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olly

School Edition

As there are many people who have performed the school edition on this site, can I have some information / help? I am trying to organise to do it at our school.

1. How many good singers would you need, including the chorus and most characters. As in, how small could you make the chorus. How many specifically good singers are there for the main-ish parts

2. What was the size of all your production cast (ie, just actors).

3. How did you do the set? Like the barricade, Rue Plumet etc - the set changes, and especially the formulation of the barricade.

4. What are the list of the top 5 - 6 characters in stage time. As in the amount of songs the have to sing. I know what it is for the pro version, however, for example, I know that Javert is the most cut character - what number would he come in?

I've wanted to put the production on since I was ten years old. However, I've just been made part of the 4-man-strong drama committe in our school, and looking into this production, I don't want to f*** it up. Meaning, I would want to direct it as well as act in it (which, obviously, is very difficult). But I'd have the main school director direct it, but I'd want to do every scene with her.

Would be much help, thanks alot!

Oh, also, any video footage of any scenes in a school production would be great.
eponinelover

You can find information at MTI's website. Also, try google.
olly

eponinelover wrote:
You can find information at MTI's website. Also, try google.


I have looked on both. And have found generalised information on some of my questions, however am looking for first hand evidence and experience.
Lazarus (Adam G)

I'm 16 and I've been in a Les Miserable school production.

I don't recommend it. Most of the lead singers were bad. (I was in the chorus because I was to young to play a lead). It's not that they were bad singers, it's just that they didn't have the range to play the parts (example: Jean Valjean was a baritone).

But that's just my experience. I'm not saying all school productions are bad.
Timmy_Wishes he was Quast

1. We had nearly 70 in our cast which was extreamly good for company numbers. becasue it bulked parts and m,ade the scenes "complete". As regards to good singers. Well you're lookin at almost all the main parts, the possible exceptions are Grantaire and the thenariders who could be prtrayed by good to excellent character actors.

2. One thing to note is that our entre cast was 70 but ALL the male parts were played by 14 of us lads! (12 really coz of JVJ and Javert!) Doubling is possible. And with the men this is especailly easy with smaller parts like The Bishop, Batmobois and others. To a lesser ectent this includes the students and any male who is a principle until they appear as such for instance our Grantaire was The Bishop. Batmabois and Grantaire.

3. The set was remarkably similar to that of the West End. With places like the Inn being fromed by the introduction of chairs and tables. Quite often these were bought on by cast members. the Rue Plumet was simply created by the introduction of the gate and becnh which were bought on in a Black out between the end of The Peoples song and the start of the Love Montage. The barricade was in two protions that were bough together behind a gauze during OMO. And then revealed as the lights came up. So its actual entrance was not as theatrical as in london. BUT after JVJ carried Marius off post final battle, stage hands hidden behind the barricade pulled it backward behind the gauze as the lights faded. It was very moving.

4. JVJ
Javert (depending upon direction)
Marius
Eponine
Enjolras and Thenardiers
Fantine
Cosette

Alot of stage time is dependent upon the direction.

Just a little advie on the direction front. Feel free to offer help and advice BUT stand back when YOU are in the scene being directed as only the person on the outside can see what it will look like.

DO NOT TRY TO COPY LONDON. Lots of people attempt to emulate the proffesional productions. Remeber you ARE only kids after all. Just do the best you can with what you've got. If you'd like video clips tell me what you'd like to see and i'll do my best. Otherwise i can probably have a copy of the DVD sent to you. Just let me know.

Tim
x
eponinelover

Could I have the DVd? I saw the SE a couple years ago, and would like to see it again. Could you at least upload it to a site, iff it's too much trouble to just send it to me? If you want to send it to me, my email address is
[email protected]
Thanks, would really apreciate it.
The Very Angry Woman

Timmy_Wishes he was Quast wrote:
DO NOT TRY TO COPY LONDON. Lots of people attempt to emulate the proffesional productions. Remeber you ARE only kids after all. Just do the best you can with what you've got.


Or Broadway, or the tour(s)...

You're right. This is a huge trap a lot of schools fall into. Either they try to be too original, or not original at all.

Or they decide to mount the show without taking into account their talent pool.

(Not that I think schools doing Les Miz at all is a good thing, but that wasn't the original question.)
convict24601

The Very Angry Woman wrote:
Timmy_Wishes he was Quast wrote:
DO NOT TRY TO COPY LONDON. Lots of people attempt to emulate the proffesional productions. Remeber you ARE only kids after all. Just do the best you can with what you've got.


Or Broadway, or the tour(s)...

You're right. This is a huge trap a lot of schools fall into. Either they try to be too original, or not original at all.

Or they decide to mount the show without taking into account their talent pool.

(Not that I think schools doing Les Miz at all is a good thing, but that wasn't the original question.)


Oh my....dont get me started on too original school productions, or lack of talented students Rolling Eyes

.........Especially when one of them tries to belt six semitones past their break improperly
olly

Timmy_Wishes he was Quast wrote:
1. We had nearly 70 in our cast which was extreamly good for company numbers. becasue it bulked parts and m,ade the scenes "complete". As regards to good singers. Well you're lookin at almost all the main parts, the possible exceptions are Grantaire and the thenariders who could be prtrayed by good to excellent character actors.

