a toast to bread, for without it we wouldn't have toast . . . or Les Misérables.
PUBLISHED JUNE 2000
les misérables starring kermit the frog?
CAST LIST
Jean Valjean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kermit the Frog
Javert . . . . . . . . . . . Sherlock Hemlock/The Count
Fantine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prairie Dawn
Marius . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grover
Cosette . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Eponine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoë
Enjolras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bert
Grantaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ernie
Gavroche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Baby Bear
Young Cosette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thénardier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cookie Monster
Mme. Thénardier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Courfeyrac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .Guy Smiley
Joly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Telly Monster
LOOK UP, LOOK DOWN (Up and Down)
1st Galley Slave: Oh, I look up and see the sun as strong as can be.
2nd Galley Slave: Well, I look down and then my chains are what I see.
1st Galley Slave: I look up and see the sun
2nd Galley Slave: I look down and see my chains
Chorus: I look at you and sing a song about up and down. Look up, look down. Look up, look down.
Valjean is released from prison and forced to carry with him a yellow ticket of leave. People refuse to receive him wherever he goes on account of this. Finally, Valjean knocks at the door of a good Bishop's house where he is received with open arms. In return for this kindness, Valjean steals the good Bishop's silver, but is caught and taken back to the house. The Bishop freely forgives him and urges him to become a better man. Valjean sings a little ditty about his plight.
BEIN' ME (Bein' Green)
Valjean:
It's not that easy bein' me
Having to spend each day a convict on the run
When I think it could be nicer being a lawyer or a doctor
Or something much more simple like that
It's not easy bein' me
It seems you have to blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
A convict and dirt beneath their feet.
Or a cur or some other animal
But the Bishop thinks I'm not half bad
And that I can be cool and friendly like
And that convicts can be nice and good
Or important like mayors
Or lift things like carts
When a convict is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why
But why wonder, why wonder?
I am me and it won't do.
It is just awful!
I think a good man is what I want to be.
Valjean breaks his parole and starts a new life as an honest man. He soon gains ownership of factory. The people in his new town like him a lot and the climate is good for his rheumatism; all in all, things are looking wonderful. He's even been made mayor. Yep, everything's peachy. Until he meets Fantine. Fantine, a young single mother who works in Valjean's factory, has a disgraceful past and a bleak future. Unbeknownst to Valjean, she is fired from his factory and sings woefully of lost and unreachable dreams.
D IS FOR DREAMS (C is for Cookie)
Fantine:
D is for dreams, things that used to belong to me.
D is for dreams, dreams of what could be
D is for dreams, dreams I used to see
Oh, dreams, dreams, dreams starts with D
D is for dreams, dreams that are dead
D is for dreams, dreams that used to be in my head
D is for dreams, dreams that are dead
Oh, dreams, dreams, dreams, start with D
Fantine, destitute and showing signs of consumption, is arrested by the formidable Inspector Javert. Valjean rescues her from imprisonment and turns her over to the local nuns who care for her. One day, Javert comes into Valjean's office and tells him that he, Javert, has caught Valjean. The real Valjean is confused, until Javert explains that he has made an actual arrest. A certain poor Champmathieu is in danger of spending life in prison for crimes he did not commit if the mayor Valjean does not step forward. What a plight this is! Let's see what the poor tortured soul does.
Valjean rushes into the trial and immediately bursts into song!
ARE YOU SURE THAT I AM NOT YOUR MAN? (One of These Things)
Valjean:
One of these men is not like the other.
One of these men just doesn't belong
Can you tell me which man is not like the other?
It's me, I'm Jean Valjean.
MY NAME IS JEAN VALJEAN (The Name Song)
Valjean:
Valjean's my name.
It's a fine name.
It's not your name, but it's fine just the same.
Stand right up and say it proudly.
Jean Valjean is my name.
Oh, yes, it's my name
and I'm not gonna change it.
It's my name and I like it just fine.
It's my name and no one can take it.
Valjean's my name and I'm proud that it's mine.
Your name's Javert
That's a fine name.
It's not my name, but it's fine just the same.
Stand right up and say it proudly.
Javert:
Javert is my name.
Oh, yes, it's my name and I'm not gonna change it.
It's my name and I like it just fine.
It's my name and no one can take it.
Javert's my name and I'm proud that it's mine.
