Les Misérables
School EditionTM
CASTING
SUGGESTIONS, CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS & VOCAL RANGES
Below you'll find a list of characters in order of appearance, a brief
description and their vocal ranges.
Jean Valjean is the hero of the show. It is his life journey that we
follow. Jean Valjean is supposed to be stronger than other men, and so
physically should appear robust. He should reasonably carry himself as
mature and paternal. Valjean's ability to change is his greatest asset. The
key to his character is his great humanity and compassion. Jean Valjean is a
vocally demanding role. Vocal range: Low A to high A (above
Middle C)
Javert is the inspector who serves as antagonist to Jean Valjean.
Javert is unswerving in his belief that men cannot change for the good.
"Once a thief, always a thief" is his mantra. At first glance Javert might
appear to be the villain of the story, but on closer examination it is clear
that he is not an evil man. He is aware that in society some people achieve
control through evil and others through the power of the law. He is a
dedicated policeman, with a profound sense of duty. Unlike Valjean he cannot
change. His attitudes are rigid and unmoveable. He is stern, forbidding and
lacking in compassion. Your Javert should be a talented actor who can
convincingly stand up to Jean Valjean. Javert should have a rich baritone
voice and be a good singer. Vocal range: A (below Middle C) to
F sharp (above Middle C)
Chain Gang The Chain Gang consists of Jean Valjean's fellow
prisoners. There are four soloists (indicated as convicts 1, 2, 3, 4). The
overall vocal range of the convicts is low and they should be able sing in a
rich baritone if possible. Vocal range: Low F to High E flat
Constables There are two solo constables in the show. Consider
keeping the constables the same throughout the entire show to save a bit on
costumes, since period uniforms tend to be expensive to build. Vocal
range: E to High E
Farmer and Labourers The Farmer and a Labourer have solo lines that
are a bit difficult to sing. In addition you may cast as many additional
labourers as you like, however the labourers are non-singing. Farmer -
Vocal range: Middle C to D flat Labourers - Vocal range:
A sharp to D flat
Bishop of Digne The Bishop is a good man who saves Valjean with his
compassion. Don't overlook the importance of this role. The Bishop of
Digne's compassion carefully establishes the premise of the show by
literally buying Jean Valjean's soul for God. This is a powerful role
requiring a nice baritone voice and a good actor. Vocal range:
Low A to High E
Fantine is the beautiful young girl who, abandoned by her lover, is
left to fend for herself and her daughter Cosette. She is rejected by
society and forced through circumstances to become a prostitute. She is a
brave woman defeated by life, sustained by her love for her daughter and
clinging to her dignity. Sick with consumption, we witness her descent
through poverty, hunger, cold, loneliness and destitution to death. She is a
noble and proud character, whose life becomes a series of terrible events
that rob her of her pride, character, and ultimately her life. The actress
playing the role needs a powerful voice that is more mezzo (or alto) than
soprano. Vocal range: G flat (below Middle C) to E flat
Foreman The Foreman begins Fantine on her downward spiral of
desperation. He should be virile, commanding and a bit sleazy around the
edges. Vocal range: E (below Middle C) to D flat (above Middle
C)
Girl 5 (Factory Girl) The Girl who fights with Fantine. She is mean,
catty and selfish. She also is most likely having an affair with the Foreman
and is jealous of Fantine. Often the Girl will serve as Fantine's understudy
or as a Fantine double. Vocal range: B flat (below Middle C)
to C (above Middle C)
Sailors Three sailors begin the Docks scene. All three have solos but
do not need to be great singers. Vocal range: Low C to Middle
C
Bamatabois is the "customer" who taunts Fantine into violence. He is
dressed in expensive clothes. He is a wealthy dissolute young man who thinks
of himself as a gentleman. He is drunk and in a sadistic mood and
chauvinistically feels it is his right to buy anything, even Fantine.
