Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. The London production, based on this novel, has run continuously since October 1985–the longest-running musical in the West End and the second-longest running musical in the world.
As always, this LES MISERABLES is a story about the never-ending search for justice in an unjust world, and a story about love: the kind of love that holds us up even as the world disappoints. This production is faithful to every song and every word. The license is taken in the costume and design departments. Prison guards are costumed in modern Militaristic outfits and carry modern handguns. A financially successful Jean Valjean appears in a business suit. And the conflict at the barricades is meant to bring to mind the recent scenes in Kiev's Independence Square, rather than a mid-19th century uprising in Paris, France. The relevance of current world events influenced these choices. I want the audience to know that a story of student idealists fighting against a corrupt system is the story of now.
As we continue our journey this season on answering the question: What is Tragedy?, I felt an immediacy with this musical that calls us to question the everyday tragedies we experience. There is an urgency here that I do not want an audience to be able to disengage from. Setting the show in the traditional 19th century allows an audience to think passively about the situation presented. "Because this happened two hundred years ago, I feel there is nothing I can do." I want our audiences to know that "The time is now! The day is here," as the famous tagline from One Day More goes. It is the fierce urgency of now that we fail to see at our own collective peril. Understanding that the same issues that were fought and died over in the late 1800's, still rage today in our modern society and this is key to our success as a global family.
There is precedent for our interpretation of this seminal show. We are not the first production to place Les Mis in a modern, or different context (perhaps the first student production.) Similar ideas have been explored by Shakespeare Theatre Company, Dallas Theater Center and even Rob Thomas for Fox Television (currently in production.) Our production places the action within a totalitarian sphere that is meant to evoke western incursion by Russia. It includes aspects of the motivators explored by the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the Arab spring uprising, Occupy Wall Street, civil rights marches and other student led revolutions. This show also addresses modern problems with our criminal justice system and how we treat homelessness.
A show's context is less important than the message. To me, this show is summed up in the last line by Valjean: "to love another person is to see the face of God." It is this idea of us loving our neighbors, embracing their fears, enjoying their success and striving for their rights - that motivates this production. We are stronger together. If this collective truth is widely spread, there is no problem insurmountable for us.
Enjoy the Show,
M.B. Griffin
Artistic Director
