Included in this Packet
Audition Information Play Summary Character Breakdown Call Back Suggestions Musical Numbers
If you would like to read the entire script or get to know more about the individual characters than listed here, you can find the script online, simply type Les Mis School Edition Script
Important Dates
Open House – All Members – September 14th – 6:30-8:30 ….. Audition Workshop – October 03 – 6:30-8:30…. Auditions October – 06 & 07….Call Backs – October 09 – 9:00-1:00…. Crew Meetings – TBA
Show Dates – April 21 and 22 at 7:30pm and 23 at 2:00pm
Audition Details
On the Audition Form (below) you will be selecting a time slot. Upon arrival, you will check in at the table in the front of the the theater doors.
Everyone auditioning is required to participate in the following areas:
- Acting – Les Miserables is a sung-through show. In other words, there is no spoken dialogue. For this reason, there is no specific acting audition for this show. I left this section in this information packet to stress the importance of using your song to demonstrate your acting prowess.
- Singing – You can sing any song of your choosing, you will need to provide accompaniment WITH NO LYRICS on the accompaniment, please send the accompaniment to sound@beaconplayers.com along with your name, title of song and the time of your audition but should you be called back, it would be wise to be familiar with the songs associated with the characters of the show.There are multiple songs to choose from, all listed in this packet. The music can also be found on YouTube and multiple karaoke sites. Select the song that best suits your voice and most closely resembles the character you are most interested in playing. We highly recommend that you attend the Workshop on October 03.
- You also have access to the Rehearscore and can utilize that for your audition accompaniment, if you choose.
- Audition Tips – To memorize or not to memorize? Always a popular question. We do not require the songs be memorized. That said, the more familiar you are with the material, the more effective your audition will be, it is good to also be as familiar with the play and the characters as is possible. The original cast album is widely available. Be aware that there are differences between that album and the version we have licensed for performance (see differences below). Be confident – even if you have never done this before, walk into the audition as if you own the place. Make bold choices – you need to show us your stuff. These are bigger than life characters, don’t just stand and sing.You will be only one of 5/6 students in the theater during your audition. You will be auditioning for Mr.Scarrone and Ms. Wright.
You should introduce yourself, and then sing your song. Do not be surprised if Mr. Scarrone asks you to go to the Chorus Room with Ms.Wright and she has you sing some scales, or particular parts of a song. We need to have a clear idea of your vocal range. There is also a possibility that you will be asked to work on particular song for call backs.
You will be nervous. That is a good thing. The key is to channel your nerves into good positive energy. It is important to remember that the directors want you to be great
Call Back Song Suggestions
There are many songs from which to choose. The general audition is to hear your voice quality and to gage your ability to act the song. Being familiar with Call Back songs will help us determine the role that best suits you. If you are not called back you might still be cast in the show.
Call Back Song List: ( * Indicates an important character song)
Act I
Valjean’s Soliloquy (What Have I Done?) – Valjean
At the End of the Day – The Poor, Foreman, Women, Fantine, Factory Girl
I Dreamed a Dream* – Fantine
Lovely Ladies – Sailors, Hookers, Fantine, Old Woman, Crone,
Who am I?* – Valjean
Fantine’s Death (Come to Me) – Fantine, Valjean
The Confrontation* – Valjean, Javert
Castle on a Cloud – Little Cosette
Master of the House* – Madame Thenadier, Thenadier
Stars* – Javert
Red and Black* (The ABC Cafe) – Enjolras, Marius, Students
Do You Hear the People Sing?* – Enjolras, Students, and Citizens
In My Life – Cosette, Valjean
A Heart Full Of Love* – Cosette, Marius, Eponine
One Day More – Company
Act II
On My Own* – Eponine
Little People – Gavroche
A Little Fall of Rain* – Eponine, Marius
Drink With Me* – Granataire, Students, Women
Bring Him Home*- Valjean
Javert’s Suicide* – Javert
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables* – Marius
Finale – Company
Addendum
One of these two songs will be sung at auditions as a group and possibly by parts, please familiarize yourself with the lyrics.