Vocal range: D (below Middle C) to High D
Old Woman The Old Woman is a nice feature part. This is the character
that purchases Fantine's hair. Her vocal solo is a bit tricky so cast a
strong singer if possible. Vocal range: E (above Middle C) to
D
Pimp The Pimp controls the prostitutes at the docks. He is mean,
aggressive and abusive. The Pimp has a small solo line in "The Docks."
Vocal range: E (below Middle C) to D
Fauchelevant is the victim of the cart crash. The role requires
little, a few solo lines and some painful yelps. Vocal range:
B (below Middle C) to E flat
Judge The Judge or Judges are non-singing roles. Vocal range:
N/A
Mistaken Jean Valjean and family These characters are also
non-singing. This is the man who Javert believes to be Jean Valjean.
Vocal range: N/A
Young Cosette is the child of Fantine. She is the ward of the
Thenardiers, forced into child labour and sings "Castle on A Cloud." She is
a trembling little creature, underfed, beaten by Madame Thenardier and
bullied by Eponine. Make sure your Cosette is small and looks properly
pathetic and yet warms the audience's heart who should be sympathetic to her
plight. It is essential that your Young Cosette be as small as possible,
especially against Jean Valjean and the Thenardiers. Vocal range:
A (below Middle C) to C
Madame Thenardier She is the wife of Thenardier. Madame Thenardier is
as "one" with Thenardier.Together they con the world as partners in crime.
They were made for each other, although she complains about him, she loves
him dearly. She is coarse and vulgar; unhappy in her existence without
knowing why. She is romantic, greedy, stupid, evil and larger than life. She
is mean and nasty to Little Cosette and able to improvise in nearly any
situation. You need an actress with excellent physical comedy skills, who is
also a good musician with a good sense of rhythm. Vocal range:
G sharp (below Middle C) to D
Thenardier is the true villain of Les Misérables. He is amoral and an
opportunist. That said, he should also possess a wicked sense of humour. He
delights in cheating, robbing, fraud and blackmail, relishing every aspect
of them with glee. He is tough, greedy, brutal, stupid and crafty and yet
irresistible. He hates society and blames it and everyone else for all his
misfortune. Thenardier is also the opportunist and realist of the show. He
is a thief, a liar and a cheat. He steals valuables from the dead with no
remorse. He is also the comic relief of the production. However, his comedy
is based in reality and shouldn't be too exaggerated. He is married to
Madame Thenardier and father to Eponine and Gavroche (although he has
abandoned Gavroche to the streets of Paris). Cast an excellent comedic actor
who also has a nasty edge. Vocally the role is not incredibly demanding, a
character voice is best. Vocal range: C (below Middle C) to G
sharp (above Middle C)
Young Eponine is the pampered daughter of the Thenardiers. She does
little except enter the stage and taunt Young Cosette. The role requires no
singing or speaking. She should be a smaller version of grown Eponine and
resemble Eponine in appearance and features. Vocal range: N/A
Gavroche is Thenardier's son. He is left to fend for himself and
lives by his wits in the streets of Paris. His "arch enemy" is Javert the
Policeman. He is brave and witty. He should be cocky and have a fantastic
unbroken voice. Think a young Artful Dodger. Gavroche is best played by the
smallest believable boy available. Gavroche has a very dramatic death at the
barricade. Make sure your Gavroche is a good enough actor to believably die
onstage. Vocal range: B (below Middle C) To G
Gavroche's Gang If you have access to many young children (ages 7-9)
you may add a gang of kids who follow Gavroche about. Remember that Paris at
this time would be full of orphans (due to years of wars and revolutions)
and representing these young people on stage is a nice addition. Do not
include Gavroche's Gang in the barricade scenes as it will negatively impact
the dramatic arc of the show, taking away from Gavroche's death. Vocal
range: N/A
Eponine is the daughter of Thenardier. She is a young girl who is
streetwise and tough, but also sensitive and lonely. She is in love with
Marius, knowing that he will never love her. She bravely follows Marius to
the barricades in the hope that they will die there together. Once grown up,
Eponine moves with her family to Paris where they fall on hard times. Now
