Archive for Musicals.Net Musicals.Net |
| KristinT |
A question I was asked:
"Cosette has no friends and Marius' are all dead. Who are all the people at the wedding?" Actually, that wasn't a silly question at all. I was just absolutely stumped for a reply. |
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| jackrussell |
That's a very good question. I've never liked the way they stage the wedding, it's just too lavish and upper-class to be believable. One moment Marius is conspiring to overthrow the state by force, the next he has Princes and the social elite attending his wedding 
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| mastachen |
I thought Valjean and Cosette were rich. Shouldn't they be the ones paying for the wedding? | ||||||||||||||
| lesmisloony |
I think between Gillenormand and Valjean they had it covered.
Anyway, I wank that it was Mardi Gras and everybody was ready for a good partay, so maybe Valjean just put up fliers ("Free Cake! Wear a Poofy Dress!") and all those people just turned up off the streets. That way his ickle Cosette felt popular and thpethial. |
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
 HAHAHA.
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| Orestes Fasting |
Maybe they're all Gillenormand's friends.
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| Mademoiselle Lanoire |
Who's that? (This is the musical, remember...) |
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| jackrussell |
This is true of course, even though it's not explicitly stated in the musical (at least not the English version), there's no doubt that Marius is well-connected, or that Valjean had some money put to one side. It just seems a little uncomfortable to go so comfortably from being a student revolutionary to being at home in upper/middle class society. It's not inconsistent, of course, many revolutionaries have been middle class. But seeing as the musical does drop Gillenormand and doesn't cover Marius's family, in the interests of cohesion within the show, it would be better if the wedding was not shown to be too lavish. |
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| lesmisloony |
Um, by the end of the show I'm ready to see some nice big dresses and happy dancing people, aren't you? | ||||||||||||||
| What you own |
Hehe true very ture. But I mean you could do that after the show. Just go to New York. I'm sure you will find a place.
I love what the Thendiers are wearing! |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
They have everything in NY! Even cracking Enjolrases! Though, I guess that's not really a rare occurrence.. |
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| KristinT |
Yeah I know in the novel they're M. Gillenormand's friends, but when I began explaining that I realised that none of that's mentioned in the musical at all... so as far as the musical's story line is concerned, it is an utter mystery. And I hadn't stopped to think about the ramifications as people have pointed out here that Marius is on the one hand this socialist revolutionary and then on the other hand suddenly has upper class twits at his wedding. Now that's been pointed out to me it makes it even weirder.
Maybe they had rent-a-crowd service back then. |
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| Artemis Entreri |
Pssst! They are just undead Revolutionaries and super-fast-costume-changing Turning women... | ||||||||||||||
| MariekeLovesEnjolras |
HAHAHA 
But ... nooo.... I mean.. That sounds more like "I see dead people"... Haha, but i'm afraid you actually are right 
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| demolitionhannah |
My sister after watching TAC on DVD: "I don't understand why that guy [Javert] ended his song with that weird screaming note..."
Me: "... He jumped off a bridge." Sister: "Seriously??" Oh dear. I know the TAC is just a concert, but I didn't understand how she missed that bit 
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| bigR |
I don't see where's the problem with the wedding. In the novel it is explained that they are all Gillenormand acquitances. And in the musical we never get to know that Marius is a creepy lonely orphan with no friends. I guess the audience asumes that he is a normal person with a normal family who knows more than 9 persons in this world. I can't see the problem with the lavish wedding either. Marius is presented in the musical as a rich boy from the beginning. The way he dresses is quite telling. And not only is he attired like an elegant rich dandy. Enjolras' "game for rich young boys to play" is directly adressed to him. |
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| lesmisloony |
That kind of made my day. |
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| Jaym |
Yeah. Mine too. xDD
I was also watching a video on youtube where the Dutch Les Mis cast is interviewed by Dutch television, right after the first rehearsels started. Then first they ask the cast whether they've read the Brick. Most of them are just complaining about how big it was (and I don't even think an unabridged version exists in the Netherlands). "I've read the summary. Like.. the pocketversion. 300 pages: that's a lot too." After that they ask them when the barricade was built: Marius: "eighteen... something?" Eponine: "I think 1848, but I'm not sure..." Fantine: "somewhere in the 1800's" Someone from the crew: "It started 1852 or something like that?" Valjean: "Yeah, there have been a lot of students revolutions. Are you sure you want to know? I studied history... Do you really want a history lesson? The revolution from the book is 1832, but there was one in 1830 and in *sums up loads of numbers which we apparently aren't allowed to hear* ...... Do I have to continue?" |
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| Artemis Entreri |
This makes me love Ren� even more. At least he knows it. | ||||||||||||||
| Ulla Dance Again! |
There's always that one person in the cast or crew who knows their shit. Which is good, especially when everyone else doesn't seem to have the foggiest clue as to what they're talking about. |
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| actor |
More funny than silly...
