dcrowley
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Les Miz with a happy endingI posted this on the social thread... but I thought I would share my idea with the Les Miz people
"How I would change Les Miz"
Maybe there is something to this "happy ending fad" that musicals like Rent and Wicked have adopted... You, know... characters who are meant to die, don't. I think I am going to rewrite Les Miserables and fix some of the little tragedies that occur...
Let's start with your favorite little street waif and mine, Eponine... Now, Eponine is going to sing "On My Own" and run bravely over the barricade where she gets wounded as originally penned... She is dying in Marius's arm's when he realizes... "this girl really does love me... and she wouldn't look half bad if she took a bath..." He sings... "If I could close your wounds with words of love..." and it works... Eponine is revived and in perfect health... She and Marius elope...
A Bloody battle ensues... but when it is believed all is lost, the students fight back and kick ass 300 style... not a single student is killed or injured... Gavroche sings the song of triumph.
Valjean and Javert settle their differences over coffee.
Now that Eponine finally has Marius, that makes Cosette the tragic heroine... and we can't have that. After the student's victory, Valjean thinks Enjolras would be a suitable young suitor to his beloved Cosette, despite his rather homoerotic relationship with Grantaire... He brings Enjolras to meet Cosette... they fall in love.
Now the wedding of a century ensues... with plenty of drunk revolutionaries... Marius and Eponine return for the wedding, and Cosette apologizes to Eponine for trying to steal Marius... Eponine apologizes for being a bitch to Cosette when they were wee girls... they discuss times gone by.
Javert is the best man, at Valjean's insistence. There is no awkwardness between Javert and Enjolras.
And what happened to Valjean you may well ask... He is left alone in his room, dying... praying that God will take him. Cosette runs to him, and tearfully begs him to stay alive. Valjean gives his daughter a gift... the truth of her mother's misery... he dies. Cosette weeps....
BUT WAIT!
Valjean wakes, from what was to be believed an eternal slumber. He says..."Cosette, I saw your mother... and she looked GOOOOOD *laugh from the audience* and she said... Jean, go back and get to that girl's reception."
They all group hug, and sing an upbeat song.
and curtain.
See... happy endings can be great!!!   
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LaurelDP
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Needs more Valjean and Javert making out.
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Patrick
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POSTING THIS ON THE LES MIS FORUM? THEIR PLACE OF WORSHIP? ON THE SABBATH?
(crappy british accent)
ARE YOU DAFT, MAN?
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krisavalon
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Needs more cowbell.
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dcrowley
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Yes... I am daft... I thought it would be nice to see the story of Les Miserables without any misery for a change... Just like how it is nice to see a show full of people who are terminally ill, yet only one person dies, like in Rent.
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lesmisboy
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When should I laugh????
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dcrowley
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Ummm... you can laugh Whenever you feel like it? I didn't particularly mean it to be funny... I was trying to show how lame and ridiculous happy endings are in certain musicals
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EponineMNFF
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| dcrowley wrote: | | Yes... I am daft... I thought it would be nice to see the story of Les Miserables without any misery for a change... Just like how it is nice to see a show full of people who are terminally ill, yet only one person dies, like in Rent. |
That made me laugh so loudly. 
But what about the other Thenardiers, eh? 
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Lepitot
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I don't know the story of Les Mis except that it's miserable...so, I don't really read it because it wouldn't make much sense to me anyway.
Just thought I'd say that in RENT's case, I think it works better that Mimi lives. Cause, its obvious she only has a few hours/ days left to live, which makes the whole "No Day But Today" idea more powerful than...if she died. Then it wouldn't make sense that they were singing "No Day But Today" in Finale B.
Just my take.
Wicked's ending is a bit abrupt, but I kind of like it. It's a twist I didn't see coming. It might have been better if it ended with her dying, though.
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dcrowley
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They find religion
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krisavalon
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| Lepitot wrote: |
Wicked's ending is a bit abrupt, but I kind of like it. It's a twist I didn't see coming. It might have been better if it ended with her dying, though. |
Didn't Elphaba die in the original workshops? I have an audio, but I haven't listened to the whole thing (they lost me at "Which Way's The Party")
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dcrowley
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| Lepitot wrote: | I don't know the story of Les Mis except that it's miserable...so, I don't really read it because it wouldn't make much sense to me anyway.
Just thought I'd say that in RENT's case, I think it works better that Mimi lives. Cause, its obvious she only has a few hours/ days left to live, which makes the whole "No Day But Today" idea more powerful than...if she died. Then it wouldn't make sense that they were singing "No Day But Today" in Finale B.
