Les Miserables September 29, 2012

'Les Miserables,' a musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, is based on Hugo's famous novel of 19th-century France. The action begins in 1815 as Jean Valjean is condemned to 19 years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family. When he is released on parole, he finds only hatred and suspicion. Meeting one man who believes in him, Valjean breaks his parole to begin a new life. The story truly begins as Jean Valjean crosses the landscape of France, always pursued by the righteous police inspector Javert. From Valjean's adoption and love of the orphan Cosette, to the darkly funny plots of the thieving Thenardiers, from the soaring revolutionary fire set by student rebels fighting in the streets of Paris to the final confrontation between Jean Valjean and Javert, the story of 'Les Miserables' is one of love, courage and redemption. As the now-famous lyric from the show says, "To love another person is to see the face of God."