I am currently playing Marius and at rehearsal the other day we are running the show and someone says "Get ready everyone who is in the gang bang" (instead of chain gang) |
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| Paula74 |
I read that as "crackhead Enjolrases." *mops coffee off desk* |
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| Mistress |
Normally that in itself would be really funny, but stick it in a Les Mis rehearsal and it becomes freaking hilarious.
I seriously had to keep myself from laughing out loud because I was sitting in my Ecology lab with the rest of my tutorial group XD...still am currently. |
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| fjays |
In year 8 french class we were studying the french revolution and I made some reference to Les Mis, saying that it was the same revolution.
Not really funny, but I feel like a nong thinking about it. but of course then I knew practically nothing about mt, and I hardly doubt I could even pronounce Les Miserables, let alone know any of the characters names.................. just me trying to be cool and what do ya know, I failed epicly. lol. Oh and I didn't realise they weren't the same revolution until I heard Forbidden Broadway. Sigh. haha |
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| nabla |
lol, i used to think the same thing, i always thought the costumes were a little too modern for the period 
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| Catherine |
Aha, the worst was when I saw an official quiz show saying Les Mis was based on the French Revoultion. Seriously. I still remember how it went and how I reacted.
Host: So, for your final question, which famous musical is based on the French Revolution Contestant: Oooh, I think I know this one Me: Not Les Mis Host: OK, would you like us to tell me your answer? Me: If he says Les Mis, I'm gonna be annoyed. Contestant: Is it (he pronounced it) Lay Miz-rah-bulls? Me: Nope Host: Do you want to take that as your answer, Lay Miz-er-ah-bluh? Me: There's no point, it's not right. Contestant: Yes Me: Wrong Host: It is... Me: If it's right I'm going to throw something at the TV. Host: The right answer! Me: No it's not!!!! It's not! Dammit! |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
That's almost as bad as the official sites for the musical spelling the Amis' names wrong, lol. |
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| Orestes Fasting |
Not that they're entirely appropriate for the time period where it's set... I mean, I know the 1830s produced some of the most singularly ugly fashions of the entire 19th century, but somehow they managed to give Cosette a dress that was even uglier. |
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| nabla |
^lol, yes, you can tell it was designed in the 70's/80's | ||||||||||||||
| Ulla Dance Again! |
I feel horrible for the actress that has to wear that dress.
I also feel silly for forgetting this enlightening piece of commentary from my production; (while watching Master of House, at the part where Madame Thenardier says 'thinks he's quite a lover but there's not much there') My friend: *whispering*...that's 'cause he likes men. (I should note that our Thenardier was a bit flambouyant and not always good about hiding it!) |
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| Forest |
I've nothing to contribute (yet!), but thanks for all the posts on here Gave me a much needed laugh the other night.
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| Vanessa20 |
I just thought of two, both of them slightly Eppiebopper related.
I was looking over the comments on a Youtube clip of "One Day More," and I found this:
Now, I don't know if this person was considering his whole character in the Brick (e.g. his response to Valjean being an ex-con), or if she was just being an Eppiebopper. But if compared to Thenardier, Bamatabois, Tholomyes, etc, she thinks MARIUS is the biggest jerk ever, she really needs to change her standards as far as men are concerned. The other one comes from my dad. One day I was complaining to him about how people always like Eponine better than Fantine in the musical, and he said something like: "How can anyone not like Eponine better? Fantine is only there to provide backstory for Cosette. She's no more important than the Baker in ALW's Joseph."
