Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again! Well homos, do you hear it?! You totally should, because we’re getting damn close to December 25, which is opening day of Les Misérables at the movies and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see those badass revolutionaries marching the streets of France while singing soul-stirring tunes about when the beating of your heart echoes the beating of your drums on my local cinema screen!
via universal pictures
Full disclosure, I am actually not a huge “movie person.” I only saw one film in 2012, and the fact that I don’t mind telling you that it was The Hunger Games, and sorry I’m not sorry, is a testament to my feeling that Autostraddle is a real safe space. But despite my inability to ever commit to see a movie, I am a total theater dork, and I think it’s my weirdo theater kid roots that are really getting my blood pumping about the film version of the world’s longest-running musical.
Incase you have no idea what I’m talking about, let me catch you up super quickly so we can get to the awesome fun amazing portion of this post where I tell you about the prizes you can win! Oh yes, did I mention that? We’ve teamed up with Universal Pictures to bestow some pretty sweet swag to one of you little revolutionaries (yes, I just said swag, no, I’m not sorry, yes, this is still a safe space). But okay, before we talk about the giveaway, here’s what you have to look forward to on December 25.
I know. I know. Like I said, I’m really not a movie person, but I am dying to see this film. Incase you’re interested in the particulars, the film is directed by Tom Hooper of The Kings Speech and is based on the original stage musical which is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It boasts an extremely accomplished cast, starring Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen and in my completely amateur opinion, it could very well be the best film you see all year.
If you’re not into watching movie trailers or if you’re currently at work like me and can’t watch movies on YouTube for fear of your boss firing you, here’s a synopsis of what the film will bring:
Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Hugh Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.
Broken dreams! Unrequited love! Passion, sacrifice and redemption! Even if you’re not in love with Anne Hathaway (who isn’t in love with Anne Hathaway?) and even if you haven’t always loved this musical in your dorky little theater geek heart, who can resist those compelling themes? Not I, dear reader, not I.
anne hathaway is just one of the many reasons you should go see this film
So okay, let’s talk about this prize pack. One lucky reader will receive a $25 Fandango gift card, and a Les Misérables t-shirt, journal, and soundtrack! Merry December 25! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling me your favorite song from Les Misérables and why that particular number wins your heart. We’ll pick a winner randomly on Wednesday, December 19. Here, I’ll get the party started.
My favorite song from Les Misérables is “On My Own,” because at age 11 I decided it totally encompassed all the feelings in my tiny soul and I moped around my house singing it loudly, even though I obviously had no understanding of what it was actually about and also I’m pretty much tone-deaf and even my girlfriend doesn’t like it when I sing in the car, but my kind parents never told me how horrendous I sounded and even indulged my delusions that I would one day be Éponine on Broadway (though I think they were very relieved when I finally faced reality at age 18 and told them I thought I might actually be more suited for a life behind the page rather than on the stage, bless my little heart).
Okay, now it’s your turn! And when you’re done entering our contest you can follow Les Misérables on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
UPDATE 12/19/12: Congratulations Ally, you are the winner of this giveaway! (Please check your email ASAP so you can claim your prize!) For those of you who don’t want to scroll through 100+ comments to find Ally’s entry (though I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t wanna do that) here’s what she had to say:
Les Miserables is my absolute favorite musical (and one of my favorite books); in fact, it was my soundtrack of choice for homework sessions throughout the last month of the semester. So, it’s difficult for me to choose just one song as a favorite– i love I Dreamed a Dream and On My Own; A Little Fall of Rain and Empty Chairs at Empty Tables bring me to tears, Stars and Do You Hear the People Sing? are so powerful… i think that if i *had* to choose just one, it’d be One Day More- it captures the first act so beautifully. i love it. Plus, there’s this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ziBJOi7cDY. Should i ever find “the One”, this will happen at the ceremony.
Congratulations again to Ally, and thanks to everyone who entered. Enjoy the film on December 25! You are all my favorite revolutionaries.
“Bring Him Home” because I have children and worry about them coming home safely everyday.
absolutely “One More Day”
because trying to sing all the parts by myself is the ultimate challenge
Given that I was just singing “I Dreamed a Dream” to myself while making toast, I’m going to say that is my favorite. But how can one really choose?
Not necessarily my favorite, but whenever I hear “Master of the House,” I cannot help but hear the Even Stevens parody “Master of the Gym” #disneychannelseries4lyfe
“Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, because it manages to capture how empty grief can feel.