Valjean slips from the courtroom while everyone present takes turns singing about their names. Javert doesn't notice his escape as he is completely mesmerized by the song. "This was one of my cleverer plans," Valjean chuckles to himself as he makes his way out. He returns in a hurry to Fantine, who is delirious. She is singing the alphabet as if her poor little child were right next to her. Seeing that she's probably not gonna make it, Valjean promises Fantine that he will raise her child for her. Fantine thinks this is jolly good of him. Just then Javert arrives. He scares Fantine to death (quite literally), but Valjean knows how to handle him. He quietly asks for permission to fetch Cosette for Fantine. Javert makes his answer clear in a soul-stirring song.
NO (No)
No Valjean
No Cosette
No fetching
No running away from me.
And the word is no (no, no, no, no, no, no, no)
And the word is no (no, no, no, no, no, no, no)
And the word is....
No way
No how
No hiding
No leaving
No running
No place to go
And the word is no (no, no, no, no, no, no, no)
And the word is no (no, no, no, no, no, no, no)
No!
Valjean, undaunted, sings his most sleep-inducing lullaby and Javert is soon snoozing on the ground; Valjean escapes, all the while chuckling to himself. (Well, this is Sesame Street after all, do you really think I could have them (*gasp*) fight?)
The scene switches to the pitiful looking Cosette; she sings wistfully in the Thénardier's inn whilst scrubbing the huge floor with a toothbrush.
I WANT TO LIVE ON THE MOON (I Don't Want to Live on the Moon)
Cosette:
Well, I'd like to visit the moon
On a rocket ship high in the air
Yes, I'd like to visit the moon
And I think I'd really like to live there
And I'd like to look down at the earth from above
I wouldn't miss all the places and people I don't love
I like it to happen at least on one afternoon
I do want to live on the moon
Mme. Thénardier harshly and cruelly forces poor little Cosette to go fetch water in the woods. Valjean finds the poor cold child there. In an indignant rage, he bursts into the Thénardier's inn and buys Cosette off them immediately.
10 years later. The noble Enjolras and his young apprentice Marius sing in the streets.
THE OPPRESSED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD (The People In Your Neighborhood)
Enjolras & Marius:
Oh, who are the oppressed in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the oppressed in your neighborhood?
The oppressed that you meet each day
Thénardier:
Oh, a beggar is often without a meal
Through rain or snow or sleet or hail
They work and work the whole day through
To get your money away from you.
Enjolras, Marius & Thénardier:
'Cause a beggar is an oppressed in your neighborhood
In your neighborhood
He's in your neighborhood
A beggar is an oppressed in your neighborhood
An oppressed that you meet each day
Convict:
Oh, a convict is brave it's said
His stick is shiny and made of led
If there's money anywhere about
Well, he'll be sure to search it out.
Enjolras, Marius & Convict:
'Cause a convict is an oppressed in your neighborhood
In your neighborhood
He's in your neighborhood
Thénardier:
And a beggar is an oppressed in your neighborhood
Enjolras, Marius, Thénardier & Convict:
Well, they're the oppressed that you meet
When you're walking down the street
They're the oppressed that you meet each day
Marius chats with his friend Eponine, but she soon runs off to help her daddy, Thénardier, rob poor unsuspecting Jean Valjean. Meanwhile, Marius bumps into the beautiful, grown-up Cosette; they give each other impressively cheesy grins. Javert prevents Thénardier's plot, Valjean gets away pulling the reluctant Cosette after him. Marius is deeply depressed by her departure. The stage clears, all except Javert. He, feeling extremely satisfied with himself for defending justice and right, sings a little song.
THE OPPRESSED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD [Reprise]
Javert:
An Inspector has a great big bat
and sometimes a great big hat.
He likes to lock people in jail
And not even set a bail.
He arrests the oppressed in your neighborhood.
In your neighborhood.
He's in your neighborhood.
He arrests the oppressed in your neighborhood
The oppressed the that you meet each day.
Marius meets up with Eponine, who works part-time as an errand boy, and asks her to look up that beautiful young lady's address; then he heads for a café so he can hang out with his friends---all of them members of the Friends of the ABC (they just love the alphabet here!). Enjolras sings a stirring song.