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| MlleTholomy�s |
Oh dear lord. I just came back from Signature, and auuuugh. These girls next to me, had absolutely no clue who was who. One of them goes: 'Well, the police guy jumps off a bridge at the end, and it's all very cool.' 'Just watch the faces, don't pay attention to the actions, and you'll be fine.' And one of them actually thought it was fun to exaggerate the names. 'Johhhn Valjohhhn.' 'Oh, is that the little girl?''I couldn't find Cosette. Liek, ever. Where was she during the end of act One?' 'Jean Valjean needs to find something, so he goes back someplace. I don't know, just watch it.' I thank the lord I wasn't near them during DYHTPS and RaB. I would've died if I heard their comments. | ||||||||||||||
| What you own |
Youtube is a great place to find EppieBoppers comments.
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| Forest |
(Just remembered one!)
My mum and I went to see Les Mis last Wednesday, when she came up to visit me for a couple of days. After the turning of the barricade when all the students are strewn across it, she leant over and whispered the following: Mum: Why don't they get up? Me: ...............  They're dead....
Mum: But they're breathing! Me:........... I know Les Mis is a serious show, but I don't think they take it SO seriously, as to actually kill off their cast every night.
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| nabla |
^ You have to explain it to a lot of people who don't often attend the theatre... "It's not television" | ||||||||||||||
| jackrussell |
LOL @ the Youtube comments.
I try never to read Youtube comments on anything if I can help it, it's so depressing - surely there can't be that many stupid people out there? Maybe it's just one idiot with a computer and a lot of usernames. |
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| Jagienka |
Sometimes I mark a lot of comments as spam on youtube... | ||||||||||||||
| Quique |
You know on message forums there's the occasional moron who can't seem to make sense, spell, or punctuate to save his/her life? Well, on YouTube, they're everywhere. I'm usually a pretty laid back guy but I can't tell you how many times my blood pressure has risen after reading YT comments. XD | ||||||||||||||
| lesmisloony |
And they've all got names like "xXxtRuEpOnInE4eVaxXx" and I want to find them and flick them on the earlobes. | ||||||||||||||
| mezzogeek |
The first time I saw it, we were sat up at the top of the upper circle, so we could see over the barricade and the "dead" students climbing off it and walking off after it had been turned around. My little sister thought they'd all survived, but pretended to be dead to trick the enemy, and they were escaping. I didn't really have the heart to tell her otherwise  She kind of clicked during Empty Chairs at Empty Tables though.
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| Disney-Bway27 |
Oh lawd.
Why the Random capitalization? It's Pissing me Off.
NO ME!!!!!!
I dunno what Les Mis you're watching, but Eponine is NOT with Cosette.
Oh lawlz.
LOLWUT!?
I second that. |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
It's not like she totally abused Cosette when she was five or anything, I mean really? Eppie should liek, tots go WiTh MaRiOus 'cuz she's Better than Cosette!!!1one! Augh, I fail at chatspeak. Whenever I try and imitate it, it starts with regular punctuation, and then slowly falls into the abyss. I faiiiil. |
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| mezzogeek |
We're forgetting the classic...
OMG I AM SOOOOO LYK EPONINE! THERES DIS BOY @ SKOOL HU I TOTALLY LOOOOVE BUT HE DOESNT LOVE ME BAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >.< |
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| curlyhairedsoprano91 |
Eppieboppers sometimes make me want to cry. I found this website once ... lemme see if I can find it again ... http://stupidgirlyshit.com/archive/cosette-is-a-whore--eponine-forever/ I think I hit the jackpot, no? EPITOME of Eppiebopperism. 
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| Paula74 |
Oh...good...grief...
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| Vanessa20 |
God, harping on the fact that Cosette's mother was a whore?!
Did this person even see the musical? Let alone read the book? How can someone call herself a Les Mis fan if Hugo's message goes right over her head?
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| Orestes Fasting |
She can't have read the book--or if she did, she must've willfully ignored the insinuation that Eponine--yep, precious virtuous Eponine--has been reduced to prostitution at times. Irony's a bitch. | ||||||||||||||
| Disney-Bway27 |
Why is a guy named Blake posting on a website called StupidGirlyShit?
That website was crap. It almost made me throw up with all the fangirliness.
The one thing I thought of when I read this was this Blake character going crazy with mascara streaming down his face screaming "LEAVE EPPIE ALONE!!!" |
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| Quique |
And that picture she posted isn't even of Lea. XD | ||||||||||||||
| lesmisloony |
I'm torn between  and  ...
