How I found Les Misérables: Guest Post by Lauren!

Hey guys!
Okay so here is the first of hopefully many posts about how many fans found Les Mis. So here is the expirence of Lauren!

Remember if you'd like to share your expirence of how you found Les Mis, shoot me an email at sydsummergirl24601@gmail.com with a small introduction about yourself (Optional), your expirence, and your favorite Les Miserables related picture.

Over and Out!
~Sydney

                                                                             *****
I was first introduced to Les Misérables four years ago. I was a freshman and my school did a production of it. I was cast as a lovely lady and was intent on impressing the directors for the sake of future shows. I found the story very powerful and developed a crush on the senior boy who played Javert. Unfortunately, he was already spoken for but I no matter how hard I tried, I could not shake off my feelings for this boy. He gave me the time of day, he laughed at my jokes, he never talked down to me, he did not seem to care when I said strange things, and he told me that I was doing a good job. Though it sounds juvenile now, I considered myself an Éponine. I channelled all of my emotions into my performance while still managing to be happy when he did nice things for me. However, this friendliness did not last. After the show, he found out the extent of how I felt and cruelly cut me off.
At the same time, I began to excel at my French class. My teacher told me that she saw a film version of it her own freshman year and made it her goal to read the entire novel in French by the time she graduated. This was a goal that she passed on to me.
As time went on, I continued to love the story and longed for a way to make some good memories associated with it to outweigh the heartbreak from my castmate. I continued to get better at French in hopes that I would be the first of Madame's students to accomplish her goal. The opportunity arose at the end of my junior year. My community theater announced that they would stage an all-area student production of it that summer. Since they had rejected me several times before, I was hesitant to audition, but I did and earned the role of whore #1. Soon after the casting, Madame told me that she thought I had reached the skill level to read the novel and write my Extended Essay about it in French. Though it was the biggest risk I have ever taken, I went for it and became the cast's "book expert." Both the essay and the second production turned out fantastically. I was redeemed. As a freshman I was Éponine, between my junior and senior year, I was Jean Valjean.
Each day, I try to model my life after the characters from Les Misérables. This year, a friend of mine was casted as the lead in his school's production. I made myself available as a source for any questions that he may have. Though he thought of very few, he still greatly appreciated the gesture. I grew closer and closer to my French teacher and now consider her to be my second mom. I read Notre Dame de Paris in French earlier this year and I am currently reading L'homme Qui Rit and have plans to read French literature for the rest of my life. In this way, Les Misérables has opened me up to an amazing new world and I hope that it will never leave me.

How I found Les Mis....

Hey Guys!
So I'm going to share my expirence of finding Les Miserables:)

So it all started at the movie theater in October of 2012.

I was going to Pitch Perfect (I know, horrible movie, Syd. What were you thinking? Know that I don't promote it in ANY way and when I went I didn't know what it was really about!) My friend and I were sitting there, at the theater, watching the trailers. All of the trailers looked, well, blah. Everything looked predictable and cheesy. Nothing I wanted to waste my time on. (I'm kinda picky about the movies I watch. I don't want to watch anything that is going to waste my time.) Then, here comes this trailer. Me and my friend had chatted quietly through most of the other trailers but not this one. Anne's 'I dreamed a dream' captivated me. I'm pretty sure I held my breath. When it was over, I whispered to my friend, "I want to see that."

Okay, so I had heard about Les Miserables before. My vocal teacher sang 'On My Own' during our first lesson together. But, see, I was (and still am) a die-hard Phantom Phan. I didn't think any musical could possibly take its place. But after that trailer, I decided to look into it a bit more. I read the synopsis on Wikipedia (Which is really confusing, by the way....) I thought to myself, "Well, this is certainly interesting...." I honestly wasn't sure what I thought about it.

But then I was at Target and saw the 25th anniversary concert. I thought to myself, "Well, I can check this out and see what all the hype is about!!" So I bought it. I must say, when I watched it the first time I was absolutely confused. The time jumps were confusing. I just really had NO clue what I was watching. But I got the gist of it. Convict on the run for stealing something. He repents. He is chased by an evil cop. He saves a prostitute's child. He raises the child. The child grows up and falls in love with awkward student (We must keep in mind I was watching Nick Jones...) Student is friends with girl who is in love with him. There is a angry guy in a red vest (If only I had known that the angry guy would steal my heart in just a few months;D) Just about everyone dies.

That's really all I thought about the story. I didn't think it was that big a deal. Phantom was better, I told myself.

But then, after my Aunt sent me the Original Cast Recording CD, I realized there was SO much more to this story. I started the book (And quit after struggling for a month...) I listened to cast recordings every day. I watched the 10th anniversary concert. I realized that this was the best musical ever.

But it wasn't until Christmas 2012 when I honestly fell in love with it. I went to see it with my Aunt and Grandma. And suddenly, I realized that this story meant the world to me. I realized that this was the most amazing movie I had ever seen. I had no words. Sometimes it takes the movie to help you fall in love with the story.

A few days later, I started the Brick again and finished it a month and a half later (I'm going to start reading it again;D) I went to the movie 2 more times. This is when I entered the Fandom. I started a Pinterest board. I just couldn't believe how much to this story there was.

And the rest is History, I guess. You guys know how much I love this movie/musical/book/story! And while I haven't been in this *amazing* fandom for very long, I can't remember life without Les Mis. I don't remember not singing at least one of the songs or feeling an empty space in my heart because my Barricade Boys are dead!