2. One thing to note is that our entre cast was 70 but ALL the male parts were played by 14 of us lads! (12 really coz of JVJ and Javert!) Doubling is possible. And with the men this is especailly easy with smaller parts like The Bishop, Batmobois and others. To a lesser ectent this includes the students and any male who is a principle until they appear as such for instance our Grantaire was The Bishop. Batmabois and Grantaire.

3. The set was remarkably similar to that of the West End. With places like the Inn being fromed by the introduction of chairs and tables. Quite often these were bought on by cast members. the Rue Plumet was simply created by the introduction of the gate and becnh which were bought on in a Black out between the end of The Peoples song and the start of the Love Montage. The barricade was in two protions that were bough together behind a gauze during OMO. And then revealed as the lights came up. So its actual entrance was not as theatrical as in london. BUT after JVJ carried Marius off post final battle, stage hands hidden behind the barricade pulled it backward behind the gauze as the lights faded. It was very moving.

4. JVJ
Javert (depending upon direction)
Marius
Eponine
Enjolras and Thenardiers
Fantine
Cosette

Alot of stage time is dependent upon the direction.

Just a little advie on the direction front. Feel free to offer help and advice BUT stand back when YOU are in the scene being directed as only the person on the outside can see what it will look like.

DO NOT TRY TO COPY LONDON. Lots of people attempt to emulate the proffesional productions. Remeber you ARE only kids after all. Just do the best you can with what you've got. If you'd like video clips tell me what you'd like to see and i'll do my best. Otherwise i can probably have a copy of the DVD sent to you. Just let me know.

Tim
x


Wow, Tim, thanks! That's great help. I really appreciate that. I would love to see the DVD of your school edition, thank you! Would you like me to PM you?

Again, many thanks.
Timmy_Wishes he was Quast

Yes just PM me and we'll sort it
eponinelover

Ever since this topic was started, I've been hunting around for as much info about the SE as possible. I'd also like to hear some sound and see some vidio clips, if possible. If some could just PM me with some, that would be great.
Thanks
And Olly, I ment via the computer, not the post!
The Very Angry Woman

eponinelover wrote:
Ever since this topic was started, I've been hunting around for as much info about the SE as possible. I'd also like to hear some sound and see some vidio clips, if possible.


There are a ton on YouTube. Searching is not hard.
PictureThis

We did this at our high school. It...wasn't bad, though it wasn't that great. Our Javert couldn't act. We pulled him out of the top chorus just for his voice. The music was really good, though. I was Eponine, and I, of course, did an awesome job. Wink

The most trouble we had was with the orchestra. We pulled in the oboe player from the top band, and I ended up having to play the french horn part on a few songs, because I'm the first chair horn player in our top band, and we had to pull in the second and third, not so good players, to play for the show.
beck

Lazarus (Adam G) wrote:
I'm 16 and I've been in a Les Miserable school production.

I don't recommend it. Most of the lead singers were bad. (I was in the chorus because I was to young to play a lead). It's not that they were bad singers, it's just that they didn't have the range to play the parts (example: Jean Valjean was a baritone).

But that's just my experience. I'm not saying all school productions are bad.


our jean valjean was a baritone. so was our javert. our javert actually hit higher notes than our valjean ever did in a medley we did in a concert. thenardier and enjolras were tenors. our marius was a baritone i believe.. which didnt quite work out.. but he had everythign else we needed so we delt with it. all i'm saying is that it doesnt matter what you are.. your range could extend what you sing in a choir.
music4me3111

I jsut finished this show at a local all guys high school. Girls came in from other schools, but anyways, I must say that it was really really really well done. I was proud to be a part of the cast!!


1. I think that everyone really does need to be able to sing well. The chorus numbers need to be full sounding, and the leads need to be great singers also.

2. We had 52 people in the cast, and I think that number was perfect for the show. I can't see it being done with less people than that. It needs a HUGE ensmble.

3. Our set was pretty crazy. Our barricade was massive, as it should be, but we didn't really do much extravagant technical work with it. It looked more complicated than it was. We basically had two HUGE parts of the barricade on either wing. Stage crew members went hidden behind/inside the barricade to make it move together and then towards the audience. Once the barricade was in place, they actually layed on the floor behind the barricade for the entire time that the it was on the stage, then took it off again.

http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/43c55efbz798045ff/c4df/__sr_/612d.jpg?phII5eEBNtRdTEzG

there's a picture of the barricade, though not very good, and it's not of all of it, but you get the jist.

The rest of the set was fairly normal. We of course didn't have a turn table or anything, but it worked out just fine. You just need a pretty amazing crew.

Good luck and I hope you get the chance to do this show. It's truly amazing!!
olly

Thanks a lot! Brilliant!
The Very Angry Woman

Bumping for ErikProuvaire.
adcahela

[quote(Not that I think schools doing Les Miz at all is a good thing, but that wasn't the original question.)[/quote]

I agree with you there. I really don't think that Les Miz should have been turned into a school edition. I mean, it's just such difficult and demanding music for any normal high school to perform.
Monsieur D'Arque

It's not that hard. I sing "Who Am I" transposed up to D sometimes.
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