I just want to cuddle Cosette and tell her it'll all be okay and write her lots and lots of fluffy fanfic. |
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| MariekeLovesEnjolras |
These same girls would probably have been "OOH ii m so much lyk cossette, cos there s tis boy n he dusnt luv me"
if 'Ponine got Marius instead of Cosette. Cosie-boppers?
Anyway, I can't write that chatspeak as you can see
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| Jagienka |
I want to hug poor Cosette, too. She really needs more fans. (And a better costume.)
Eppiboppers are scary. |
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| Forest |
So I'm sitting here in the uni library, working on a music video of TAC, and two girls behind me are whispering, and looking over at the video.
Girl 1: Isn't that the fit guy we saw on Saturday? *points at my laptop* Girl 2: What? *looks over* Girl 1: That video there....that one singing...the one that marries Cosette, wassisname...Valjean was it? Me: O-O.....*stops working on video to eavesdrop properly* Girl 2: Yeah I think it is him! Okay....the more I think about this, the more levels of "LolWtf?" I find. Nothing wrong with being attracted to Colm Wilkinson...but I think they were talking about Michael Ball. At least, I assume so as Valjean really, REALLY does not marry Cosette! But then again maybe they were talking about Colm and weren't really following the plot.... But then the major ".....whut?" came from my dawning that if they were talking about Michael Ball, they must have some sort of time machine, as he's currently dressing in (very convincing) drag down the road in Hairspray lol! |
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| lesmisloony |
That story has broken my brain... I'm amazed and can't even begin to figure out what they meant...
But if they managed to recognise the character Marius through Michael Ball's TAC outfit that's kind of impressive... |
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| Vanessa20 |
I just remembered another one, though I don't know if it's really that silly.
One time I was watching my old VHS copy of the TAC with an old babysitter of mine (the same slightly mentally ill old woman who identified with Eponine, who I once mentioned in some thread or other). In AHFOL, when Marius sang "My name is Marius Pontmercy," she looked on the back of the box to find out who was playing the role. Then she asked me: "Is that Adam Searles?" I told her no, that was Michael Ball, Adam Searles was the little boy... but how can someone hear "Marius Pontmercy," then read "Gavroche," and think that "Gavroche" is what she heard? |
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| jackrussell |
That reminds me of one of the silliest things, not that somebody said about it but actually in the libretto, until they changed it - when Marius sings
"oh God, for shame, I do not even know your name" and about five seconds later, without having been told it, "Cosette, Cosette..." |
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| Forest |
Lol yes! I keep thinking over it, and I really can't make head nor tail of it either. Bizarreness! And I agree. I'm more impressed than anything else that they recognised the video as being Les Mis at all...being that I had my headphones in. Not saying that they haven't seen TAC, but the association they made was so unrelated to TAC....yeah....brain ache!
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| Ulla Dance Again! |
Oh, dear.... On Oscar night; Mom (watching the musical sequence): Why didn't they do Les Miserables? Me: ...because it's not a musical movie. Mom: Yes, it is! There's been movies! Me: But it was never a musical movie. Mom: Oh. |
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| Mazz |
What's with 'Pontmercy'? Isn't the line 'My name is Marius, bon merci'? | ||||||||||||||
| jackrussell |
No Why would he sing two words in French when all the rest of it is English? It's his full name.
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| MlleTholomy�s |
Cosette has to have the best names ever. Euphrasie is an awesome name. |
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| Disney-Bway27 |
Cosette happens to be my second favorite Mizzie, actually. Right behind her wonderful mother!
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| Ulkis |
That Cosette is a whore website seems tongue-in-cheek to me. I hope. But really, I think's it a legitimate joke. | ||||||||||||||
| nabla |
I like Cosette but i prefer Eponine just because i find her character more interesting, and i prefer her street waif look to Cosette's massive shoulder pads... | ||||||||||||||
| Jaym |
A friend of mine, who is almost as obsessed with Les Mis as I am, was talking to another friend, who doesn't really know Les Mis, online.