So that's my Les Mis story:)

I was thinking, maybe some of you would like to do a guest post about how you found Les Miserables! If you're interested shoot me an email at sydsummergirl24601@gmail.com and I'll give you the details!

Hope you all have a fabulous Easter with your family!
Over and Out!
Sydney
PS. I just got my new Les Miserables poster in the mail! I was absolutely thirlled when I realized I ordered the French poster! I don't even know how that happened:)

Combeferre story~ part 3

Hey guys!
The title says it all!

As Combeferre and Azelma entered the cafe, Eponine ran towards them. She had seen them coming through the window and rushed to greet them.

"Oh, Azelma! Oh, my sister, how I've missed you so much!" She said, flinging her arms around the younger girl's neck. Azelma hugged back.

"I'm sorry I was stubborn, and wouldn't go with you, 'Ponine." Azelma sobbed.

"It is fine, my dear. I'm just so glad you're back. My goodness, I've missed you so. I didn't realize how much until you came here." Eponine said, crying a bit. She turned to Combeferre.

"And you, thank you for finding her." Eponine said.

"It was no problem whatsoever, Eponine." Combeferre said modestly. Eponine led her sister over to a chair, and then realized she wasn't walking on her right foot.

"Azelma, what is wrong? Why aren't you walking on your foot?" Eponine asked,

"Well, last night, the house I had scouted out for Papa to rob, the people had returned. His thugs were trying to attack me but thankfully Combeferre was passing by and saved me." Azelma smiled.

"Is your foot broken?" Eponine inquired.

"Joly says it isn't. She just needs to stay off of it for awhile." Combeferre explained.

"Well, thank goodness you were there, Combeferre. I can never thank you enough for saving her and letting her stay with you." Eponine said.

"No thanks is necessary." Combeferre blushed.

Eponine lead Azelma to a corner where they talked  quietly. Every few minutes Azelma would glance Combeferre's way.

Jehan came and sat down by Combeferre.

"You are in love with Azelma, aren't you?" Jehan asked.

"Of course not! I helped her because she was in need. Nothing more. Goodness, Jehan, such ideas you have!" Combeferre stuttered.

"Listen, Combeferre, I can tell love when I see it. You are in love with Azelma, friend, And by the way she's looking at you, she loves you as well." Jehan pointed out. Combeferre sighed.

"Maybe I am, Jehan, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to die on the barricade when it arises and I don't want to leave any ties."

"I don't think that's right, Combeferre. I think you should leave some ties. You cannot just isolate yourself from everyone and everything until the barricades come. You could be isolating yourself for goodness knows how long. Don't do that to yourself." Jehan said gently.

"How would you know, Jehan?" Combeferre said, more irritated than he meant to sound.

"I am in love, Combeferre. I could just never talk to her again because I have a feeling I'll die on the barricades. I could just leave her without explaining why. But I'm not going to. I want to fill every one of my last moments with her. Sure, I have a feeling it's going to end up with me dead and she heartbroken. But, I'd rather end like that, knowing I had made the best of my last moments. With her." Jehan explained.

"Oh, Jehan. I am sorry. I had no idea." Combeferre said, feeling guilty. He hadn't meant to lose his temper with Jehan. He was just a bit stressed out. This revolution was getting the better of him. He didn't know how Enjolras stayed calm most of the time.

"What do I do, Jehan? I am in love with Azelma. I want her to know, but she's lost so much. Her family, all of her family except for Eponine. I don't want her to be devastated when I die." Combeferre said.

"My friend, you do not know you are going to die. Live in the moment, Combeferre. Don't worry about the 'maybes' and live for the 'yes!'" Jehan said.

"I think I need to go get some air." Combeferre said and Jehan nodded in understanding.

Combeferre walked out of the Cafe and was just about to turn out of the narrow street where the Cafe was located when he heard someone shout his name.

"Combeferre!" Azelma called. Combeferre turned around and watched as she limped toward him. She is so beautiful. Combeferre thought. The girl reached him.

"What are you doing out here, Azelma. You should go inside." Combeferre said.

"Why are you leaving, Combeferre?" Azelma asked.

"I just need to get out for a bit." Combeferre said. Azelma nodded and turned to leave. But she turned back. She stared at Combeferre for a bit and then kissed him. She took him by complete and total surprise. After a few moments, she pulled away with a look of mortification, as if she couldn't believe she had done that. She limped fastly back to the Cafe.

"Azelma! Wait! Azelma!" Combeferre called but Azelma refused to turn around. Instead of running after her, Combeferre decided to let her have her time. He would talk to her tomorrow and tell her how he felt.... He would tell her that he loved her.     

Is it kinda obvious in all my stories that I'm in love with Jehan Prouvaire? Because it seems to shine through in a majority of my stories......

Hope you enjoyed!
Over and Out!
Sydney

30th blog post and ~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 8...

Hey guys!
30th blog post! YAY! *throws confetti* Thanks to all my AWESOME readers for giving me 1000+ page views! You guys are awesome!

Just worked really hard on this new part so I hope you enjoy. I hope to have a third part to Combeferre's story really soon! I just need to stop getting distracted by pinterest....

Before I let you guys read, though, I gotta vent a bit, and you guys will be the only ones who understand my rage.

So I was talking to a friend and I mentioned Les Miserables and he said, "Oh yeah, I listened to Anne Hathaway sing 'I Dreamed a Dream'. It's so auto tuned!"

