Mr. Jeff Young, Instructor

Jean Valjean is released on parole. Steals silver from a Bishop; gets caught. Bishop clears his name; Valjean begins new life. He takes a new name. Eight years later, he becomes Mayor of Montreuil-Sur-Mer, and owner of a factory in the city.

Fantine, one of Valjean’s workers has an illegitimate child living with a couple far away. After finding this out, the other women in the factory want her to be fired. The foreman of the factory follows the women’s request and throws her out, leaving her no way to make money for to pay for Cosette, her daughter. Desperate for money to pay for Cosette, Fantine sells her hair, her locket, and finally herself. The prostitutes sing the song Lovely Ladies.

Fantine gets sick, and Javert, the police officer, tries to take her to jail. Valjean, the Mayor, arrives and wants to take her to a hospital. Javert realizes that the Mayor is similar to Valjean. Thinks that it can’t be Valjean because he has just been recaptured. Valjean can’t see an innocent man go to jail in his place, and admits who he actually is.

Fantine dies, and Valjean promises to take care of Cosette. Javert tries to capture Valjean, but he escapes. Valjean goes and gets Cosette from the Thénardiers. The Thénardiers tell their story in Master of the House.

Javert is still hunting Valjean, and Valjean is still taking care of Cosette, who has grown up. Valjean has made sure that she was raised correctly. There is a hatred of the Government by the poor people of France. This is the beginning of the French Revolution. The song “Do You Hear the People Sing?” represents the beliefs of the people. Marius, a son of the Revolution, meets Cosette and the two fall in love. Eponine, the daughter of the Thénardiers, is also in love with Marius. Even though she is in love with Marius, she takes him to meet Cosette. Marius does not know whether to go fight with his Revolutionary friends or stay and be with Cosette. He chooses to go fight. The first act comes to a multiple- angled cliffhanger, and the audience is left wondering what is going to happen when the Revolutionaries begin to fight, if Valjean will protect Cosette, and what will happen between the love triangle between Marius, Eponine, and Cosette?

Eponine has joined Marius at the barricades that are being built for the Revolution. Marius sends her with a letter to Cosette. On her way, she sings On My Own. Valjean intercepts this letter, and tries to convince Eponine to stay behind.

Javert is at the barricades, as a spy. He tries to sabotage the Revolutionaries. Gavroche, a young child, realizes this is Javert and tells everyone so. The first battle ensues.

On her way back to the barricades, Eponine is shot. She and Marius sing the duet A Little Fall of Rain, as everyone else looks on. Eponine dies at the Barricades, after having expressed her love for Marius.

After the first battle, the barricades fall silent for the night. Valjean prays for the safe return of Marius, for the sake of Cosette. He sings Bring Him Home.

The next day, the battle rages on. Gavroche goes out to get more ammunition, and is shot and killed in the process. All of the rebels are killed in the battle. There are no survivors, except for Marius, who was saved by Valjean. Valjean takes Marius into the sewers and carries him to safety. Valjean runs into Thénardier in the sewer, who is stealing things from the people who died in the battle. He sings Dog Eat Dog.

Valjean exits the sewers, only to once again run into Javert. Valjean pleads with Javert to let him take Marius to a hospital. Javert lets him go.

Frustrated with himself, Javert escapes from the world of Jean Valjean and kills himself, by drowning in the Seine River.

Marius has survived the battle, and has gotten better. Cosette and Marius are married. Valjean tells Cosette the truth about her mother Fantine, and the rest of the story in a letter that he gives her. Valjean, now an old man, dies. The many heroes from the battles, Fantine, and Eponine, all return to the stage, as if they are helping Valjean into heaven. The entire company sings a new version of Do You Hear The People Sing?

References Pictures & Synopsis: Sounds: Les Misérables, Original Broadway Soundtrack. Originally Recorded, 1986.