You have also been sent the Rehearscore for the show the, Epilogue starts at measure 101
Thanks.
Epilogue
Do you hear the people sing
Lost in the valley of the night?It is the music of a people
Who are climbing to the light
For the wretched of the earth
There is a flame that never dies
Even the darkest night will end
And the sun will rise
They will live again in freedom
In the garden of the Lord
We will walk behind the ploughshare
We will put away the sword
The chain will be broken
And all men will have their reward
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes!
Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Somewhere beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Do you hear the people sing?
Say, do you hear the distant drums?
It is the future that they bring
When tomorrow comes!
Aah!
Aah!
Aah!
Tomorrow comes!
One Day More![Valjean:]
One day more.
Another day, another destiny This never ending road to Calvary These men who seem to know my crime Will surely come a second time One day more
[Marius:]
I did not live until today
How can I live when we are parted?
[Valjean:]
One day more
[Marius & Cosette:]
Tomorrow you’ll be worlds away
And yet with you, my world has started
[Eponine:]
One more day all on my own
[Marius & Cosette:]
Will we ever meet again?
[Eponine:]
One more day with him not caring
[Marius & Cosette:]
I was born to be with you
[Eponine:]
What a life I might have known
[Marius & Cosette:]
And I swear I will be true!
[Eponine:]
But he never saw me there
[Enjolras:]
One more day before the storm
At the barricades of freedom
When our ranks begin to form
Will you take your place with me?
[Marius:]
Do I follow where she goes?
Shall I join my brothers there?
Do I stay or do I dare?
[All:]
The time is now
The day is here
[Valjean:]
One day more!
[Javert:]
One more day till revolution
We will nip it in the bud
We’ll be ready for these schoolboys
They will wet themselves with blood!
[Valjean:]
One day more!
[M. & Mme. Thenardier:]
Watch them run amuck
Catch’m as they fall
Never know your luck
When there’s a free for all
Here a little dip
There a little touch
Most of them are goners
So they won’t miss much!
[Students:]
One day to a new beginning
Raise the flag of freedom high!
Every man will be a king
Every man will be a king
There’s a new world for the winning
There’s a new world to be won
Do you hear the people sing?
[Marius:]
My place is here
I fight with you!
[Valjean:]
One day more!
[Marius & Cosette:]
I did not live until today
Tomorrow you’ll be worlds away
And yet with you my world has started
[Eponine:]
One more day all on my own
[Javert:]
I will join these people’s heroes
I will follow where they go
I will know their little secrets
I will know the things they know
[Valjean:]
One day more!
[M. & Mme. Thenardier:]
Watch ’em run amuck
Catch ’em as they fall
Never know your luck
When there’s a free-for-all
[Javert:]
One more day to revolution
We will nip it in the bud
We’ll be ready for these schoolboys
Tomorrow is the judgement day
[Valjean:]
Tomorrow we’ll be far away
Tomorrow is the judgement day
[All:]
Tomorrow we’ll discover
What our god in heaven has in store!
One more dawn
One more day
One day more!
Sent from my iPad
Play Summary
| Les Misérables is a sung-through musical based on the novel Les Misérables by French poet and novelist Victor Hugo. Premiering in Paris in 1980, it has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and original French-language lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, alongside an English- language libretto with accompanying English-language lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. The London production has run continuously since October 1985, making it the longest-running musical in the West End and the second longest- running musical in the world after the original Off-Broadway run of The Fantasticks. |
The Story
Les Misérables is the world’s longest running musical — a true modern classic based on Victor Hugo’s novel and featuring one of the most memorable scores of all time.