*Gasp!*

I know, I couldn't believe it either. Even after I *tried* to explain that they sang live on set and there was NO auto tune, he refused to believe me. He informed me that he knows a lot about music and knows when something is auto tuned.... >.<

Anyway, enough ranting....

~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 8

"I've been interested in this Jehan Prouvaire. I think we should find his family." Angeline said, taking a bite out of the stale bread that Azelma had provided for her.

"He was married." Azelma said, quietly.

"You told us he may have had a lover." Chandler said, accusingly. He felt like Azelma couldn't be trusted.

"I guess I lied. He was married to a Alix. Her last name was still Prouvaire last I checked. She never remarried. They had a child, though. A girl." Azelma replied.

"We should go find them next!" Angeline said, squeezing Chandler's hand. He looked irritated at Azelma. He didn't know why but there was just something....off about Azelma.

"Well, you kids are always welcome here." Azelma said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Madame." Angeline said with a smile.

Chandler and Angeline left the small shack.

"I don't know about her...." Chandler said.

"Chandler, she informed me last night, after you fell asleep, that she has no one. She works in a factory sometimes but other than that she is unaccompanied. She lost her siblings on the barricade, her parents abandoned her, and the only man she has ever loved was Combeferre. She lost just about everything that night." Angeline said gently.

"Oh. Well, I guess that explains it." Chandler said.

"It's okay. I understand. She was a bit different, lying and all." She said, taking his hand.

Within two hours, they found the house of Alix Prouvaire. Angeline knocked. A blonde haired, blue eyed girl of about 23 answered the door.

"May I help you?" She asked, more to Chandler than to Angeline. It was obvious that she was taken with him.

"Yes, we're looking for Alix Prouvaire..." Angeline said, glaring at the girl.

"That's my mother. I'll go fetch her!" She said, a bit too perky for Angeline's taste. The cottage wasn't very big but it seemed homey.

"Bonjour! How can I help you?" Said a woman who had just walked up to the door. She had black hair and brown eyes.

"Hello. I'm Angeline Pontmercy and this is Chandler Molyneux. Our fathers were on the barricade. We're looking for the families of the men who were also there. You were married to Jehan Prouvaire, correct?" Angeline inquired, throwing a disdaining look at the girl who was staring intently at Chandler. Alix grew pale.

"Come in." She said, supporting herself on the doorframe.

"Merci!" Chandler said as he escorted Angeline in. He could tell she was jealous. She didn't need to be worried, though. Chandler felt nothing toward the girl, who was trying desperately to get his attention.

"I am Danielle, Monsieur." The girl said. He smiled slightly, but kept his hand in Angeline's the entire time.

"Well, I figure you would like to know everything about Jehan." Alix said, sitting down on a chair. Danielle took a spot by her.

"Yes, please, Madame." Chandler said.

"Well, I met Jehan in 1831. It's funny, I don't remember particularly how we met. I just know that he would come over at least once a week. He was always so sweet. He was a poet. He loved the outdoors and flowers. But he was strong. He was as brave as any of those men who fought that night. He was so passionate about setting his country free.

"But, he was afraid to die. Not because he didn't want to die, but because he didn't want to leave me. I love him for that. We married five days before the barricades arose. He left the morning of the 5th and I never saw him again.

"I think he knew he was going to die. Because he wrote a letter when he was on the barricade and sent it with some old man. After the battles were over, a Monsieur Fauchelevent brought me this letter. I keep it with me always. Would you like to read it?" Alix inquired, wiping a tear from her eyes. Angeline nodded. Alix pulled a worn piece of paper from her pocket. Angeline took it gently. It read:

  Dearest Wife,

If you are reading this, I am dead. I am so sorry to leave you like this. Know that I will always be with you. Please, if you find someone who treats you nicely, remarry. I hate to think you alone forever. Know that you were the sun to my dark world. I've loved you since the moment I saw you and I never stopped. Know that the last thoughts that went through my head was you. Please do not miss me too much, though I know I shall miss you.

I love you.....Forever,

Jehan

Angeline gently wiped a tear from her eye. Jehan seemed like such a sweet person.

"I tried to find someone else, I honestly tried. But I seemed to compare everyone to my wonderful Jehan. He is irreplaceable. But thankfully, he didn't leave me alone. I have my beautiful Danielle who reminds me of him." Alix smiled, squeezing her daughter's hand.

"Thank you for sharing your story with us, Madame." Chandler said.

"You are very welcome. Anything else I can do for you?" She asked.

"I was wondering, do you know where the men met at?" Angeline asked.

"Yes, they met at the Cafe Musain. It's about to be demolished, actually. Their last day open will be tomorrow, so you'd better go quick.

"Thank you, Madame. It was a pleasure to meet you and Danielle." Chandler said with a smile.

The couple walked out.

"Danielle fancied you." Angeline remarked.

"I know. I could tell. It doesn't matter, love. Don't be jealous." He said, kissing her forehead.

"I think Jehan and Alix have the sweetest story. I only wish he had lived. She seemed so kind." Angeline said.

"I know. I feel bad as well."

"Promise me you'll never leave me." Angeline said suddenly.

"I promise, Angeline."

                                        ****

The pair arrived at the Cafe. They took a table near the back.

"So this is it. This is where revolution was planned." Chandler said.

"I guess so.... Wait a bit... What's that?" Angeline said, picking up a small, folded piece of paper that was wedged between the wall and the table.

