Les Miz vs. Les Mis

[p.s.]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 4:11pm

I used to refer to New York's Les Miserables as Les Miz (with a zee) and London's as Les Mis (with an ess). The side view of the marquee at Queen's Theatre reads (vertically, large letters) LES MIZ (with a zed).

I foresee no further argument. The short name of Les Miserables is Les Miz.

By the way, I saw the show twice last week. Drew Sarich's performances, though toned down a bit, remain outstanding.


p.s. double post
Updated On: 1/28/08 at 04:11 PM

[JKlock]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 4:32pm

I can't break the habit of writing the short name as "Les Mis", oh well.
Glad to hear Drew is doing well in London!

[blaxx]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 4:36pm

Ask Lizzie, she's pretty passionate about it.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 4:37pm

Glad to hear Drew is doing well. I saw him 3 times on Broadway. Twice as JVJ and once as Grantaire. I have a question though.
Does he still spit alot when he sings?

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 4:53pm

I have always done LES MIZ.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 5:22pm

Since the full title is "Les MiSerables," I've always been a LES MIS guy.

[Marianne]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 5:27pm

Les Mis or LM usually. Les Miz if I'm referring cynically to Cammack's multibillion-dollar franchise.

[Yero]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 5:33pm

"Since the full title is "Les MiSerables," I've always been a LES MIS guy."
Ditto!

[Miss Elphaba]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 5:56pm

"Since the full title is "Les MiSerables," I've always been a LES MIS guy."
Ditto!

Me too, when I saw the new sign outside the Queens Theatre I had a mini spazz to myself...

[SDav 10495]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 6:02pm

Yeah, it seems Cam Mack and friends have always officially spelled it with a "z". I remember signs in the Imperial near the end of the first Broadway run saying "Don't MIZ Out", and during the second Broadway production the outside of the Broadhurst was decorated with banners saying "Les Miz".

(Oh, and on the subject--Cam MacK, or simply Cam MaC? I've seen both and usually use the former...)

[Eastwickian]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 6:08pm

It's always been Les Mis for me and I refuse to be corrected by anyone who is unable to spell 'colour' correctly

[bluetuna]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 6:08pm

With an "s". Using a "z" just implies someone doesn't know how to spell.

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 7:02pm

"Using a "z" just implies someone doesn't know how to spell"
No it doesn't. Les Mis is not a word to be spelled properly. It is a made up abbreviation and is pronounced with a z... so a z would be just as appropriate. Saying otherwise implies someone is attempting to don an erudite additude they can't really back up with logic.

[Mbmusic]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 7:18pm

First off, who really cares? (Ha, obviously I do considering I'm posting this). But, Les Miserables is French, therefor, there really is no correct English spelling. Especially a nick name.

[Marianne]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 7:35pm

Saying otherwise implies someone is attempting to don an erudite additude they can't really back up with logic.

Since when was it illogical to spell an abbreviation as a shortened version of the full word? If we spelled everything the way it was pronounced, we'd all be buying tickets for Lay Mizerab.

[chinto1984]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 7:37pm

I don't mind either because usually when people spell it, it's usually for informal stuff. What I hate is when people who don't speak french try to pronounce it like a french person with a big "la" at the end. It sounds nothing like french.

[Salene]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 7:44pm

Les Mis or LM

Ditto.

[george95]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 7:50pm

French people dont put a big "la" on the end of it, its a "bluhhhh" sound. And, I vote for Les Miz only because it seems like that's how its commonly said---I'v never heard anyone pronounce it as "Les Mis".

What really gets my goat is when people pronounce the "S" in "les"! grrrrr!

[p.s.]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 8:09pm

Does he still spit a lot when he sings?

No. But I don't think he ever did spray so much. I sat front row many times at the Broadhurst, and only very early in the run did I notice anyone's spray reach the audience. [I was careful, however, to keep my mouth closed.] Drew sprays no more than most of the other singers.

But he does spit. Before the Bishop takes him in, Valjean is a mean, bitter, angry man. Drew shows this, in part, by giving a big, juicy spit as he walks along.


p.s. Actually, in London, I didn't notice anyone's spray. Perhaps it was the lighting. Or maybe spraying is discouraged because the audience in the stalls are eating the ice creams they bought during the interval.

[zooxanthellae]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 8:11pm

this may sound ridiculous, but using the "z" just sounds and feels too trendy to me... I use "Les Mis."

[desiree armfeldt]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 8:16pm

I think it's pronounced as if it were a "z", but spelled with the "s" as Les Mi(blank) is a shortened version of Les MiSerables.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 8:23pm

There is nothing more annoying to me than when people (usually Americans) don't bother to recognize that it's a FRENCH word and just sort of change it up. No offense intended to those who spell it Les Miz. It hurts my feelings everytime I see it written that way. Victor Hugo would cry.

[winston89]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 10:03pm

AnnaK,

There were people in France who way back when that when B&S were penning the original concept album that turning the book into any form of musical would make Hugo roll over in his grave.


I never call it by any shortened name. I always call it Les Miserables.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 10:03pm

I can't believe this is even worth a topic.

Richard-Jay Alexander used the "z" exclusively for American productions, but then he went bye bye, so FWIW...

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 1/28/08 at 10:34pm

...and 23 posts and counting.

Any new news from the indomitable Drew himself? I miss that handsome son of a bitch.