…also because Marius always seemed kinda gay to me, despite his thing for Cosette. I dunno, I guess it’s the homoeroticism of his camaraderie with his fellow (mostly male) revolutionaries?
I would have to say that Little Fall of Rain is my favorite song from Les Mis. I saw the show for the first time when I was 14 and was in sobbing tears by the end of this song. It is all about total loyalty, love, faith, and trust. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful moments of the show.
I have seen LM 18 times live over the last decade and EVERY time – tears.
This is the show that made me want to be on Broadway. While I later trekked backstage to become a Stage Manager – I can and will still bust out into songs. My life is a musical. I make sure of it. ;)
I can’t WAIT for the 25th! Squee!
“On My Own” – the first time I heard Lea Salonga sing that song I melted…at the time I felt a lot like Eponine- never getting the guy but later I figured out that I was really looking for the girl…so things work out…Les Mis is my favorite…I even blogged about it!
http://veganthoughyourenot.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/challenge-accepted/
“I Dreamed a Dream” because when sang well it gives me chills
I’d have to say At the End of the Day, because when my mother first let me borrow a whole ton of her CDs and especially pointed out Les Mis as one I should listen to, it took me a full week just to listen to the whole thing. I’d start the music, telling myself I’ll listen to the whole thing this time, but I’d constantly get stuck replaying this particular song. It’s not exactly a song about the happiest of subjects, but goddamn if it isn’t insanely fun to sing along to. Especially if you’re a kid whose singing-along, um, tends to be slightly overdramatic.
“On My Own” was also a really big one for me. My sister played piano when we were kids so she would play and I would sing, being super dramatic about identifying with a song even though I definitely didn’t know what it was about at the time either.
Now my favorite might be “Stars”
“A Little Fall of Rain” because the melody is gorgeous.
I had years of love for On My Own, but “A Heart Full of Love” takes the cake now, I love the Eponine angst in it the most because I think it’s closer to the way I’ve pined for people.
or if I can combine In My Life/A Heart Full of Love, even better
“On My Own” because it’s the only song I’ve ever heard. My only knowledge of Les Misérables comes from Joey Potter singing “On My Own” in a beauty pageant/attempt to woo Dawson in 1998. Don’t judge; it moved my angsty teenage heart to tears. I’m excited to replace her nasally rendition with actual singers and an actual storyline come Christmas day.
“On My Own,” because a friend of mine introduced me to it in high school and I would go around dramatically singing it while walking to the Arts building because I was in love with this boy who didn’t know I existed. I later hooked up with aforementioned (female) friend even though I was “straight.” Then I got really confused. So definitely that song.
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, because my best friend’s life partner recently died of cancer and this will be his first Christmas alone. I would love to take him out to the movies on Christmas day to help get his mind off things.
Definitely “Master of the House,” because I like happy songs, and that’s pretty much the only song in the whole shebang that 1) doesn’t have sad lyrics or 2) doesn’t come from a place of sadness. Gimme gaiety, even if the gay people in question are horrible. (But really, they can’t be THAT horrible. One of them is Helena Bonham Carter.)
“Stars” is definitely my favorite. I’m a pretty driven person, so I can kind of identify with Javert on that. Plus, sorry everyone, but my dream has always been to a law enforcement officer, preferably one that puts “agent” in front of my name…so he’s pretty much my favorite character for some weird reason.
It’s a close run thing for me. In a musical with so many fantastic numbers, Stars wins out.
When your entire world view is turned on it’s head which way do you choose? When you are given a second chance what do you do with it?
Valjean becomes a “man of repute a mayor of this town”. Javert’s rigid sense of righteousness wont let him, and he can see no way forward to redemption. And the whole musical is about redemption.
Bring Him Home because its just the most beautiful thing EVER and sad and did I mention BEAUTIFUL. And also Empty Chairs and Empty Tables (yes I’m picking two favorites. No I’m not sorry) because I love how it’s about mourning friends when so much in movies and books and musicals is about romantic love, but losing friends is a powerful and devastating loss in its own way.
Oh, this is an impossible choice for me! Les Misérables is my all time favorite musical. It would either be everything Eponine sings or everything Javert sings. But just to make things difficult, I’m going to go with One Day More because it gives me chills every time. When they all sing together that the end of the song, I can’t even…
As a side note, when I was 10, I wanted to have three kids so I could name them Eponine, Marius, and Cosette. True. Story.
I’m going to have to go with “I Dreamed a Dream,” as performed by Patti LuPone. It’s so good that every time it comes up on my shuffle I have to listen twice. Goosebumps every time.