"Let me see it." Chandler said as Angeline handed him the letter. He unfolded the piece of paper. Angeline watched as he read it. He stifled a gasp with his hand.

"What is wrong?" Angeline asked, a bit worried. Chandler just shook his head and handed her the letter. She read it and was completely surprised. It read:

Dearest Maria,

As I am writing this, the Barricades are arising. I have a feeling I will never see you again. Know one thing: I love you. If I could go back, I would have told you this. I wouldn't have gone with other girls and I would have married you. And every day I would try to be worthy of you, because I am not. I never loved any of those other girls. I only loved you.

Goodbye, my darling,

Courfeyrac

 

"Are you alright, Chandler?" Angeline asked. She saw he was in tears.

"He did love her. Oh, Angeline, he did love her. We have to bring this to my mother."

                                        ****

They arrived at Maria's house just before sunset. They just entered the house, not even bothering to knock.

"Goodness! You look like you ran here!" Maria laughed as she saw how they panted, as if out of breath.

"Mum, read this...." Chandler said, pressing the letter in his mother's hand.

Maria read through the letter about four times before she believed it true.

"Where....Where did you find this?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"At the Cafe Musain." Angeline explained. Maria burst into tears, pulling Chandler into her arms. Instead of resisting, the way he had resisted the last 4 years, he hugged back. Angeline couldn't help but feel as if she was intruding.

"And if it hadn't been for you, Angeline, he would have never gone to the Cafe and find this." Maria said, brushing a tear from her eye and pulled her into the hug as well. After they had all gotten up from the embrace, Chandler turned and pulled Angeline into a big kiss. When they pulled away, Maria looked at them in a mixture of confusion and joy.

"Well, then. When did this happen?" She said. The two just smiled. Both had changed in the last 3 days.

 

Okay, so I know. How probable would a letter still be in the same place someone had placed it after 22 years? Probably not very. Still, I've wanted there to be a letter from Courf since I started this story and it seemed like a good time to put one in!

Hope you enjoyed!
Over and Out!
Sydney

Joly....

Okay, so I was watching Les Miserables again today [No, I really don't have a life outside of Les Mis] and I noticed something....

During the Thenardiers part in One Day More, Madame Thenardiers kisses Joly. And after she does, Joly runs up the stairs.... What do you want to bet he had to go disinfect himself after that exchange? Oh I love Joly, I'll be writing a story about him sometime soon!

Over and Out!
Sydney

~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 7....

Hey guys!
How have you guys been? I haven't posted in awhile, sorry about that. But since I'm on Easter Break, starting Thursday, I'll probably be posting a lot. I'm planning on spending my 6 day weekend watching Les Miserables (What else), Sherlock, and reading some books. I'll be writing a lot too! Okay, so about a week or so ago, I wrote a guest post on a blog called At The Barricades. It's an amazing blog where girls can go fangirl together. I am now an author on this blog! You can read my post here! It's a great blog! Also, if any of you want to guest post, just comment on my post on that blog (Or any others, for that matter!) and ask for the specifics and the blog creator will give you the info!

Okay, here we go, ~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 7!

~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 7

"I think we should look for the Thénardiers next." Angeline said, her head resting on Chandler's shoulder. It was mid-afternoon and they felt they should look for someone, though they would rather sit on a park bench and talk for hours. There would be time for that when they were toward the end of the list. Chandler nodded. There was only a few Thénardiers in Paris, so they started off on their quest. Hands always clasped. He didn't seem to Angeline at all the man he was just a day before. And honestly, Chandler didn't feel like the same person he was that day. He felt happier, more confident with Angeline. He knew she wouldn't judge him just because he was in the lower class.

"Who do you think the Thénardiers are?" Chandler wondered out loud.  

"I don't know, I just know their son and daughter were on the Barricade." Angeline replied.

"Daughter?!" Chandler asked, bewildered.

"What? You don't think that women can fight for what they believe in?" Angeline asked accusingly.

"No, that's not what I'm saying--" Chandler started but Angeline interrupted.

"Or should they just not have any opinions?"

"Angeline! That's not what I meant! Goodness! If you'd let me finish, I was going to say I am surprised they let a girl on the barricade!" Chandler said, angrily. Angeline had pulled her head from his shoulder. A large gap filled the space between them. They were both too stubborn to apologize to the other. They felt bad, of course, for the way they had treated the other, but they had too much pride to apologize. They found the first address. Chandler knocked. Angeline let out an annoyed breath. She looked straight ahead, not making eye contact. The door opened and a voice hacked,

"Look, I told you I ain't got any--"   

A woman in her mid-thirties stepped out.

"You ain't rent collectors, are ya?" She asked.

"No, Madame. We're looking for someone who had relatives by the names of Eponine and Gavroche." Angeline said. The woman grew pale.

"Those were my siblings. Why are you here?" She asked.

"My father was on the barricade. So was her's." Chandler said, glancing at Angeline, who still looked mad at him. Goodness, he made a comment, she took it the wrong way! What was he supposed to do?

"You're Marius' daughter, aren't you? You look just like him!" The woman said in wonder. Then she turned to Chandler. "And you're Courfeyrac's son. I didn't know he had one but you're the spitting image of him." She looked them from one to the other. "Well, come on in!"

Chandler and Angeline entered the house. It was in the same conditions as Maria's house, except more disorganized.

"So, let me guess. Marius won't tell you a thing about the night on the Barricade. I could barely get a thing out of him." The woman laughed. Chandler and Angeline looked at each other, forgetting for a second that they were mad. Who was this woman?