The Dutch lyrics to ALFOR are something like "Rain makes the fields green". Their conversation went something like this *translates* Les Mis obsessed friend: "No! �ponine has been shot! And now she's dying in Marius' arms! While singing, of course..." Not Les Mis obsessed friend: "The grass makes the fields rain!" Les Mis obsessed friend: "Rain makes the fields green!" Not Les Mis obsessed friend: "Yeah... something like that." |
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| MariekeLovesEnjolras |
I've been thinking that until I read the Brick and found out that Marius' last name is Pontmercy. When I found out, I started wondering what he sang, "bon merci" or "Pontmercy", looked it up and found out he sang "Pontmercy"
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| Forest |
I don't think that mishearing "Pontmercy" as "bon merci" etc is really that bad. I've done it myself (and I'm glad to know it's not just me going deaf! ) Also, being that he's never introduced as anything except "Marius" beforehand, we've very little reason to think that's his last name. So for him to be saying "bon merci", whilst a little odd, isn't implausible.
And if I'm correct, he's one of the only character in the show whose surname we're told, apart from Jean Valjean. (I'm not counting Javert or the Thenadiers in this, because whilst we're not told their first names, we still know them by their titles i.e. "Inspector", "Mme" etc). |
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| Ulla Dance Again! |
It's seriously not as embarrassing (or as bad) as mishearing "Costs a little extra if you want to take all year" as "Costs a little extra if you want it in the rear". (Even though the latter would make perfect sense, considering the song's context). | ||||||||||||||
| jackrussell |
HAHAHAHA! Email that to Herbie Kretzmer, it is so much better than the correct lyric!
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| Moci |
Does anyone else remember a website from a few years ago with numerous pictures of Cosette all doctored in Paint to have red eyes and devil horns as well as really bad poems devoted to Eponine and snarky Cosette comments. I think javertsw might have found it. It was a psychologist's dream. |
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| Ulla Dance Again! |
It is. For the longest time that's what I thought the madame was saying. And honestly, I was a bit let down when I realized that was not the case. |
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| Catherine |
Up until very recently I thought it was "Another brawl in the square, another snake in the air". It doesn't even make sense, I have no idea why I thought it, hahaha | ||||||||||||||
| What you own |
I overheard some one recently talking about her NYSMMA song. Which I gatherd it was On My Own...
Girl 1: So whats your song about? Girl 2: I don't know. Theres like trees and lights and she feels this guys arms around her.
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| lesmisloony |
*combats the urge to make a rape joke*
Not appropriate! Bad Loony! |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
I was explaining Les Miz to my friend, because his school is doing that dreadful SE, and a few lines in, he interrupts me going: 'For bread? fffffff.' |
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| jackrussell |
Don't forget - he also broke a window pane.
Tut tut. |
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| What you own |
Oh the Eppie Boppernish. I found a shrine to Eppie
Now on this web page accorindg to the the cameronMackintosh the requirement to play eppie are EPONINE - Late teens/early 20's. Daughter of the Th�nardiers. Very pretty. Fired by an unrequited love for Marius. A heartbreaking waif with an enormous and beautiful belt voice (to C in chest, sings to E flat) Very pretty? Come on now. |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
Would this happen to be it? |
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| dcrowley |
Very pretty definately should not be a requirement to play the role... but don't judge too harshly... The book is really contradictory when it comes to Eponine's appearance. When she is first introduced she is described as being very ugly, and yet later Hugo describes her as being "beautiful"... | ||||||||||||||
| lesmisloony |
You're talking about the infamous Field of the Lark scene, eh? The one where Marius thinks she looked like Ophelia due to the straw in her hair? I think you have to take the fact that it was Marius, dreamy, doe-eyed, shy, silly Marius, who was thinking it... | ||||||||||||||
| Vice |
... I''m so glad I'm not alone on that one... |
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| bigR |
I'm with dcrowley here. It's not dreamy marius who sees her beauty. marius doesn't see anything. It's Hugo who tells us that she was beautiful. On the other hand, if I remember correctly (no brick at hand, don't feel like googling), when she appears the first time and she is presented as ugly, it is through Marius eyes that we see her. So, maybe Marius is so absent-minded that he can't see under the dirtiness and the ragged clothes, but Hugo does see under it, and sees not only her physical and youthfull beauty, but her incipient moral beauty, because love has touched her. Still, been "very pretty" shouldn't be a requirement for the role. A plain or ugly �ponine works much better. At least all these people who don't get that in 1830 rich posh boys (no matter how revolutionanry they were) didn't marry street waifs, would understand why Marius doesn't look twice at her. |
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| dcrowley |
I mean... Epp certainly wouldn't have looked like Lea Michele. But I think people judge too harshly. | ||||||||||||||
| What you own |
First off yes that is the site. I was goign to go site serching for Eppie boppers (Oh fan fics are the best. They make me want to kill myself!!Espically when there are mispelling like ur and it's all in chatspeak. And Cosette is the bitchest person of alive and Eponine is the angel sent down from heaven and Marius really does love Eponine and the only reason he likes Cosette is becuase of some odd scheme and blah blah blah...) But I only got one done before I had to go. Now as for the Eponine pretty thing. I think part of the reason why Eponine is described as pretty in the straw in her hair scene is 1. Becuase she is about to give Marius information about the dreamy girl he loves so it's kinda like forshadowing. 2. I think it could also represent the change in Eponine from prison. I've always noticed that before prison Eponine is more selfish, she listens to her Father, Does no thave much of a backbone. After prison Eponine seems nicer and has more of a backbone. Who knows if before jail Eponine would have givin Marius the address. But hey who knows. I never really thought Eponine was supposed to be ugly but not pretty. Anyway.... On to more stupidness!!! �ponine was the true heroine, Cosette was spoiled and loved by everyone, but No one ever loved her. She is tragic to the end, even saving Marius' life though she knew it meant she'd never be with him |
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| lesmisloony |
Haha, alright, bigR, I'll trust you better than my memory (you've been right in the past). I left my Bricks at school over spring break.