I Dreamed a Dream, definitely. Every time I hear it, I get chills and it brings me to tears. I love the anguish in it, but it also reminds me not to give up.
I also love “on my own”. I was in a competitive choir and finally got a solo! It was “on my own” and I could sing it really well. Unfortunately, this solo is when I discovered I have a fairly large amount of stage fright unless I’m in group) and I forgot all of the words and just sang one verse over and over and over again. Until the pianist finally cut the song off early.
Ever since I watched the other trailer for this movie I have been obsessed with “I Dreamed a Dream.” There’s something very raw and powerful about the way Hathaway sings it. Every time I hear it I get chills.
I’m just a little out of control obsessed with it actually.
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is my favorite. I saw my sister’s high school do a performance of the play when I was pretty young and I didn’t really understand how such a sad song was also so inspiring. It made me realize I’d rather be a ghost that spent my life for a something I believed in than live without a cause
I think I’ll have to go with the “In My Life”/”A Heart Full of Love” sequence. The melodies of those two songs are incredible and I love when Eponine comes in at the end.
Also, Marius is dumb and I enjoy Cosette telling him to shut up:
Marius: “Cosette, I don’t know what to say.”
Cosette: “Then make no sound.”
“On My Own”! In middle school my friend and I would sing it together every day at recess. /dork
“I Dreamed a Dream” is definitely my favorite… every time I hear it I cry; every. damn. time.
“The Confrontation.”
Because when I was in (ahem) high school, I used to take out my Snape action figures and make them sing as Javert and Valjean to that song. Remarkably, I still had friends.
“Drink With Me” is, to me, one of the most moving songs in the show. The students reminisce on the good times they had and resolve to continue fighting even though they know they’ll be killed.
My favorite song is “Do You Hear the People Sing”, because I was obsessed with the French Revolution during college, and that aspect of the musical is more interesting to me than the love story. And that song is such a good rebel/revolutionary song.
Maybe this is cheating because I can’t pick just one song, but I’m going to go with the “Finale.” In Fantine, Valjean, and Éponine’s short stanza they seem to capture the whole message of the show, and still maintain a certain level of hope while delivering this greater, beautiful message about humanity and the human experience and our capacity as humans to love. Plus, then it segues into “Do You Hear the People Sing,” which was one of my (many) frontrunners, which is just so beautiful and given so much meeting in Act II, even after it’s sung that I die.
When I was little listening to my parents’ music, my favorite was definitely “Master of the House,” but I grew up into an indecisive human so now I have too many favorites to decide. Still love “Master of the House,” doing outrageous accents and pulling out my most sarcastic voice.
It’s insanely difficult to choose a favorite, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Castle on a Cloud since I first went to go see Les Mis. I was probably 12 or so at the time, and going through a lot, so it really resonated with me.
One Day More. Because it’s so epic and just gives me chills whenever I hear it. Especially the 10th anniversary version. Perfection.
Joining in the “On My Own” chorus – I invited a friend on a family vacation in 6th grade and she was in the local theatre’s production of Les Mis (cue the inevitable singing 24/7). It was aggravating and then I learned all the words and then she converted me.
I’d have to say “Who Am I?”. It has all the tricky little musical bits of One Day More but that moment when Jean Valjean decides he’s gonna step up and save this guy’s life…man that is powerful.
Also who doesn’t love to go, “Two four six oh OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!”
One Day More always gives me chillies.
“On my own” because the first time I ever saw Les Mis was when it was a school production at my high school/middle school. I was in the 8th grade, and the girl who was Eponine was a senior and beautiful. (BEAUTIFUL.) She was probably one of my first crushes, even though I didn’t know it at the time, and I’m still obsessed with Lea Salonga. But who isn’t???
Oh my gosh. It HAS to be ‘On My Own’ because that’s the song that Éponine sings and she is just the best character and I may have fallen in love with her when I saw it in the theatre as a young teen and I love it. This is yet another example of totally gay things I did before I realised I was gay – thinking, like, Éponine is the coolest and what the hell is Marius doing chasing after Cosette, I mean, who even needs Marius really. I think I actually journalled about it (I was young).
Also, Anne Hathaway with an ALH? YES PLEASE
“A Little Fall of Rain,” because that song/scene is so wonderfully melodramatic. Only in a musical can someone get fatally shot, and still have enough strength to sing a duet, as she expires in the arms of the object of her unrequited love. It’s basically everything I love about musicals in a nutshell.