"Um, Pardon, but who, may I ask, are you?" Angeline asked.

"I'm Azelma. 'Ponine and Gavroche's sister." She said, simply.

"Oh. Well, then what were they like? I want to know everything about them." Angeline inquired.

"Well, honestly, I don't know much. I was never very close to either of them. Gavroche left home at a very early age and Eponine had a lot of friends who she stayed with quite often. Gavroche was funny. He would show up and then disappear at random moments. I think I miss him the most.

"Eponine was very beautiful. I miss her as well. She was very loyal to her friends. Especially your father. She was in love with him. That's how she died. She took a bullet for him and then died in his arms." Azelma said, wiping a tear from her eyes. Angeline was speechless. Eponine Thénardiers died in her father's arms? Eponine Thénardiers had been in love with her father?! Chandler could see how this revelation was affecting Angeline so he took her hand and  squeezed. She smiled at him, and he knew that their tiff was over.

"Gavroche was shot twice by the National Guard. He was looking for gun powder and was shot. Twice." Azelma said.

"So did you know anyone else on the Barricade?" Chandler asked.

"Yes. There was Combeferre. He was always very kind to me. Now it's my turn to ask questions. Are you out here all by yourselves?"

"I'm 23, Madame. I am old enough to be by myself." Chandler countered.

"Does your father know you're here?" Azelma asked Angeline.

"No, and please do not tell him." Angeline replied.

"Don't worry, I won't. So are you looking for people who knew all of the men on the Barricade?" Azelma asked.

"Yes. So far we've found three. I found Courfeyrac's (obviously), and he and I found Enjolras' and Grantaire's." Angeline replied.

"Well, I don't think Combeferre really had anyone, at least, no one he told me about. Feuilly was an orphan and really didn't have anyone. Joly...I'm sure you can find someone for Joly. Not sure about Barhol. I know Jehan had a lover and....." Azelma said but Angeline cut her off.

"I thought you didn't know much about the men?"

"Well, I knew them, just not very well. I spent many days in that Cafe with Combeferre and my sister." Azelma said.

"Well, it was nice to meet you." Chandler cut in. Azelma and Angeline were too much alike. They would fight if they were around each other very long. Their opinions would get the better of them.

"Wait! You need a place to stay. Don't tell me you'll be staying outside again. I can tell you've done that once or twice. Stay here. I don't mind. I've been rather lonely, actually." Azelma said. Angeline smiled and turned to Chandler.

"I think we should stay here. I really don't want to sleep out in the cold again." Angeline whispered.

"Well, then, I guess we'll stay here tonight."

 

 Hope you enjoyed!

Over and Out!

Sydney

BEST. COMMENT. EVER.

Okay, so a little while ago, I pinned this pin:

Look at these comments!

 

My night has been made!

 

Talk to you guys later, I'm trying to write Part 7 of ~Beyond the Barricade~! What if I told you guys that things aren't always going to be perfect for Angeline and Chandler?! :O

 

Over and Out!

Sydney

Javert....

Hey guys!

 



Okay, so I have watched Les Miserables two times this weekend with people who weren't really familiar with the story. Both really liked it, but they both said the same thing: "Javert is the villain. I seriously have no compassion for him!"

*GASP*

I know, I know.....

I honestly love Javert. He's not my favorite character by any means but still, he's as damaged as the others. They all get compassion and he doesn't? That's not very fair.....

Some may see a cruel man of the law who will hunt a convict through thick and thin. But I see a mislead man who was given a false view of right and wrong. I see someone who, after being told his view were wrong, was confused and not even sure what to believe anymore. I see someone who realized he had just spent 20 (More or less) years tracking down someone who was honestly a good person, not a horrible convict who could never change. I see a man who then gives up because he's spent so long believing something wrong and doesn't think or WANT to believing anything different.

Javert's death is honestly the death that makes me the most sad. To see this strong, headfast man just give up.....Well, it's sad.

What are your opinions on Javert. Is he a villain to you or is he simply misunderstood?

Over and Out!
Sydney

The Movie and a special interview......

Hey guys!
So, if you're anything like me, you watched Les Miserables last night. Maybe it was your first time or maybe you've seen it several times in theater [Like me*wink*]. Still, I'm pretty sure each and every one of you had your heartbroken. Oh, it's so sad. I watched it last night with my Mom and my Grandma. My grandma had seen it before but my mom had not. I think she really liked it. Except for one thing: she didn't like Javert. I know, I know. She told me that he was the villain of the movie. *GASP!!!!!!* I know, I tried to tell her 'NO! He is not!' but she just wouldn't listen... *Sigh* I might have to have her read The Brick.

Okay, on to our other HUGE news!

I know a lot of you follow my pinterest boards so I'm sure you've already heard....But, I'll just fill you in. Eva Schon and Sierra Bailey [Two really big Les Miserables fans] wrote a new musical! Barricade Boys: The Musical focuses on the Les Amis before, during, and after the June Rebellion. It focuses on the Boys instead of Marius & Cosette, Jean Valjean, and Javert. It also has a bit of Enjonine shipping in it. It's absolutely beautiful and a major tearjerker.

But I was honored with the opportunity to interview the authors of this amazing musical. So without further ado, An interview with Sierra Bailey and Eva Schon!

 

So how did you come up with the idea for this musical?

