licence.

Production slides cost £27.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can we record our performance?
We are now able to permit video recording of performances of LES MISERABLES SCHOOL EDITION subject to a special licence and fee.

I am not from a school or youth group. Can I perform LMSE?
The short answer is no, as it may only be performed by performers under 19 years of age. Church Groups, Community Theatre, University Dramatic and Musical Societies, Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Societies are not eligible to perform the show unless they comply with the age restriction.

My LEA normally provides the music and drama for our local schools because we don't have the necessary expertise or resources in individual schools to mount annual show. How do we go about putting the show on?
LEAs who normally provide all (or the main part) of the local schools' drama and music are welcome to contact us with a view to producing LMSE. We will look at each application on a case by case basis.

We would like to combine with another local school so we have a big enough cast. Is this possible?
Yes, you can combine with other schools but the licence must be applied for by one school only and the performances must take place in one agreed venue - the production cannot be done in one school and then in the other.

Our school has no performance venue but we really want to perform LMSE. How do we do this?
This problem has arisen from time to time and it has now been agreed that the performances can take place where your school would normally perform its in-house productions. This does not mean that you can automatically do LMSE in the Town Hall. Please contact us prior to lodging your application if this is the case for your school.

Is the orchestration the same as the West End version or is it flexible?
The scoring is for 18 players though we do have guidelines for building your orchestra up from one piano and adding the "essential" orchestral elements. Please contact us for details.

We would most likely need our orchestral materials for longer than 4-6 weeks. Is this possible?
Yes you are allowed to have the materials for longer periods though there will be extra charges. Please let us know how long you will require your materials in advance on your application form.

What standard is/are the orchestral parts?
The orchestra parts are around grade 6 to 8 - the brass parts are quite tough indeed and require stamina from the players, so consider sharing the parts round between your players.

Can we make cuts or changes to the text and music?
No. There are no changes allowed in this version.

The licence says that all performers must be under 19 years of age. Does this include the musicians?
You may be in the position to get extra players from outside of the school and even have your instrumental tutors help boost the band strength. The performers in question must be those on the stage - your actors and singers.

Can any staff members be involved in performing in LMSE?
No. All of your actors and singers must be under the age of 19.

We would like to do LMSE as a concert version. Is this possible?
No. It is specifically designed to be staged and is not a 'concert version'.

We are a single sex school. Can we do LMSE?
This is not possible as the show must be performed with male and female actors/singers in the correct roles. It is generally understood that you will fill your opposite sex roles from your local boys/girls school.

I am from a school outside of the UK. Can we do LMSE?
LES MISÉRABLES SCHOOL EDITION is available in the United States through Music Theatre International and in Australia and New Zealand through Hal Leonard. Weinberger is currently licensing the show only in the UK and Ireland and MTI. It is not currently available in any other territory, but may be in future and we suggest that you contact us to register your interest.