Monsieur D'Arque
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Minimalist Les MisHow many parts are there in Les Mis, total? Not how many tracks, but actual parts, and how could they be doubled to produce the smallest workable cast for Les Miserables?
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Fantine
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Interesting... I am certain we've discussed this before but I can't remember it  I'm curious to see the solution.
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Eppie-Sue
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You mean like:
Prologue/On Parole: Jean Valjean, Javert, nine convicts, three guards, two guards who assist Javert, ~ seven farm workers, ~ eight girls working on the farm, one "bursar", the farmer, two other workers who beat up Valjean, policeman checking JVJ's papers, two scared women, numerous people dancing and celebrating in inn, inn keeper, inn keeper's wife, three guys on the left talking to a girl (two of whom beat up JVJ), ...
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Eponines_Hat
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| Eppie-Sue wrote: | You mean like:
Prologue/On Parole: Jean Valjean, Javert, nine convicts, three guards, two guards who assist Javert, ~ seven farm workers, ~ eight girls working on the farm, one "bursar", the farmer, two other workers who beat up Valjean, policeman checking JVJ's papers, two scared women, numerous people dancing and celebrating in inn, inn keeper, inn keeper's wife, three guys on the left talking to a girl (two of whom beat up JVJ), ...
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lol!
You have me fascinated by this question. I imagine it depends on how much you are prepared to change the original/cut things out. I mean, technically you could almost have two of three people playing all the parts (if you cut out Les Amis) if you change the whole thing and have a very wimpy barricade!
I do like the idea of an actor doing Eponine/Javert/R!. Eponine dies in ALFOR and then gets up to start drinking....
But, to be serious... I think the only real double up on principals would be fantine/eponine (both mezzo parts)
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Orestes Fasting
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None of the leads can be doubled. Valjean, Javert, Marius, Cosette, Eponine, Enjolras, and the Th�nardiers are all onstage together during One Day More. That only leaves Fantine--who shares the stage with Valjean, Marius, Cosette, and Eponine in the finale.
So the only parts that never 'see' each other over the course of the show are Fantine and the Th�nardiers, and Fantine and Enjolras. I suppose if you really wanted to confuse the hell out of your audience--and inflict a really quick costume change on the actress during Castle on a Cloud--you could have Fantine doubling as Madame Th�nardier.
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Eppie-Sue
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Ah yes! Enjolras and Fantine could be played by the same actor. Actress.
awesome and vivid mind images.
What? It would work. If you exclude the Finale.
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Eponines_Hat
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ah %^&! How the hell did i forget that Fantine/Eponine are on together in the finale?
Good thing that I am going twice in the next two weeks. I need my memory jogged, clearly!
| Quote: | | Ah yes! Enjolras and Fantine could be played by the same actor. Actress. |
A new challenge for Thaxton? I love it. At least you would get a blonde Enjolras for sure if you cast this way!
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Monsieur D'Arque
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If you took the controversial but book-appropriate choice to have the Bishop at Valjean's death instead of the stranger Eponine, Fantine and Eppie could double. There's THAT...
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Eppie-Sue
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Well, yes, but you don't see the Bishop's death and he's not a big enough character in the musical, so it would confuse the audience. I understand the idea behind that, but in the musical I think it works better this way. And I thought this was about not changing things but finding out how many parts there are in the musical.
So, I was actually serious with my question: Do you mean every single ensemble part in every scene? Like "There are 15 beggars in ATEOTD"? Because I'd be intrigued...
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Mademoiselle Lanoire
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I don't think it's that big of a leap, though, especially if he's already established that he's elderly.
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marlalp
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| Mademoiselle Lanoire wrote: | | I don't think it's that big of a leap, though, especially if he's already established that he's elderly. |
I agree. I think what's more confusing at that point in the musical is why Valjean is suddenly dying. We see him carrying Marius from the barricade, then Marius and Cosette getting married. It's reasonable to assume that no more than one or two years have passed between these two events. Then, with the newlyweds running in fresh from the wedding, we see Valjean apparently dying of old age.
He didn't even seem that upset about leaving Cosette; in fact, it was his idea, so it doesn't make sense.
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Monsieur D'Arque
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The question wasn't exactly "how many people are in Les Mis," but "without cutting anything, how could you do the show with the least number of people possible?"
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Eppie-Sue
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Oh. Sorry. Misunderstood the "how many parts are there" then. Never mind.
But... you would need about fifteen to twenty people, wouldn't you?! For ensemble scenes alone... I mean, do you still want the show to have a certain quality? Because I've seen "Lovely Ladies" with five whores and it wasn't pretty.
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Eponines_Hat
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| Quote: | | But... you would need about fifteen to twenty people, wouldn't you?! For ensemble scenes alone... I mean, do you still want the show to have a certain quality? Because I've seen "Lovely Ladies" with five whores and it wasn't pretty. |
And you'd need that for the barricade scenes. You need to believe that they miiiiiight just win! Three boys sitting on a fence with rifles would just be ludicrous... and slightly amusing. Definitely not tragic like it should be!
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Monsieur D'Arque
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If the whole show is small, the smallness of those scenes will be less apparent. It's not like in a cast of forty, there are only five boy soldiers.
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SnowWhite4518
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Hi! I'm a quite new Mizzie! *Waves* 
The Bishop coming back to get Jean Valjean would work for people in the know, but I think it would only confuse 90% of audiences, who know who the widely adored Eponine is, but won't know what the old guy is doing there-- especially after three hours of a somewhat complicated musical.
My recent experiences have taught me that audiences might not be the brightest bunch, as a whole- many people left a production of Once on this Island I was a part of throughly confused. 
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