Eva:  Sierra and I both share a mutual love of Les Mis and an obsession with the barricade boys and we've been exchanging emails on the subject of Les Mis for several weeks.  Anyway, we were lamenting the fact that the boys hardly get any attention (unlike Valjean, Javert and the Marius/Cosette/Eponine love triangle) and Sierra mentioned that someone should write a musical centred around the barricade boys.  At the time I didn't think much of it, but the project soon took off.

Sierra:  Well, obviously most of it was from the Les Miserables musical but a lot of the idea’s that inspired Barricade Boys: The Musical came from the book itself. I think Hugo really wanted us to pay attention to the boys and the things they could teach us about friendship and standing up for whatever we believe in. To me the Les Amis are at the heart of the story since everything seems to come together at the barricades. If you look at Les Miserable in that light you begin to realize that the musical really doesn’t touch the personal lives of the boys. That’s what I had always wanted to see and so that’s where the idea of writing another musical began to take root.

How was the writing process? Was it difficult or easy?

Eva:  It was fun and some of it was difficult and some of it was easy.  For instance, the idea for Enjolras' solo which is based off of 'Bring Him Home' had been sitting in my brain for a long time – even before Sierra mentioned a barricade boys musical – because I often wished that Enjolras has gotten a solo in the original musical.  So it wasn't very hard to re-write that song (under the new title 'Bring Them Home').  And re-writing 'One Day More' was pretty straightforward.  But, on the other hand, Jehan's solo – 'We Dreamed A Dream' – took more than three re-writes and Sierra had to help me with Combeferre's solo – 'Light'.

Sierra:  Personally I thought it was pretty difficult although it was also a lot of fun. There were so many nights I just sat there with a blank page in front of me and questioned the sanity of what we were doing.  However, I would have to say Eva had a harder time of it than I did. It was my job to re-write the songs and get the ball rolling. After the first or second draft my songs were still pretty rough around the edges so I’d send them to Eva, which is where she stepped in and worked her magic.

Give us a brief summary of your musical.

Eva:  I'm going to leave this one up to Sierra...

Sierra:  Barricades Boys: The Musical, is a story based off of Les Miserables which is a famous novel written by Victor Hugo. Instead of focusing on the entire plot of the book, Barricade Boys: The Musical focuses on the story of a group of young students living in 1832 Paris, France. They are known as the Les Amis or The Friends of The ABC and are fighting for higher education and equality within France.  During the musical we follow the lives of these brave young men and their fight upon the barricade. From passionate Enjolras to the steady Combeferre, the cynic Grantaire to the poet Jehan, and the courageous Eponine with her little brother, Gavroche, you will once again see the characters created by Hugo in a more personal and in-depth light.

How was rewriting all the songs [from Les Mis] to fit into the musical?

Eva:  Sierra and I worked out a system for re-writing most the songs.  She wrote the rough draft, sent it off to me and then, since I'm very sensitive to what would fit the music and rhythm (and make sense at the same time) I would refine it (although, seriously, I didn't have to do that much – she really is a brilliant songwriter).  We did that with the re-writes for 'Stars', 'Come To Me', and 'Confrontation' (I'm just using the original song titles – the new ones are 'Light', 'Come With Me' and 'Enjolras/Grantaire Confrontation').  Some of the songs we kept the same.  The most unchanged one was 'Look Down' which wasn't changed at all.  The same with 'Drink With Me' and the finale.  We cut Marius' verses in R&B because we don't have Cosette in the musical and we changed where 'Suddenly' is used.

Sierra:  It was inspiring as well as exciting. In order to really get the points and ideas across we had to make sure that we got the emotions, events, and ideas surrounding the boys just right. Having to do that brought me closer to Les Miserables as a whole but also a lot closer to the boys.  We explored a lot but also made sure to keep it close to the book. With that we added a lot of little phrases that people will be able to recognize if they have gotten a chance to read Hugo’s work. Little things like Combeferre’s reply of “To Be Free” when arguing with Marius was able to be brought out and put into light through the songs.  Also the placement of the songs is really unique because we didn’t follow the exact pattern of Les Miserable so it was fun trying different placing of the songs.

How long did it take you to write the musical?

Eva:  Ok...I reviewed all our emails and such to be able to answer this question and I'm really surprised that it only took a couple of weeks.  But we crammed so much work into those two weeks, that it seemed much longer.  It basically took over both of our lives...I made countless notes and lists in my notebooks, dozens of emails flew between us and Sierra really worked hard re-writing many of the songs – as I've already mentioned.

Sierra:  Well the thought first struck me around the middle of January and so I had attempted to re-write some of the songs one of which is the confrontation but at the time none of it was really fitting together. Then one day Eva and I were emailing back and forth having one of our usual conversations about how brilliant the boys are when I made the offhand comment about how cool it would be they made a movie or musical specifically about the boys. From there it just snowballed and I’m pretty sure it was only the first week of March that we really started working on putting everything together. All together from start to when we released it on March 22^nd less than three week had passed.

Who is your favorite Barricade Boy?

Eva:  Enjolras is my favorite (an 'of course' moment if there ever was one) but Combeferre and Jehan are tied for close second place and I also love Courfeyrac and Grantaire.  I just love them all, pretty much and I think it shows in our musical because we gave Enjolras, Combeferre and Jehan solos.

Sierra:  Well, I did try, really I did. Still I couldn’t choose one over the other. It’s a tie between Enjolras and Combeferre. You can’t have one without the other. Enjolras was always my favorite but there’s a side to Combeferre that speaks to me and because of that he’s also a lot closer to me than any of the other boys.