I’d have to go with “One Day More”. A snippet of basically every song from Act 1 is in there, and its super dynamic because everyone is singing their parts over one another! I love it. In the shower, I act out every line and try to keep up with everyone singing. It doesn’t really work out everytime, but its a blast :)
“The Confrontation,” because I have a serious thing for that kind of super intense duet where you can barely make out what either is saying but damn are they ever saying it.
Also there’s this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhXsJjVdj1E Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris breaking into the duet completely out of nowhere on a talk show and doing the WHOLE thing long after the audience has stopped chuckling. True fanboys.
THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER.
“On My Own,” – my best friend from high school was a chorus geek and would walk around singing random snippets of songs. This one piqued my interest and actually got me to read and watch it.
“Eponine’s Errand”, because I have loved Eponine since I was 12. My tiny baby lesbian heart had no idea why I liked her so much or why I wanted to wear that hat.
ugh, this is so difficult since Les Mis is in my top three favorite musicals. I think I’ll go with “Come to Me” because I cry every time I see that scene, and also it shows how devoted Fantine is to Cosette even when she’s dying.
“I Dreamed a Dream,” because it is my girlfriend’s beyond favorite. Her ardor for this song alone convinced me that I should take her to see the movie despite my skepticism of star-studded film adaptions of musicals. That, and the behind the scenes trailer they showed on a recent flight from San Diego. Looks amazing.
It’s a tie between “On My Own” and “I Dreamed a Dream” for heart-rending, tear-inducing, feel-all-the-feelings car singing.
I dreamed a dream is my favorite because after I hear it it’s in my head for days.
It’s a toss up! I love “The Confrontation” because my brother and I used to sing it together in the car. And we still laugh about it today. But I also love “I Dreamed a Dream” because my grandmother used to love to play that one for me on the piano (we obviously had the Les Miz piano music).
I can’t log in, GRR.
But it’s me, ima member I swear!
My favorite is Castle on a Cloud, because it’s like a lullaby to me. None of my friends like it; they say it’s creepy and sad, but personally, I end up whistling it for hours after I hear it.
So basically I need new friends.
I have to say Master of the House, because the whole thing is just so sad and emotional and that song is so lighthearted and funny. And I just love how sassy Mme. Thenardier is.
Les Miserables is my absolute favorite musical (and one of my favorite books); in fact, it was my soundtrack of choice for homework sessions throughout the last month of the semester. So, it’s difficult for me to choose just one song as a favorite– i love I Dreamed a Dream and On My Own; A Little Fall of Rain and Empty Chairs at Empty Tables bring me to tears, Stars and Do You Hear the People Sing? are so powerful… i think that if i *had* to choose just one, it’d be One Day More- it captures the first act so beautifully. i love it. Plus, there’s this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ziBJOi7cDY. Should i ever find “the One”, this will happen at the ceremony. :-D
If we do get gay marriage legalized and I get to convert our civil partnership I totally want this to happen
“On My Own” is my favorite because, when I heard it for the first time, as sung by the 8th grade choir, my little 6th-grade breath caught in my chest and I nearly fainted.
“On My Own” because Joey sang it in Dawson’s Creek and I was obsessed with her/that show when it was on.
Stars – I love stars and I find the score very beautiful.
Favorite song is “Bring Him Home!” because I helped raise my best friend’s son. (dad NOT in the picture.) He is now 25 years old and a firefighter. I am so proud of the man he has become. The line HE’S LIKE THE SON I MIGHT HAVE KNOW. . . IF GOD HAD GRANTED ME A SON! still makes my heart pause and my eyes tear up. I love him like a son!
“I Dreamed A Dream,” because it kind of makes me cry and it was the song that got me into musical theatre in the first place.
On My Own, because almost nothing else gets me to start swaying and making “I’m a singer in a famous musical and not a gawky senior in high school” faces on the bus. Love the big swells and the lyrics.
“Master of the House” because I learned to love Les Mis as a kid when my mom and sister would kick me out of the house while they listened to the soundtrack and I would of course eavesdrop and listen to it anyway. I wasn’t allowed to listen to it at that point because of the swearing in “Master of the House.”
“Castle on a Cloud,” because it reminds me of daydreaming when I was a child. Also, it’s a beautiful song.
“I Dreamed a Dream” because it makes me think of some trying times that I made it through in high school. I love the song in general and it brings out a lot of emotion when you listen to it closely.