poor, living hand to mouth, she survives by helping her father break the
law. Eponine is a tragic character, hopelessly in love with Marius. She
sings one of the most famous numbers in the show, "On My Own" and should
therefore be an excellent singer with a contemporary edge to her voice and
an excellent actress. Vocal range: F sharp (below Middle C) to
E
Enjolras is the student leader. He is handsome, brave and daring,
although youthful. He combines his revolutionary ideals with a strong
charismatic leadership. He is described by Victor Hugo as "a thinker and a
man of action". On the barricade he physically and vocally should dominate
everyone else. Enjolras is one of the more difficult roles to cast. He
should be charismatic, be a natural leader, be good looking, and have a very
strong high baritone or a tenor voice. The role is also difficult to cast
because many young actors do not perceive it as a coveted role like Marius
or Jean Valjean, remind them that the original Broadway Enjolras won a Tony
award for his performance. Casting a true leader of your organisation is one
way to ensure the role is believable. Remember, Enjolras must lead the
students to fight and ultimately die. His death at the barricade is one of
the dramatic highlights of the show. Vocal range: A to G
(above Middle C)
Marius is the handsome romantic hero of the story. He is impulsive,
passionate, wilful and headstrong. His moods change according to his
circumstances. He is sweet and tender but also capable of great courage and
compassion. In Act I Marius plays Romeo to Cosette's Juliet. Marius matures
after the Café Song as a result of his experiences on the barricade. Marius
should have a lovely, lyrical voice with a contemporary edge. Vocal
range: Low A to High A flat
Cosette is the beautiful daughter of Fantine. She is strong willed
and loving. She is an intelligent, inquiring, personable girl. She is not in
any sense a "soppy" romantic heroine. Once adopted by Jean Valjean, Cosette
lives a comfortable, if secluded life. She is challenging towards Valjean,
behaving always with imagination and dignity. She falls instantly in love
with Marius, changing her world and her priorities. The role calls for an
excellent singer with a lovely, lyrical soprano voice. Vocal range:
B flat (below Middle C) to High C (2 octaves above Middle C)
Montparnasse, Babet, Brujon, Claquesous These are members of
Thenardier's gang of thieves. In the professional companies men play them,
but for the School Edition, these roles may be cast as a mix of males and
females. Vocal ranges: C sharp (below Middle C) to E
Brujon - Physically very strong. The body of a bear and a pea sized brain. A
genuine gangster, he is stupid and evil. Babet - Physically frail. He is
lean and cunning. Claquesous - Tough, dangerous and secretive. Montparnasse
- A teenager. Handsome and dangerous. Kills with a knife. He is well
dressed, strongly built and supple.
Members of the ABC Society A secret society of students and workers,
the letters "A" "B" "C", as pronounced in French, make the word "abaisse,"
which means "the underdog" or "the people below." The members are drawn from
wealthy families, and members have chosen to fight for freedom in stark
contrast to the poor who have no choice due to their downtrodden
circumstance. Additional characters, besides Enjolras and Marius are:
Combeferre - Is the philosopher and believer in peace. He is gentle, humane,
strong and brave. Feuilly - Is a worker, self-educated and an orphan. A
believer in "nationality." Affectionate, warm and poetic. Courfeyrac - Is a
student. His is youthful, passionate and fearless. Joly - A medical student.
Eccentric and light-hearted, although sometimes morbid. His name is derived
from the English word "jolly." Prouvaire - A student of social studies. He
is kind, softly spoken and at the right moments strong and masterful. He is
also a poet. Lesgles - A student. Cheerful, laughing at life but unlucky.
His close friend is Joly. Grantaire - A student. He is the opposite of
Enjolras. He believes in nothing. Although he admires Enjolras he loves to
mock him. Witty and drunken, he is happy being with the group and they put
up with him because of his good humour. He also keeps a watchful eye on
Gavroche, the mascot of the group, and is the most heartbroken when Gavroche
is killed. So much so that
Grantaire abandons his cynicism and
rushes to die on the barricade. Vocal ranges: Low A to F