Just my take.
Wicked's ending is a bit abrupt, but I kind of like it. It's a twist I didn't see coming. It might have been better if it ended with her dying, though. |
Ummm... no Mimi's fever breaks and she feels fine. No kidding.
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Lepitot
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Was that a joke?
Eh, I'd personally dislike it if that were the ending. It would seem preachy to me. Shows like that are really only tolerable if someone is religious. Otherwise it seems lame or corny. I like it better that she lives.
Although, given Jonathan Larson's life story, that wouldn't be a bad ending (becasue on the DVD's special features one of his friends said she found religion when he died because she wanted to believe God needed him to write for the angels). That's the only way that would work.
Besides, it's the way Jonathan wanted it. That makes me like it just the way it is.
I get what you're saying about it being overdone though.
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dcrowley
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Was what a joke?
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Lepitot
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That they find a religion. In some ways I think that's just as corny/ overused as a character living.
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Pannic
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I think Urinetown's "unhappy ending" is all the satire we need.
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dcrowley
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| Lepitot wrote: | | That they find a religion. In some ways I think that's just as corny/ overused as a character living. |
Someone asked me what happens to the Thenardiers in my happy ending script... and I said they find religion... so yeah it was a joke. lol
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Lepitot
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Oooh. I thought you meant that's what would happen if Mimi died...
lol.
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dcrowley
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Hahahah... no.
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Lepitot
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Heh, okay.
I've still yet to see Les Mis! Maybe a local High School is doing it...
Or maybe it'll be in Pittsburgh sometime. It has to be SOMEWHERE.
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herkind
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I actually really like the Les Mis ending the way it is. Ending the show with a song about hope after 80% of the main cast has died is very inspirational to me. I think that's what the story supposed to be about- finding light in the darkest of places. *cues melodramatic music*
People have mentioned the endings of Rent and Wicked both of which I despise. Mimi and Elphaba "coming back" are both deviations from the source material and horribly contrived. I have never been able to listen to "Her fever's breaking!" without rolling my eyes.
Yes, I realize this wasn't meant to be taken that seriously but it's late, I'm tired and feeling a little rambly.
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dcrowley
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| herkind wrote: | I actually really like the Les Mis ending the way it is. Ending the show with a song about hope after 80% of the main cast has died is very inspirational to me. I think that's what the story supposed to be about- finding light in the darkest of places. *cues melodramatic music*
People have mentioned the endings of Rent and Wicked both of which I despise. Mimi and Elphaba "coming back" are both deviations from the source material and horribly contrived. I have never been able to listen to "Her fever's breaking!" without rolling my eyes.
Yes, I realize this wasn't meant to be taken that seriously but it's late, I'm tired and feeling a little rambly. |
You just explained the whole point of my "happy ending".
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EponineBarker
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| Quote: | | He brings Enjolras to meet Cosette... they fall in love. |
NOOOOOO!!!! *faints with shock*
lol jk...
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Paula74
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Wait...did I miss something? What happens to Grantaire?
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herkind
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He joins an alchoholic support group. 
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Trevor
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He and Joly hook up.
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Orestes Fasting
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| Trevor wrote: | | He and Joly hook up. |
Nah, Joly and Lesgles are already a couple. Grantaire can go hook up with Courfeyrac.
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Quique
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I'm always sad to see Javert die. So, a happy ending to me would be for Valjean and Javert to kiss and make up, fall in love, then move in together so that Cosette can have two daddies, lol. 
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herkind
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Domestic Partnership! That is crackfic waiting to happen. 
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Orestes Fasting
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But think of the parenting disputes! "Valjean, have you never learned that DISCIPLINE is what children need?"
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LaurelDP
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| Orestes Fasting wrote: | | But think of the parenting disputes! "Valjean, have you never learned that DISCIPLINE is what children need?" |
I smell a sitcom!
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Quique
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Starring Jeff Goldblum as Javert.
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LaurelDP
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*head explodes*
 
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mizzie
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I just read this thread...
It made my life...
YAY.
But I definitely think the show should end with all of the dead characters returning in brightly coloured 50's outfits for one final reprise of "You Can't Stop the Barricade."
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herkind
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| Quique wrote: | | Starring Jeff Goldblum as Javert. |
And Charlie Sheen as Valjean.
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EponineBarker
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| herkind wrote: | | Domestic Partnership! That is crackfic waiting to happen. |
I am so tempted.
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Catherine
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Re: Les Miz with a happy ending | dcrowley wrote: |
Valjean and Javert settle their differences over coffee.
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My favourite.
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