Source en.wikipedia.org

Synopsis

Act I

Les Misérables begins at a prison in Toulon, France in 1815, where the imprisoned men are forced to do labour ("Work Song"). After nineteen years of imprisonment (five for stealing bread for his starving sister and her family, and the rest for trying to escape) Jean Valjean, Prisoner 24601, is released on parole by the policeman Javert. By law, Valjean must display a yellow ticket-of-leave, which condemns him as an outcast as he tries to start anew ("On Parole"). He then meets the Bishop of Digne, who offers food and shelter. Nevertheless, Valjean repays the bishop by stealing some silver, and is soon caught by the police. However the bishop lies to save Valjean, then gives him two expensive candlesticks and asks him to start a new, honest life ("Valjean Arrested, Valjean Forgiven"). Humbled by the bishop's mercy and kindness, Valjean decides to follow the bishop's advice and breaks his parole as he tears apart his yellow ticket-of-leave ("Valjean Soliloquy" / "What Have I Done?").

Jumping ahead in time eight years, Valjean, having assumed a new identity as Monsieur Madeleine has become a wealthy factory owner and mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer. One of his workers, Fantine, gets into a fight after the other workers discover that she is sending money to her secret illegitimate child who is living with an innkeeper and his wife ("At the End of the Day"). The Mayor initially breaks up the conflict, but asks his factory foreman to resolve it. When asked, the other women demand Fantine's dismissal. Because she had previously rejected his advances, the foreman agrees and throws Fantine out.

Fantine sings about her broken dreams and about the father of her daughter who abandoned her ("I Dreamed a Dream"). Desperate for money, she sells her hair, keeping her locket (which she is saving for her daughter), before becoming a prostitute ("Lovely Ladies"). When she fights back against an abusive customer, she is arrested by Javert, now stationed in Monreuil-sur-mer ("Fantine's Arrest"). "Madeleine" soon arrives, and realising his part in the ruination of Fantine, he orders Javert to let her go and takes her to a hospital instead.

Soon after, The Mayor single-handedly rescues a local man (Fauchelevant) who is pinned by a runaway cart ("The Runaway Cart"). This reminds Javert of the abnormal strength of Jean Valjean, who he has been tracking for years for breaking parole. However, Javert assures The Mayor that Valjean has just been recently arrested and will be in court later in the day. Unable to see an innocent man go to prison in his place, Valjean confesses to the court that he is the real Prisoner 24601, showing the convict's brand on his chest as a proof ("Who Am I? - The Trial").

Before returning to prison, Valjean visits the dying Fantine and promises to find and look after her daughter Cosette before she dies. ("Come to Me" / "Fantine's Death"). When Javert arrives to arrest him, Valjean asks three more days to fetch Cosette, but Javert refuses to believe his honest intentions ("The Confrontation"). Valjean eventually knocks Javert out and escapes.

The scene then shifts to an inn outside Montreuil run by the Thénardiers, where Cosette has been living. The Thénardiers have been abusing the little girl, while indulging their own daughter, Éponine. Cosette dreams of a better life ("Castle on a Cloud") before Madame Thénardier sends her to fetch water in the dark. The inn fills up for the evening, where the Thénardiers use numerous methods to cheat their customers ("Master of the House"). Valjean finds Cosette fetching water ("The Bargain") and pays the Thénardiers the extortionary price of 1500 Francs to let him take Cosette away ("The Waltz of Treachery").

Nine years pass, and Paris is in an uproar because popular leader General Lamarque, the only man in the government who shows mercy to the poor, is ill and may die soon. The young street urchin Gavroche mingles with the whores and beggars on the street, while students Marius Pontmercy and Enjolras discuss the likely demise of the general ("Look Down").

A street gang led by the Thénardiers prepares to ambush Valjean, whom Thénardier recognizes as the man who took Cosette ("The Robbery"). As they set up, Éponine sees Marius, whom she is secretly in love with, and warns him to stay away. As Marius tries to ask Éponine about what is going on, he accidentally bumps into Cosette and immediately falls in love with her. The Thénardiers attempt to rob Valjean and Cosette, who are rescued by Javert, who does not recognize Valjean until after he makes his escape ("Javert's Intervention"). Javert gazes at the night sky, comparing his hunt of Valjean and justice to the order of the stars ("Stars"). Meanwhile Marius, although he does not yet know Cosette's name, persuades a reluctant Éponine to help find her ("Éponine's Errand").

The scene shifts to a political meeting in a small café where a group of idealistic students led by Enjolras gather to prepare for a revolution they are sure will erupt after the death of General Lamarque ("The ABC Cafe - Red and Black"). Marius arrives late, filled with thoughts of love for Cosette, whose name he still does not know. When Gavroche brings the news of the General's death, the students march out into the streets to whip up popular support ("Do You Hear the People Sing?")