Which Barricade Boy’s death affected you the most?

Eva:  This is really, really hard because they all affected me a lot...emotionally and mentally (or are those the same things...never mind...).  In both the book and the [original] musical/movie it would have to be Enjolras but Jehan and Combeferre's really hurt me as well.  I just can't think of any of my boys dying...

Sierra:  In the book I would have to say that Jehan’s death actually affected me the most. Something about the sweet young man who was in love stepping up to shout one last “Vive La France!” just broke my heart. I believe that was the first time I really sobbed while reading Les Miserables. As for the movie/ musical it would be the death of Enjolras with Grantaire. I believe it really goes to show the little boy inside of Enjolras that was scared to die alone.

Email them at barricadeboysmusical@hotmail.ca to expirence the songs as never before!

 

Over and Out!

Sydney

 

~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 6

It's here!
~Beyond the Barricade~ Part 6
Cosette sat in her daughter's room doing what she had done many times since the day her daughter disappeared. She was unfolding then refolding the clothes in her daughter's armoire. She didn't know why, but it was just a bit therapeutic. Being among her daughter's belongings made her feel a little less depressed. Cosette felt a stray tear falling down her cheek. What if Angeline never returned?
****
Angeline and Chandler explored the streets of Paris, hand in hand, in search for something to eat. They eventually stumbled across a small shop.
"Would you like to stop here?" He asked.
"I think so.... I'm rather hungry." She replied. Chandler realized that they hadn't stopped for food at all the day before. He rushed her into the shop, suddenly worried she would become sick from lack of food. A middle-aged woman was inside.
"Bonjour! How may I help you?" She asked cheerfully.
"Four Loaves of bread, please." Chandler said, laying some of the money Angeline had on the counter. The woman smiled and went of to a back room to retrieve the food. Chandler took a seat by Angeline, who laid her head on his shoulder.
"So we need to find the families of Joly, Lesgle, Feuilly, Combeferre, Jehan, Barhol, Éponine, Gavroche, and Grantaire." She said, almost to herself. The woman had came back as Angeline said those last words. She grew pale.
"Did you say Grantaire?" The woman asked.
"Oui...." Angeline replied, confused.
"Grantaire Prideux?"
"Oui." Angeline repeated. The woman swayed slightly, as if she was going to faint.
"Why are you trying to find their families?" The woman asked.
"May I ask who you are?" Chandler asked, the skeptical attitude from when Angeline first met him returned.
"Madame Duboisse, unfortunately. If I could change the past, I would be Madame Prideux. You can call me Audra."
"You were Grantaire's lover?" Angeline asked.
"Yes. For a short time when I was 16. I was very much in love with him. And it's all my fault I'm not with him now." Audra said bitterly.
"What happened?" Chandler said, softer now, not as cold.
"It all started in 1828. I met Grantaire and fell in love with him. My father arranged a marriage between me and a politician, my late husband. Grantaire told me to tell my father 'no', that he would take care of me. I went to tell my father that I refused but Papa made me second guess myself. He made me believe that I would die on the streets alone if I married Grantaire. So I left him. And there hasn't been a day since then when I haven't regretted it. So why are you trying to contact the families?"
Angeline couldn't speak. Grantaire had been Audra's one true love and she couldn't bring herself to tell what had happened. Thankfully, Chandler sensed this and took over for Angeline.
"We're looking for the families of men who died on a barricade during the June Rebellion..." He said gently. Audra stifled a gasp. A tear ran down her face.
"I'm so sorry." Angeline said. Audra wiped the tear.
"I think you should leave." She muttered. Angeline and Chandler looked at the pained woman, thanked her for the food, and left. They walked in silence for awhile until Angeline spoke.
"Promise me we won't leave each other. Promise me that we won't give up on us the way Audra gave up on Grantaire."
"I promise you, my love." Chandler replied. His arm encircled her waist. She turned to face him and he leaned in to kiss her. The couple stood in a crowded street in Paris, yet they felt like they were the only ones in the world. They pulled away and continues walking as if they had never ceased. They felt like the could never be happier than they were at the moment.

Hope you enjoyed!
Over and Out!
Sydney

One Day More......

Hey Guys!
Sorry for the lack of post yesterday! I was going to sit down and write some fan fic but I was really not feeling very well so I went to bed early. I'll be writing some of ~Beyond the Barricade~ tonight, so be on the look out for that!
I wanted to share with you guys my new shirts I got just in time for the release. I was worried that they wouldn't come! But they did:)
This one is my personal favorite;) I designed it myself! (And will be wearing it tomorrow!)



Front

Back


 

And then, of course, being the Tveiter I am:

I am so ready for tomorrow!
Unfortunately I won't get to go to Target until after school (Reason 24601 why I miss being homeschooled!) Still, only a few hours until I can call Les Miserables mine! (I'm trying to see the glass half full).

I will be starting on Joly fan fiction soon!!

How are you guys planning on watching Les Miserables? I'm going to probably watch it with my Mom tomorrow and *hopefully* on Sunday, my friend will be able to come and watch it!

I also can't wait for this summer because my Best Friend is coming and I'm going to introduce her to Les Miserables! She's not sure if she'll like it because she's a big Phantom of the Opera Phan and doesn't think any musical is better! (I love Phantom as well (I introduced her to Phantom last summer) but I like Les Miserables more. It has a more entricate and emotional storyline!)