The song “On my Own” definitly. It reminds of this one time where me and friend were walking for hours late at night/morning. There’s a whole story to why we were walking but all you need to know is that we had told our parents we were going to sleep over at eachothers house. We walked 6 miles under the stars to our friends place to crash.
Now, I had a huuge crush on this girl. She’s bisexual and I thought that she might like me. As we were walking she started asking me questions about romance and who I liked. She even asked me if I had ever kissed someone. I got hopeful, but it turns out she just wanted to talk “girl talk.” She then told me about who she liked. I was dissapointed to say the least.
I realized I had been lying to myself and creating a fantasy where she felt the same way I felt about her. She had always made me feel special, but just like Eponine “every day I learning… I’m only pretending.” The song “On my own” perfectly captures my feelings for her and how sometimes I like to dream that she’s with me. But when it comes down to it “Without me
[Her]world would go on turning .”
She was my first love, and “On My Own” always reminds me of her. I’ve moved on but this song brings back the feels..
Wow that was a long post, Les Mis is a great play.
Castle on a Cloud.
It reminds me of returning from PTSD.
“Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”
Les Mis was the last show that I saw with my best friend before he died. I couldn’t listen to a single song without thinking of him and breaking into tears for years. Now I can start to hear songs and remember the good times that I had with him, but Empty Chairs at Empty Tables still captures the feelings that I felt when the grief was so raw and consuming.
“I Dreamed A Dream,” because I normally hate musicals and this was the first song I heard from a musical that I ever liked.
This may be one of the hardest questions I’ve ever had to answer.
I think I have to go with “One Day More” because it is possibly the most beautiful and sophisticated number I’ve heard in musical theatre, and it represents the quintessential Act I Finale number, not to mention the sheer emotion that is exuded from each of the characters singing. Of course it’s a plus that it borrows pieces from several other songs in the show.
The melody winds itself right around my heart every time I hear it and the lyrics entwine themselves in my mind.
“One day to a new beginning. Raise the flag of freedom high. Every man will be a king. Every man will be a king. There’s a new world for the winning. There’s a new world to be won. Do you hear the people sing?” It exhibits the hope and the fervor that the French people had for their revolution.
But I also love “Little People” because 1. My first girlfriend use to sing it (and I date a lot of short girls), and 2. it serves as a reminder of the importance of the “little people” especially because students were a big part of this revolution, and students continue to be huge activists today.
And then I really love “At The End Of The Day” because it’s a sharp and blunt expression of the suffering of the proletariat French citizens, juxtaposed with their looking forward to “another day dawning” where “there’s gonna be hell to pay.”
And then of course there’s “I Dreamed A Dream” and “On My Own” because I love to sing them.
“Do You hear the People Sing?, ” because I saw Les Mis for the first time the night we began bombing Iraq in March 2003, and the image of that particular scene on that particular night is forever burned in my mind.
“On My Own,” because it’s the perfect embodiment of unrequited love, and it is absolutely one of my favorite theatre songs to belt out in the car. Especially that bit when the song’s built up for a while and it’s percolating and then you let out, “I love him/but everyday I’m leeeeaaaarrrnniiiiing/alllll my liiiiiiiiife/I’ve only been preteeeeeendiiiiiiing,” and then you feel great. (It also represents the moment I fell in love with “Glee,” probably, in its first season before it got horrible, when we meet Rachel and she sings it and it’s almost heartbreaking, and then you realize it’s even more heartbreaking what they did to that character… but I digress.)
But also bonus points to “Master of the House” because I’ve been bingeing on “Seinfeld” lately and there’s this great episode where George has it stuck in his head and worries it’ll drive him crazy like that one note supposedly drove Schumann crazy.
My favorite song is “Look Down”, because it always reminds of my dad. I have this memory of him putting on this ridiculously deep voice and telling me about the show, and the (old) movie. I’ve always loved musical theatre, and his knowledge of it is limited to a few shows, Les Mis being one of them, and I love those rare occasions where we get to bond over little things. He and I are so excited to see the new version together for the holidays!
I’d say “I dreamed a dream,” there are so many feelings in that song and Fantine is one of my favourite characters.
Really though, all the songs are pretty amazing!