One of the world’s most iconic and longest-running musicals, made accessible for students, Les Misérables – School Edition tells the story of Jean Valjean, a former convict who spends a lifetime seeking redemption. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France and the aftermath of the French Revolution, this timeless story of intertwined destinies reveals the power of compassion and the quiet evil of indifference to human suffering. As Valjean’s quest for a new life carries him into Paris and to the barricades of the Student Revolution, he is hunted by Inspector Javert and the ghosts of his past. Amidst a battle for the soul of Paris, he discovers the true meaning of love and salvation. With the original show performed in over 40 countries and 22 languages, this widely known lush and swelling score features such famed songs as “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” and “Bring Him Home,” Les Mis brings Victor Hugo’s revolutionary novel blazingly to life.
Set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his sister’s starving child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him by a tremendous act of mercy, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.
Character Breakdown
Audition Information & Audition Form “Les Miserables” – 2023
Vocal Ranges
https://www.mtishows.com/full-cast-info/1557
Principal Lead Roles (Male)
Jean Valjean: A paroled convict and the protagonist and moral center of the show. Failing to find work with his yellow parole note and redeemed by the Bishop of Digne’s mercy, he tears up the parole note and conceals his identity to live his life as an honest man. He redeems himself repeatedly with selfless acts of generosity and love. He steps in to save Fantine. He adopts Cosette and ultimately gives his blessing to her and Marius, allowing them to marry. He rescues Marius from the barricade.
Javert: Police Inspector who relentlessly pursues Valjean for breaking parole. He sees the world and its people in shades of black and white, and believes that no one—including himself—is capable of change or redemption. He is NOT the villain, but his idea of the law is merciless and unbending
Thenardier: An opportunist who has survived by robbing, cheating, stealing and looking out for himself, above all. Crooked, irreverent, selfish, boorish, vulgar. He plays the “bon vivant” host because it serves him well, and later leads a gang of dangerous thieves. Comic relief along with his wife Madame Thenardier.
Marius: A young student who is searching for himself and his purpose through his studies and through the revolutionary ideas of his peers. He is a casual friend of Eponine, but falls in love with Cosette instantly at a chance meeting. Marius’ experiences at the barricade age and mature him.
Enjolras: Charismatic leader of the student revolutionaries. He believes that “the people” will join him in the fight to make a better world. Friend to Marius and the ABC students– who are willing to follow him to the barricades and beyond.
Principal Lead Roles (Female)
Fantine: Desperate, haunted, terrified, hopeful, proud and fiercely protective of Cosette, Fantine is a woman who has been abandoned by her lover and seeks to support herself and her child, first by reputable work and then by selling everything that she has, including her body. As she dies of consumption, she asks Valjean to look after Cosette. Ultimately, she appears as a spirit and escorts the dying Valjean to paradise.
Eponine: Daughter of the Thenardiers, she has followed in her parents’ footsteps to life on the street. Once pampered, now a ragged waif, she has learned to take what she needs and wants from anyone not strong enough to protect it. The only thing she can’t have is the love of Marius.
Cosette: Fantine’s daughter, she has become beautiful under Valjean’s care. She is lively, personable, curious and mischievous. She challenges him, behaving with dignity and imagination when seeking information about her past. She falls instantly in love with Marius, changing her world and her priorities.
Madame Thenardier: Opportunistic wife of Thenardier. She is coarse, greedy, larger than life, and able to improvise in any situation. Scheming, comic and quick to see an opportunity.
Young Cosette: Fantine’s young daughter. Boards with The Thenardiers. She is mistreated, worked like a drudge, beaten by Madame and bullied by young Eponine. She is fearful, lonely and dreams of something better.
Young Eponine: non-singing/non-speaking. The Thenardiers spoiled, pampered daughter who bullies young Cosette mercilessly.
Gavroche: A child of the streets who has made his way with intelligence, honor and a cocky courage that endears him to the student revolutionaries. He sees himself as one of them.