SOMEBODY COME AND FIGHT (Somebody Come and Play)
Enjolras:
Somebody come and fight
Somebody come and fight tonight
Somebody come and build the barricades
And sing the songs [of angry men]
This might take lives
Somebody come and fight tonight
Somebody come and fight
Somebody come and fight tonight
Somebody come and make the bullets
And shoot the guns
And take initiative.
Somebody come and fight tonight
Somebody come with me and see beyond the barricades
Somebody see the time, see that it is already so near
Somebody come and fight
Somebody come and fight tonight
Somebody come and stand with me
And watch the sun 'till it rains again
Somebody come and fight tonight
Grantaire: “Hey, Enjy, I want to fight. Can you teach me how to build a barricade?”
Enjolras glances at the drunk Grantaire. "I could, if you'd only put down that bottle, Grantaire, my friend!"
PUT DOWN THE BOTTLE (Put Down the Ducky)
Enjolras (to Grantaire):
You gotta put down the bottle
Put down the bottle
Put down the bottle
You gotta get rid of that grapevine made
You gotta put down the bottle
Put down the bottle
Put down the bottle
If you wanna build the barricade!
You didn't hear a word I said
You gotta get it through your head
Don't be a stubborn slug
Grantaire, lay aside that jug!
Grantaire doesn't lay aside his jug, but insists that he will help anyway. Enjolras ignores him with admirable dignified scorn.
Marius enters the café.
Enjolras: “Marius, you're late.”
Joly: “What's wrong today?”
Marius: “Well, comrades, I just met this girl and I really like her. But hey, why am I talking about it? I should just sing the ABCs about it! A, she's adorable. B, she's so beautiful, C, she's a cutie full of charms. D, she's a darling. And E, she's exciting—”
Enjolras: “Okay, that's enough, Marius. We get the picture.”
Enjolras notices that Courfeyrac is sitting, looking a little troubled, in the corner. He approaches him.
Enjolras: “What is it? Are you all right, Courfeyrac? Do you want to sing the ABCs? *glares at Marius* I mean the regular ABCs. *turns back to Courfeyrac* That usually cheers everyone up.”
Courfeyrac: “Well, Enjy, it's like this. I was just wondering, well, what do the people sing?”
Enjolras: “Well, Courfeyrac, I'm glad you asked. The people sing a little song, and it goes just like this . . . *clears throat*
WHAT THE PEOPLE SING (Sing)
Enjolras:
Sing
Sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things, not bad
Sing of happy, not sad
All Students:
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
Marius leaves the café with Eponine, who has successfully located the young girl. Marius enters the young lady's garden and pours out his heart to her in song.
THE ABC's OF A HEART FULL OF LOVE [Reprise] (A, You're Adorable)
Marius:
A, you're adorable
B, you're so beautiful
C, you're a cutie full of charms
D, you're a darling
And E, you're exciting
And F, you're a feather in my arms
G, you look good to me
H, you're so heavenly
I, you're the one I idolize
J, we're like Jack and Jill
K, you're so kissable
L is the love light in your eyes
M, N, O, P, I could go on all day
Q, R, S, T, alphabetically speaking, you're okay
U made my life complete
V means you're very sweet
W, X, Y, Z
It's fun to wander through the alphabet with you
To tell you what you mean to me
Cosette loves this song because not only does it fill her heart with warm fuzzies, it also doubles as a way to learn the alphabet! Eponine forlornly wishes she could sing the alphabet with Marius, too, until Thénardier and his gang show up and attempt to rob the house. Eponine stops them by screaming. Marius leaves as the alarmed Valjean enters the garden. Worried that Javert is on his trail again, Valjean tells Cosette to prepare to leave. Everyone wonders what tomorrow will bring.
ONE MORE DAY (How to get to Sesame Street)
Valjean:
One More Day
Marius:
Sweepin' my cheer away
Eponine:
On my own, walking down the street.
Javert:
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get where the students meet?
Enjolras:
Come and fight
Helps us out in our plight
National Guard there
That's where we'll beat
Javert:
Can you tell me how to get
How to get to barricade street?
Thénardiers:
It's a magic carpet ride
Every pocket will open wide
To happy people like me
People who steal
What a wonderful
Valjean:
One More Day
Marius & Cosette:
Sweepin' my cheer away
Eponine:
On my own, that's the way I’ll be.
Javert:
Can you tell me how to get,
How to get to barricade street...
How to get to barricade street...
How to get to...
End of Act 1