“Do you hear the people sing”
Really it’s not most peoples first choice, but I have lead a more unusually radical life than most people. I first heard the song when my sister was in a play version at our high. At the time I was really into Chomsky and Bell Hooks, so the idea of a revolution was just beginning to burrow it’s way into the collective conscience I call myself these days. The song came back too me when I went to my first protest. Some of you may remember the counter-inauguration of Bush in 2004, I was a budding anarcho-dyke, who loved crass, anti-flag, theory. I remembered it again during the time I was around this nationwide queer organizing group that did direct actions in every major city. We fought back against the states and capital abuse of trans and queers friends, and resisted the homo-normativity that seemed to be taking middle class GLBT folks by storm. Anyway, know when I hear “who will strong and stand with me, beyond the barricades” I think of all the militant women of the Paris commune and Oaxaca free state who built and defended the barricades that represented a future outside of the patriarchal ways of relating. I guess it’s still a powerful song for me, one that’s dream hasn’t died yet.
The finale “Do You Hear the People Sing” after the wedding when Valjean goes to paradise with Fantine and all the other souls are singing triumphantly. ::tears:: Because feelings.
“I dreamed a dream”, because I spend a lot of time playing piano; the score to Les Mis has a permanent location on top of my piano and whenever I’m home, I know I can sit down, play that one song and someone (one of my sisters or my dad) will walk in and start singing along. Everyone in the family knows every word. It’s actually pretty embarrassing. Also, the accompaniment is super fun.
The Confrontation
Even though I know I’ll never be able to sing Javert and Valjean simultaneously, I’ve been trying for 12 years anyway, alone in my car, with results that at least make me chuckle to myself.
And if you can chuckle to yourself in the middle of that song, you’re in a good place.
Ahhh AS how do you always read my mind errrrytime? I have been watching the 10th anniversary youtube stuff non-stop and had Castle on a Cloud stuck in my head all day today.
My favorite is One Day More; it gives me goosebumps without even physically listening to it. Like people before me have said, it’s just intense and intricate and epic and ALL OF THE FEELINGS.
So many good ones, but “Castle on a Cloud” is my favorite. It’s so beautifully simplistic in a tragically haunting way. *All of the tears*
I love “I Dreamed a Dream” because it was the very first song I sang on stage!
Tie: I Dreamed a Dream, because Fantine just GETS me every time.
Do you hear the people sing? OK there’s a story behind this one. The first time I ever heard les mis was on a record player at my grandparents’ house (for real). They just sat me down one day and said “You have to listen to this.” When this song came on, with its swelling chorus, my grandma got all teary-eyed and explained that for her, the song sounded like the Jewish people “not being slaves again.” It was ghetto mentality-tactic but SO adorable. Her ability to get so emotionally swept up in music is one of the things I love most about her, and one of the things we have in common.
“Castle on a Cloud” is my favourite because my little brother used to sing it all the time when he was younger and we were in choir together. fun sibling memories :)
I get tears in my eyes every time I hear “Do You Hear the People Sing.” It’s just so powerful.
“I Dreamed a Dream,” is definitely my favorite. I know that it’s the most popular and it’s so sad but when sung well it is a heartbreaker. Plus my first girlfriend and I were obsessed with Les Mis and we used to sing it to each other when one of us was being over dramatic. We saw the play together 6 years ago and now we’re going to go to see the movie for old times sake. And because we both don’t know anyone else who is as Les Mis obsessed.
Do You Hear The People Sing?
Brings back memories of my freshman year in high school when we read the book, the school put on the musical, and I was part of the Nineteenth Century Novel Enthusiasts Club. Plus I just think it’s the most fun to start singing.
At the End of the Day
Back in high school my brother was in Les Miserables. I remember going to see that show and watching the girl who was playing Eponine sing “On My Own”. That song spoke to my heart because… I’ve felt that way. The actress stood out to me as a beautiful/talented/smart person. The next summer I went to theatre camp with the both of them and become instant best friends with the actress. We eventually fell in love and dated for almost 5 years. She was my first everything and I still remember that first time I met her.
Didn’t work out Or this post would be perfect :p still a good memory of first love.
“I Dreamed a Dream”, because it’s beautiful and I’ve loved it forever and ever. It’s the song that keeps reminding me that I NEED to see this musical!
Castle on a Cloud!
Reminds me to dream, look for the positive and to never give up!
I also used to sing it in my primary school choir!
<3 Les Mis
“The Confrontation,” because my partner and one of our friends would burst out into that song when we first started dating, and it really endeared me to them.
That is an unbelievably hard question. But I think I’ll have to go with ‘On My Own’ simply because when I was about 14 my older sister slash best friend did the most beautiful, heart breaking ballet dance to it for a ballet competition and everything about it was just surreal and amazing. I’ve always listened to the soundtrack even before I saw Les Mis on stage but since then ‘On My Own’ always makes me happy/sniffle. But again, ridiculously hard question. Because now that I write this I keep thinking of more and more songs that are my favourite. Oh well!