Featured Ensemble Roles
Male ABC SOCIETY: Students and workers, part of a secret society to fight for freedom. The students are from wealthy families, the workers are a stark contrast. They include:
Combeferre: a philosopher and believer in peace. He is gentle, humane, strong and brave.
Feuilly: a worker, self-educated and an orphan. A Believer in “nationality”. Affectionate, warm, poetic
Courfeyrac: a student, He is youthful, passionate and fearless.
Joly: a medical student. Eccentric and lighthearted, although occasionally morbid. His name is from the English “jolly”
Prouvaire: a student of social studies. He is kind, soft spoken and at the right moments strong and masterful. He is a poet.
Lesgles: a student, cheerful, laughing at life but unlucky. Close friends with Joly.
Grantaire: a student, the opposite of Enjolras. He believes in nothing. He admires Enjolras, but loves to mock him. Witty and often drunk, he is happy
being with the group and they put up with him because of his good humor. He keeps a watchful eye on Gavroche and is most heartbroken when Gavroche is killed.
Thenardier’s Gang of Thieves. They include:
Brujon: Physically strong. The body of a bear and a pea sized brain. a gangster, stupid and evil.
Babet: Physically frail, but lean and cunning
Claquesous: “He is the night.” tough, dangerous and secretive Montparnasse: a teenager, handsome and dangerous. Kills with a knife. Possessive of Eponine
The Foreman: The foreman of the factory where Fantine works. He is sleazy and even a bit menacing
Bamatabois: The “customer “who taunts Fantine into violence. Wealthy, dissolute young man who thinks of himself as a gentleman. Drunk, sadistic and feels he can buy anything-even Fantine.
The Pimp: Controls the prostitutes at the dock. Mean, aggressive and abusive. Small solo line in “Lovely Ladies”
Other ensemble roles: Chain Gang, Farmers, Laborers, Sailors, Constables, Citizens, Beggars, Wedding Guests, Waltzers
Featured Ensemble Roles
Bishop of Digne: Houses Valjean after his release from jail and gives him gifts of silver and absolution. His act of kindness inspires Valjean to improve himself and escape the label of “criminal”. This role will be changed to a nun so that a female can play the role.
Factory Girl/Woman 1: Fights with Fantine. Mean, catty and threatened by Fantine’s beauty. Jealous of the attention that the foreman pays her.
Old Woman: E to high D. This is the woman who bargains with Fantine for her hair.
Other ensemble roles : Farmers, Innkeeper’s Wife, Whores, Factory Workers, Citizens, Beggars, Wedding Guests, Waltzers
As we have done is years past, all cast members will sing in the wings when not on stage.
Musical Numbers
A word about the School Edition of Les Miserables. The School Edition is the only version that is allowed to be performed by high schools. There are not that many differences between the two. Some of the songs have been arranged in different keys to make them more manageable for high school voices. No characters or songs have been eliminated from the show, but some verses have been eliminated or cut down. For this reason they have renamed some of the songs. In the list below, I have put in parenthesis the names of the songs from the original.
Act I
Prologue (Work Song, What Have I Done) At The End Of The Day
I Dreamed A Dream
The Docks (Lovely Ladies)
The Cart Crash (Who Am I)
Fantine’s Death (The Confrontation)
Little Cosette (Castle on a Cloud)
The InnKeeper’s Song (Master of the House) The Bargain
The Beggars (Look Down)
The Robbery
Stars
The ABC Café (Red and Black)
The People’s Song (Do You Hear the People Sing) Rue Plumet (In My Life)
A Heart Full Of Love
The Attack On Rue Plumet
One Day More
Act II
Building The Barricade (On My Own)
Javert At The Barricade (Little People, A Little Fall of Rain) The First Attack
The Night (Drink With Me, Bring Him Home)
The Second Attack
The Final Battle
The Sewers
Javert’s Suicide (Turning)
The Café Song (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables) Marius & Cosette
The Wedding
Epilogue