Cosette is also consumed by thoughts of Marius, and Valjean realises that his daughter has grown up but refuses to tell her about his past or her mother. ("Rue Plumet - In My Life"). In spite of her own feelings, Éponine leads Marius to Cosette ("A Heart Full of Love"), and then prevents her father's gang from robbing Valjean's house ("The Attack on Rue Plumet"). Valjean, convinced it was Javert who was lurking outside his house, tells Cosette they must prepare to flee the country.

On the eve of the revolution, Valjean prepares to go into exile; Cosette and Marius part in despair of ever meeting again; Éponine mourns the loss of Marius; Marius decides to join the other students as they prepare for the upcoming conflict; Javert plans to spy on the students and learn their secrets; and the Thénardiers look forward to stealing from the corpses of those who will be killed during the battle to come ("One Day More").

Act II

As the students prepare to build a barricade ("At the Barricade - Upon These Stones"), Javert, disguised as one of the rebels, volunteers to "spy" on the government troops. Meanwhile, Marius notices that Éponine has disguised herself as a boy and has joined the revolutionaries, and then sends her with a letter to Cosette, which will also serve to get Éponine to safety. Valjean intercepts the letter. Éponine decides, despite what he has said to her, to rejoin Marius at the barricade ("On My Own").

The students build their barricade ("Building the Barricade - Upon These Stones") and then defy an army warning to surrender or die. Javert comes back and lies to the students about the government's plans to attack ("Javert's Arrival"), but is exposed as a spy by Gavroche ("Little People"). Éponine is shot when she returns to the barricades and dies in Marius' arms ("A Little Fall of Rain"). Valjean also arrives at the barricades in search of Marius as the first battle erupts, and he saves Enjolras by shooting a sniper ("The First Attack"). As a reward, he asks to be the one to kill Javert, but instead releases him and even gives him his address. The students settle down for a night ("Drink With Me"), while Valjean prays to God to save Marius from the onslaught that is to come ("Bring Him Home").

As dawn approaches, Enjolras realizes that the people have abandoned them, and sends the women and fathers of children away from the barricades, but resolves that they should fight on ("Dawn of Anguish"). With ammunition running out during the second attack, Gavroche runs out to collect more, but is shot dead by the army ("The Second Attack / The Death of Gavroche"). The army gives one last warning to surrender, but the rebels refuse, and everyone is killed except Valjean and Marius ("The Final Battle").

Carrying a wounded Marius on his back, Valjean escapes through the sewers. Meanwhile, Thénardier is also in the sewers, stealing valuables off the dead bodies from the battle, laughing that he is performing a "service to the town" ("Dog Eats Dog"). Thénardier takes a ring off of Marius' hand as Valjean is resting, and then escapes when he sees Valjean getting up. When Valjean reaches the sewer's issue, he runs into Javert, who has been waiting for him. Valjean begs Javert to give him one more hour to bring Marius to a doctor, and Javert reluctantly agrees. After Valjean leaves, Javert realizes Valjean is not purely evil as he always thought. Unable to deal with losing his lifelong black-and-white view of the world, he commits suicide by throwing himself in the >Seine ("Javert's Suicide").

Back on the streets, several women mourn the deaths of the young students ("Turning"). Marius also mourns for his friends ("Empty Chairs at Empty Tables"). As he wonders who saved him from the barricades, Cosette comforts Marius by telling him that she will never go away ("Every Day") and they reaffirm their love. Valjean then confesses to Marius that he is an escaped convict and tells him he must go away because his presence puts Cosette in danger ("Valjean's Confession"). Valjean makes Marius promise never to tell Cosette, and Marius makes only a half-hearted attempt to hold him back.

Marius and Cosette are married ("Wedding Chorale"). The Thénardiers then crash the wedding reception in disguise as "The Baron and Baroness du Thénard" and tell Marius that Valjean is a murderer, saying they saw him carrying a corpse in the sewers after the barricades fell. When Thénardier shows him the ring he took from the corpse, Marius realizes that the "corpse" was he, and that Valjean saved his life that night. After Marius punches Thénardier the newlyweds leave and the Thénardiers enjoy the party and celebrate their survival ("Beggars at the Feast").

Meanwhile, Valjean prepares for his death, having nothing left to live for. Just as the ghosts of Fantine and Éponine arrive to take him to heaven, Cosette and Marius rush in, just in time to bid farewell to Valjean and for Marius to thank him for saving his life ("Valjean's Death"). Valjean gives Cosette his confession to read just before he dies, and the souls of Fantine and Éponine guide him to Paradise, his long struggle over as all, living and dead, ask, once more, "Do You Hear the People Sing?" ("Finale").