One more dawn, one more day, ONE DAY MORE!!!!!

Over and Out!
Sydney



Hey People...

Okay, so I just wanted to let you guys know that I will also be blogging on another blog [Starting Tomorrow! YAY!] Here's the link: http://lesmiserablesblog.blogspot.com/    Make sure to check this blog out for even more Les Miserables fangirling!
Oh, and just to excite you all, 3 DAYS UNTIL LES MISERABLES COMES OUT ON DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [I don't even think I have enough exclamation points] Are you guys as excited as I am? I can't wait to post a picture of the Les Miserables t-shirt I ordered! Hopefully, it will be here by tomorrow and I can share it with you guys! Oh, and I'll be posting an interview around Saturday about something BIG that's happening in the fandom! I can't say anything except that it is AWESOME! You guys will love it! Stay tuned for more details!
Over and Out!
Sydney

Combeferre Fan Fiction and the new soundtrack....

Hey Guys!
So how many of you bought the new CD today? Well, I know I did! It is just amazing and heartbreaking at the same time. The song that really got me was in 'The Death of Gavroche", You can hear Courf's sobs:'( Saddest thing ever!

Okay, so here is the second part of my Combeferre fan fiction!

Azelma awoke with a start in the morning. She was very, very perplexed about where she was at. She was in a proper bed, which was very strange. Then she remembered the events of the night before. A tear rolled silently down her cheek. She had thought it was a dream. Where is Combeferre, she wondered. She was alone obviously. She tried to stand but felt a sharp pain in her leg. She wobbled slightly. She sat herself back down on the bed. She glanced about the room, taking in the scene. Books littered the floor, she noticed. He was a reader. Azelma never had much use for reading. Her mother had taught her when she was little, but she had forgotten how to in the years of abandonment, the years of neglect. She stood up again, venturing a bit farther into the room. Suddenly, her leg gave out from under her, sending her to the floor. She crashed on the floor, hitting her elbow on the floor. She bit her lip to keep the cries in, not letting them out. She was strong. Yet, she could not pull herself up. She lay there, on the floor of the dusty apartment. She couldn't help but let the sob escape her lips. She felt so useless. The door opened and Combeferre entered his arms full of food. He saw Azelma lying on the floor and quickly laid the food on the counter and bounded toward the girl sprawled on the floor.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes, I am fine. I just forgot about my leg.” She whimpered as he helped her up.

“I’m taking you to go see my friend Joly today and then I’m going to find Eponine. She honestly misses you, Azelma.” He said softly. Azelma felt a tear roll down her cheek. She didn’t like the thought of her sister being distressed by her absence. Combeferre sat her down on a chair and handed her a loaf of bread, a lump of cheese, and a hunk of meat. She looked at it as if she shouldn’t even touch it.

“Its fine, Azelma. Please. Eat.” He said, sounding very concerned.  She touched the bread to her lips and inhaled the aroma of freshly baked bread. She then devoured the loaf. Next the cheese. Then the meat.

“Merci, Monsieur.” She said as she finished the meal. Combeferre smiled as he brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. Their eyes met and electricity flowed through the space between them. Azelma cast her eyes down, breaking the moment. Combeferre coughed, and then said,

“Well, we had better start to Joly’s. Do you think you can make it?”

“If you help support me, Monsieur, I think I can make it.” She replied.

                                  ****

After a half an hour of walking, they finally made it to Joly’s. They knocked on the door. Soon, a small, brown haired young man answered.

“Hello, Combeferre! How are you?” He said, brightly. He then noticed the weak young woman leaned against Combeferre’s shoulder.

“I’m fine. I just came so you can check on my friend.” Combeferre replied taking Azelma’s had and squeezed it.

“Is she sick?!” Joly asked, sounding a bit hysterical.

“NO! She’s just got a hurt leg. We want to know if it is broken!” Combeferre exclaimed.

“Oh, well then, by all means, come inside!” Joly said, smiling.

He inspected Azelma’s leg and after a minute’s thought, stated,

“Well, it’s not broken, just sprained. Just stay off of your leg for awhile, alright?” He said to her, patting her head. Joly took Combeferre aside as Azelma glanced through an anatomy book from a pile. Sure, she couldn’t read but there were amazing sketches of human hearts and brains. They fascinated Azelma.

“Combeferre, she looks very malnourished. Almost like a young girl I once knew. She hasn’t showed signs of tuberculosis, has she?” Joly inquired.

“Not to my knowledge. And I should know since my mother died of that years back.” Combeferre responded.

“Well, just feed her as much as you can. She needs to gain at least 10 pounds or else she will just waste away.” Joly explained.

“I will try.” Combeferre said, glancing at the young girl.

“Where did you find her? What’s her name? How old is she?” Joly questioned.

“I met her yesterday at the Café. She’s Eponine’s younger sister, Azelma. She’s sixteen.” Combeferre answered.

“Eponine’s sister?! Really? She will be thrilled to know that you found her.”

“Yes, that’s where we’re headed. To the Café Musain. Hopefully Eponine will be there!” Combeferre said. He caught Azelma’s eye and she limped over to him.

“Shall we go?” He asked.

“Yes. I’d like to see my sister.”  

 

Okay, so in this part, I opened a door for another "Prequel", I guess you might say. What if Joly is such a hypochondriac  because he was once in loved a girl who became very ill and died? I want to know your opinions because if I recieve positive feedback, I'll start writing.

Hope you enjoyed!

Over and Out!

Sydney