Les Misérables is the Broadway musical based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel about the imprisoned French convict Jean Valjean. The musical follows Valjean’s attempt to rebuild his life while being pursued by the police inspector Javert.
The music was composed by Claude-Michel Schönberg, with lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and a book by Alain Boublil and Schönberg. Its story includes the 1832 Paris Uprising, the students’ barricade, Fantine’s hardship, and Valjean’s relationship with his adopted daughter, Cosette.
The musical opened in London in 1985 and reached Broadway in March 1987. The original Broadway production ran until 2003, making it one of the longest-running Broadway musicals at the time. A revival opened in 2006, and a later revival began performances in 2014.
The title is commonly translated as “The Miserable Ones” or “The Wretched.” The musical’s sung-through structure means that nearly the entire story is delivered through music, with very little conventional spoken dialogue.