However, Hugo's concept of beauty is a bit dodgy, isn't it? I mean, even taking into consideration the famous Emile Bayard picture of Cosette. It's beautiful, but it's also pathetic and horrible. ...does that make sense? |
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| bigR |
I don't think that prison has anything to do with it. Specially knowing what Hugo about the prison system were.
Prison certainly didn't make a better person out of Valjean. |
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| Mistress |
I don't know if this really counts, but this newscast made a huge mistake...They confused Peter Polycarpou for Colm Wilkinson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAYaxBnF7vs&feature=related *head smack on table* Make sure you have your actors right before you air the piece! |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
"The French Revolution didn't actually start until AFTER the timeline in Les Miz ended. The battles in the musical were just several minor uprisings leading to the Revolution's beginning."
Sigh. |
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| Gargamel |
Well, this is wrong... BUT: In my opinion, it is also wrong to say that les Mis�rables is after the french revolution. In my opinion, the french revolution realy ended with the third republic in 1870. Before that, 7 different policies in 80 years, including different republics, empires and monarchy. The contry started to be stable from that moment. So to be really accurate, I would say that "The french revolution didn't actually finished until AFTER the timeline in Les Miz ended. The battles in the musical were just several minor uprisings leading to great changes leading to the political stability. " |
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| bigR |
Sorry, but that's an absurd way to complicate things in a musical forum. Yes, some historians argue that the "revolution", understood as a period of changes that lead to modern day france was a constant process that covered most of the 19th century. But not everybody share their opinion (I know I don`t) When we talk about the "Revolution" we all know what we are talking about. Yes, it's a convention, but it is useful because thanks to conventions we all understand each other. I don't think that the particular opinion of revisionist historians who have decided to interpret historic facts that way is to be taken as true or false or specially accurate. And anyway, I don't find them very accurate. If they call "revolution" the process the transition from the Ancient R�gime France to a democratic republic, the dates are all wrong. Why do they stop at 1870? If they are taking into account only violent popular movements, what about the Commune? Why do they leave it out? And if the are not taking into consideration violent popular movements, but political changes, and nominal democratic governments, I ask again why do they take the 3rd Republic as an ending point? Because I wouldn't call a real democracy a systems that doesn't allow half the citizens to vote (women weren't allowed to vote in france until 1944). Are we simply talkin about stabilty? Because the concept of stability is very debatable too. How many goverment changes where there during the 3rd. republic? Not counting aborted coups d'�tat, decorated with suicides, and several attempts to restaure the monarchy by violent means? Seriously, saying that the french revolution ended in 1870 and Les Mis took place during said revolution is not only extremely nit picky but very debatable. Are we calling "the Revolution" the process that lead to a real estable democracy? Then it only ended in 1946, with the 4th republic, when all french citizens had a right to vote and the not-so-democratic Vichy r�gime was over. Are we calling "the Revolution" the process that made the people take conscience that sovereingty was theirs and it didn't belong to their kings, and rise against their rulers, and take the power? Then I'm very afraid that it didn't start either in 1789 and we should take into account all the Enlightment years, the American Revolution, and a good part of the 17th century where a good part of the "sovereingty belongs to the people" theories take rooth. Parisians didn't wake up on a sunny july morning to discover that they could face their rulers. Is the Revolution a social process? Is it political? Idelogical? All this questions have different answers and different closing and opening dates. This discussion could go on forever. Luckily we have something very useful called conventional dates. It allows people to understand each other. We say that the Middle Ages started in 456 and ended in 1476. And of course, it's a convention. People didn't go from wearing a toga to put on a helmet and an armour on 456 new year's eve. When we talk about the "French revolution" we all know what we are talking about. A series of events that took place between 1789 and 1794. Discussions about "what should we consider the Revolution?", or about "where they many revolutions or just a big one with big ups and downs that lasted nearly a century? " are interesting, but I find them extremely nitpicky when out of their context.