I dreamed a dream. To win this prize package would be possibly the greatest and possibly only christmas gift I will recieve this year. Which would be 100% fine with me. :D
I’d have to say Empty Chairs at Empty Tables is one of my favorites. There’s just something about it that makes me love it. How tomorrow can seem so close and how sometimes we can feel invincible but then it can just end. As well as how we can expect people to be there with us the next day, and then just be gone. How we feel guilty when we lose people and ask why they had to be the ones to leave.
It’s hard to choose just one but that’s what I’ll go with. ^-^
I don’t think there’s a person on the planet who can’t relate with “On My Own”. It was the first Les Mis song I ever listened to and I was immediately hooked by the heartbreaking lyrics. Eponine is my favorite character in the show and I can’t wait to see Samatha Barks on the big screen! What a cutie.
“Castle on a Cloud” This was the first song I ever heard from Les Mis, and I was only in first grade at the time. And years later when I found it again, it sparked my love for the whole musical. It’s such a soothing song, even if mildly depressing.
I Dreamed a Dream is my absolutely favorite. It gives me the tingles all over every, damn, time.
SPOILER ALERT
Okay I know this is a weird one, but I just love the soliloquy “Javert’s Suicide.” It’s got the drama and musical complexity of the best songs in Les Mis, PLUS it’s got so much ethical drama in the lyrics, e.g. “is he from heaven or from hell, and does he know/that granting me my life today, this man has killed me even so?” I kinda think Javert is the most interesting character, too. Sadly, I doubt this one made it into the movie.
Like lots of people, I first encountered Les Mis when the kids in our high school performed it. I’m not much of a theater person (by contrast, I love movies), but I just can’t get enough of Les Mis and I am SO EXCITED for this movie.
“On My Own”, definitely. It’s how I learned of Les Mis!
“Castle on a Cloud”.
We sang a medley of the songs for choir a few years ago and this was my favorite. It made me feel childish and young again and I just loved it. Then when I saw the little girl sing it on stage I just wanted to hug her and tell her it would be ok and I was basically crying. It was fantastic.
Also OMG I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS MOVIE AHHHHHHH
my favorite song is “A Heart Full of Love” because I sang excerpts from it to my first love after the first time we made love. <3 "not a dream after all!"what a beautiful memory
“On My Own,” because I am a hopeless romantic and I swoon for the stuff of unrequited and tragic love.
Definitely One Day More – I cry everytime I listen to it. Beyond the incredible musicality of it, the feeling of solidarity that emanates from the cast.
But I REALLY like it in Polish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXgCrhIevwU
My favorite song by far is On My Own. I’ve loved it ever since Rachel Berry performed it in the pilot episode of Glee, and it is even more poignant in the musical. Such a beautifully written song!
“Lovely Ladies”, for real. It’s just so much fun to sing, and even though it’s a total ensemble piece, it’s actually sort of one of my dream roles to be able to say I played a prostitute in pre-Revolution France. Uh, yeah.
Oh, and of course “One Day More” is my second favorite, although so far from what I’ve seen– Anne Hathaway’s rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” might actually shoot to the top of my favorites… I have to wait and see the movie/hear the whole song to decide. <3
“I Dreamed A Dream” because if you sing the rewritten lyrics from Glee, it’s queer as hell and I prefer using female pronouns while singing angst-ridden love songs.
I love “On My Own” because it helps to show that my independent nature does have some weaknesses in it.
I really like “Master of the House” because everyone needs a break from crying. And it’s hilarious.
One Day More. The harmonies are epic and every character’s stories come together for it. Its always on repeat for me at the gym.
I dreamed a dream. That song always has given me chills. I’ve had times of my life where I thought all hope was gone.
This might be the hardest question I’ve ever been asked. Because oh my god, I have three different recordings of Les Mis on my iPod (in two different languages) so this is very very very hard. That being said, “One Day More” is the most epic song I’ve ever heard. It ties together all the characters and their storylines and is just so good. But it’s got to be tied with the Finale/Valjean’s Death because I go from absolutely sobbing at “You will love… Papa, you’re going to live!” to inspired from the reprise of Do You Hear The People Sing.
I may or may not have too many feelings about this book/musical/movie.
