Les_Miserables

Les Misérables Walking into the dark theater, I could see the rows of red velvet seats beneath the dimmed lights under a high ceiling. We sat waiting for the production to begin, and I looked around the theater to observe the audience. Everyone was anxiously waiting, flipping through the playbill and talking among themselves. Seated in the corner of the theater, the stage jutted out in front of us. The low murmur turned silent as the lights began to slowly faint and the performance began. The lights and the flash draw the audience’s attention, and is unquestionably one of the key devices of visual manifestation. Les Misérables has all of the workings of a brilliant spectacle. Bringing an emotional tragedy to life on stage, and adding the effects of scenes that portray war (gunshots, bright lights, smoke) helps capture the story. The scenery also plays a central role in helping to shape the story. The setting was a poor neighborhood in France during the Revolutionary War period. The characters were dressed in class appropriate attire, which brought to perspective the poverty that Victor Hugo depicted in his novel. The settings were based upon early nineteenth century houses, including both those of the rich and the poor. It also showed the barricades the revolutionaries fought within, and the battle ground for the wars they fought. The novel and the play differ in some ways, as an play or movie is. When a scene is in words, it must be done differently when acted out. As Streit states in his article, “…There are differences thematically between the novel and the musical. Not prior political motifs by the time Rant 2 of the nineteenth century are in the centre. Instead, love, life, glory and righteousness are the themes the characters have to deal with. The musical seeks dramatic concentration by eliminating digressions and by cutting off the beginning and ending of the story. It adds comedy in treating the Thénardier couple, who are more purely villainous in the novel. Finally, the musical becomes a hymn to a revolution from which God is absent.” (2) Aside from spectacle, the lyrics and music of show tunes hold within them the fabric of the play. After the audience leaves the theatre, they will not recall much of the dialogue, but they will hum the songs. Singing the lyrics or listening to a Broadway soundtrack allows a person to re-live the production and the message of the playwright. Show tunes also allow those who have no access to a musical production to still grasp the key themes through the music. The novelist Victor Hugo stated, “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” (1) His words became true as his book was portrayed on stage through Les Mis. The musical Les Misérables has reached a worldwide audience having played in more than twenty countries to more than fifty million people, with many productions still playing and additional productions still to come. (1) Behind the plot of the story there was a great meaning of what life is all about. Les Misérables touches fragile aspects of crime, love, poverty, and the meaning of life and death. Sometimes life is unfair and you cannot change the way it is. The elements of music and spectacle allow musical theatre to explore issues and touch the lives of the audience through entertainment. Those who view musicals as fluff may not see the deeper meaning behind the shimmering glitter, show-stopping tunes, and curtain of Rant 3 happiness. Certainly in reviewing these techniques, song and spectacle can be just as valuable as good dialogue. The audience coming to see this spectacle anticipated the drama, the story line and the special effects of a Broadway performance. But there are other factors that play into the show as well. When going to see a performance in New York City, people also like to take in every aspect of the rich culture and experience the many elements of the city. A few of these elements include eating at one of the many restaurants, taking a horse and buggy ride, shopping, visiting Central Park, and experiencing the night life in the city that never sleeps. Although the main reason for visiting may be to go see a show, many tourists enjoy staying the weekend in a hotel to take in the city life. Staying overnight is an experience as well. The hotels in New York are sky scrapers and usually have beautiful views from the upper floors. There are also hotel restaurants, and sometimes casinos in the lobbies. Whether the audience is coming for the drama of the theater and the brilliance of spectacle, or because they are interested in the French Revolution and the story behind it, they leave entertained. The spectacle of Les Misérables brings all sorts of audience, and New York City is part of the spectacle.