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| mezzogeek |
I was just having a look at notalwaysright.com and thought this one was quite funny:
Customer: �Do you have that book from that movie Les Miserababah?� Me: �Les Miserables? Yes it would be on the 3rd floor.� Customer: �What section would it be in?� Me: �The fiction section.� Customer: �So nonfiction is true, and fiction is not true, right?� Me: �Yes.� Customer: �How can this book be fiction if there is a movie about it?� Me: �Movies are not true.� Customer: �Really?� Me: �Yes. Movies are not true, movies are fiction.� |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
Ooh! I think I remember reading that one! |
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| tomatoherb |
Back when I was about 5 or 6 and I first starting watching the TAC with my parents, my younger brother would pop in and out as we watched. He referred to Enjolras and the students as "the fat guys" because of the "cut the fat ones down to size" line.
I guess it's not really stupid, but I thought it was cute. |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
More yt goodness:
"The Th�nardiers (Eponine's parents) indulged Eponine and abused Cosette... but I still don't feel too sorry for Cosette." Translation: "Well, yeah, she abused Cosette, but I don't feel bad about it. It's not like Cosette only did good, or something." ETA: Oh, I struck gold. On a forum: "Dimitri wrote: Les Miserables isn't a musical." Of course it isn't, dear. And you're a genius with a 2400 SAT score. |
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| Vanessa20 |
I don't know how silly this is, but I thought it sounded kind of weird (and vaguely Eppiebopperish, which always works here).
The other night I asked my dad what he thinks of the viewpoint so often expressed by Orestes, that the musical pours on too much barricade angst and creates the sense that the Amis were totally naive and doomed from the start. My dad said that it doesn't matter whether they were or not. He even said that the actual historical context of the uprising doesn't matter. He said that the barricade only exists for three reasons: 1) For Eponine to die in Marius' arms, 2) For Valjean to let Javert go, 3) For Valjean to save Marius. Hopefully he doesn't view their importance in that particular order. |
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| What you own |
When I first saw the CD of Les Mies. Just looking at the titles of the songs. I thought it was about girls in sometime in history. (late 1800's early 1900's) Girls who where working in a factory. And they lived in horrible conditions. And one of them commited suicide and others died. And all the events that went on in the factory. And one fell in love......
Yeah...Barricades...factorys....sure.... |
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| lilgavroche |
I'm a big Gavroche fan and so I made my sister listen to "Look Down" and "Little People". The ends up loving it which really surprised me cause usually she hates everything I love. lol Anyway here's a quote from her.
She asked me about the plot and I explained it to her and she's like. "Wait... so it isn't about Gavroche?" lol I wish it was Me: Singing "La Faute A Voltaire" at school Sis: I dare you to go sing that in front of a French class Me: Umm no.. (Yes, I have memorized the Gavroche songs in French, both Concept and Paris versions and translated them )
Me: Singing London version of "Look Down", "From Saint Denis to Saint Michel" Sis: No! Sing it right! (She hates the London version lol) Me: I have Gavroche's death song stuck in my head. Sis: He dies!? Youtube comment on a "Look Down" video: "Did he say 'What the hell?'" lol |
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| Robin Hood |
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2009/04/15/VI2009041503460.html?sid=ST2009041502908
Two old people talking about Susan Boyle and the internet. Wait for about 5 minutes into the video for the golden gem of Les Mis related stupidity. Ouch. |
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| MlleTholomy�s |
I wonder. . . If Valjean is Fantine, then, does that make Javert Valjean, and Fantine Javert? |