Absolutely everything Fantine! But I give another vote for “I Dreamed a Dream,” because it captures innocence & sheer joy along with the other side of the coin–heartbreak, hopelessness & world-weariness–so perfectly… just so many emotions in such a perfect song. I feel like I relate to the song differently with each major life experience & passing year. (Though that’s true of the whole musical!) I also can’t get through “Fantine’s Arrest” without crying.
Ruthie Henshall as Fantine on the 10th Anniversary gives me chills to this day. When I first discovered the world of Autostraddle, I went to YouTube to find Haviland singing it & adored her version, too. & Fantine is just one of my favorite characters, period. (I also love the students, especially Enjolras & Grantaire… “Red & Black,” “Do You Hear the People Sing,” etc. etc. are honorable mentions!)
I can’t believe “Les Mis” is finally going to be a movie musical! I think I was the theater equivalent of a groupie for the show during the bulk of the 90’s-early 2000’s, geeking out for the national tour/regional productions, etc. *so many old, nostalgic feelings*!
This question is 24601% unfair and I would like to register a formal protest, because it’s like you’re asking me to choose which child is my favorite. (Except harder, since I am very much Not A Kid Person.) How on earth do you expect me to do this, is the point.
I’m tempted to go with “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” or “The Final Battle”, because emotional masochism is my middle name, but I think at the end of the day, I have to go with “One Day More”, because – in true Autostraddle spirit – I just have Too Many Feelings about that song. It’s one of the most gorgeous and powerful songs I have ever heard and one of my favorite songs of all time, and I am honestly too scared to listen to the movie rendition because the way that song is staged is inevitably what makes or breaks a production of Les Mis for me.
PS: Everyone commenting on this post needs to be my best friend. I need more Les Mis-loving friends.
A Little Fall Of Rain because it will always be the song I cried myself to sleep with during middle school.
I dreamed a dream for the meaning behind the words.
“Who Am I?”. Something about that scene where his morality was hanging on a moment was so character-defining, and for me, one of the best climaxes in his character development. Questioning his identity, struggling with trying to escape your past only to realize that sometimes embracing it is the only way you can move forward. Just so much hard beauty in that one little song.
on my own. i love this and can’t wait to see the movie! thanks!
My sister and I went through a huge Les Mis phase when I was 10 after my parents took us to see the touring Broadway production at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. My sister and I had to listen to the soundtrack every day in the car and sing along, and I remember trying to learn “Master of the House” on my cello. So much fun!
So I know I’m going to see this regardless of the reviews. I’m a bit skeptical about them casting big Hollywood actors rather than musical theatre people, with the exception of Hugh Jackman, who I’m excited to see as Jean Valjean (though he seems like he’d make a better Javert to me, I don’t know why), because he was really awesome as Curly in Oklahoma! in the West End production he was in, which I think I’ve watched on YouTube about a hundred times.
Also, I forgot – I don’t know if writers are allowed to enter this, but my favorite song is “One Day More.” Something about big crowd songs has always been really inspiring to me (my favorite song in West Side Story is also the “Tonight” quintet). You can just feel everyone yearning for change, whether that’s in their own lives or for revolution. It really brings the spirit of the musical to life.
My Mom and I would (kinda/sorta) force my Dad to play our audition songs on the piano all the time. I was young and cocky so my choice was On My Own, naturally. It’s such an emotional song that’s it’s almost easy to let go and and cry.I thought that enhanced my acting. My Mom’s was Do You Hear The People Sing and I sometimes got jealous and wanted to sing that instead. It’s so powerful and singing a “man’s part” always resonated with my little Tom-boy self. Love the play. Kinda liked the book. Hope to love the movie!
Oh wow, so i had *just* shut the lid to my laptop and was about to go to bed when i got an email notification on my phone– i didn’t recognize the name and didn’t see the subject but opened it anyway and OH MY GOD I WON THE LES MIS GIVEAWAY *COMMENCE HYPERVENTILATION*
Y’all made my night. So. Much. Joy.
Autostraddle team (which i *always* read as “astrostraddle, i dunno why). . . thanks! i shall think of all y’all as i watch Les Mis two or three times in the theater (might have to use part of the giftcard to go see The Hobbit again.) Cheers! :-)
this makes MY night. congrats again, ally! enjoy the movie & the prize pack.
So what did people think about the film? As a musician I have mixed feelings; I think a lot of the people weren’t really the best singers for their parts. The best were Enjolras, Marius and Eponine in that order.
Also, please tell me I’m not the only little girl who liked the idea of playing Gavroche way way more than playing young Cosette.
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