Les Miserables - French Concept

[Ozam]

Posted: 5/22/14 at 10:14am

Just wondering if anyone knows if the original French Concept version of Les Mis is ever performed and if so where? Ditto for Parisian Version. I'll love to see them.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/22/14 at 10:28am

It's probably not licensed, but I'm sure someone's performed the OFC version somewhere, post-1980.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 5/22/14 at 7:43pm

I'm pretty sure the french version was changed to reflect the english version after it premiered, and I don't think it's really been seen since. There are unofficial recordings of the full 1980 Paris performance, but that's about it.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 1:28am

There is a recording on iTunes of the 1980 production. I would assume it is somewhat truncated, as it looks like it would be a two disc set if you were buying a physical copy, and I can only guess that in that early incarnation it was still running far longer than what would fit on just two CDs.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 9:41am

There are unofficial recordings of the full 1980 Paris performance, but that's about it.

That's not true at all: http://www.amazon.com/Les-Miserables-Original-French-Concept/dp/B000003C5B/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

But yes, it is truncated; the Palais des Sports production had the equivalent to "I Saw Him Once." Among other fun stuff.

[Ozam]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 10:00am

Thanks so much for this information - I have a recording of the French Concept version - which I LOVE so would love to hear the missing songs - now that I know there are more I'll go looking for them.

[Ozam]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 10:06am

Thanks for this - I'm really looking for any performances which might be done - not sure if this version is legal these days. I know Hal Leonard will only allow the current favourite version to be performed but I wondered if they also owned the original version. There are versions in other languages performed in different parts of the world ie Japan/Denmark (I think) - I was assuming the Parisian version (a French version based on the Broadway production) is still performed in France.I'd love any information on any of this and whatever anyone knows of the productions currently being performed. I know there's one in Melbourne Australia coming up - other than that I've just assumed there are many different productions all happening at the one time in different parts of the world - sometimes in different languages.

[SnoopyQc]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 1:55pm

I know that the original french concept was produced at least twice in recent years under the name of «Pour l'amour de Cosette» (for the love of Cosette). You can watch some video on youtube. The first one was produced by Tourelou (Quebec)and the second by Choeur Régional de Lorraine (France). But I think they added somes songs from the complete french version.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 2:10pm

Ozam: The one in Melbourne coming up is the 25th anniversary staging (same as Broadway and the most recent UK tour), so you'll have fire, Marius in a blue coat, Javert dying like Bobby Strong, etc...

There was a production also in Quebec that used the same translation/relatively current content as the Paris 1991 revival. It didn't do well in Paris and hasn't been performed there since or continuously.

[Mr. Nowack]

Posted: 5/23/14 at 4:03pm

When I said "that's about it," I was referring to the full show, as in the material not recorded on the album.

Although apparently I was wrong. That's very interesting that the original version is performed under a different title. I wonder if anything else like that has ever happened before.

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 10:03am

Bumping this 2014 thread because there will be a production of the French "concept" - albeit modified. And also not for another year! 22 November to 31 December 2024.

French Les Mis to Perform in late 2024

[Fan123]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 4:00pm

This is good news, but by my interpretation it's unclear whether or not this production will be based on the OG French concept version. It might instead be a reworking based on the current 'mainstream' version of the show. I did some quick googling for some French articles, and they don't seem to explicitly talk about returning to the original version as such (for example, https://regardencoulisse.com/les-miserables-au-chatelet-en-2024/), although the language barrier is perhaps preventing me from getting that nuance. 

[joevitus]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 5:23pm

LizzieCurry said: "There are unofficial recordings of the full 1980 Paris performance, but that's about it.

That's not true at all: http://www.amazon.com/Les-Miserables-Original-French-Concept/dp/B000003C5B/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

But yes, it is truncated; the Palais des Sports production had the equivalent to "I Saw Him Once." Among other fun stuff."

Why don't people read? You posted a link to the original concept album, not a cast album for the 1980 Paris production, which was different, which is a distinction made in all the posts prior to yours. No one claimed the concept album wasn't on official release, just that the 1980 production never had one. 

[MezzA101]

Posted: 11/19/24 at 11:43am

‘Les Misérables’ Returns Home

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/theater/les-miserables-paris.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bE4.VTwN.bSotEGINK74W