New York Les Miserables Tickets – An Unforgettable Classic

By: Al Terry


The play Les Miserables is based on the famous 19th century novel of the same name written by Victor Hugo. Les Miserables translates into meaning The Miserable Ones or The Wretched Ones. The novel is extremely long, spanning over 1200 pages, but the stage adaptation is a shorter version as it takes the main characters and events of the story and portrays them on stage beautifully.

The story of Les Miserables revolves around several French characters and spans a period of twenty years. The main character is Jean Valjean, who is in jail for stealing food. Upon his release, he is given a yellow ticket which brands him as a convict for life. Nobody wants to give him shelter and he is forced to sleep on the streets until Bishop Myriel offers him shelter. Valjean steals the Bishops silverware and runs away but is caught. To his surprise, the Bishop saves him by lying to the police and even gifts him two candlesticks. He convinces him to become an honest man.

The Bishop is the reason Valjean changes his ways. He becomes an honest and wealthy factory owner and mayor of his town. Unfortunately, his past comes back to haunt him as another man is put on trial after being mistaken as Valjean. In order to save him, Valjean has to reveal his true identity to the police but escapes being captured by Inspector Javert who has been pursuing him for a long time. Valjean then meets Fantine who was fired from his factory and who is dying. Her daughter stays with a cruel innkeeper and Valjean promises to take care of her. After paying the innkeeper for the girl, Cosette, they both run away to Paris where they stay at a convent. They escape capture by Javert because he is not allowed to search the convent.

After ten years, Valjean and Cosette leave the convent. At the same time angry students are preparing a revolt against the French leaders. One of the students, Marius Pontmercy, falls in love with Cosette. The next day, the revolution begins and when Valjean hears that Marius is also fighting, he joins the fight. During the battle, Valjean saves Javert from being killed and lets him go. Valjean carries the injured Marius and escapes through the sewers. He runs into Javert who cannot capture him as he is indebted to Valjean for saving his life. Eventually, Marius and Cosette are married and Marius, suspicious of Valjeans character, takes her away from him. In the final dramatic scene, Valjean is dying when Marius and Cosette come back after Marius has heard of all his good deeds. Valjean tells them about his past and then dies after achieving happiness at last.

This classic has been running in theaters for over twenty years now and is one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history. To acquire your New York Les Miserables tickets, you will have to contact the box office as soon as the show goes on sale. Otherwise it will be impossible to get tickets to watch the dramatic unfolding of the great classic.


Al is the webmaster of the New York Les Miserables Tickets site, a New York City entertainment website with reviews and news on every event, as well as New York Les Miserables tickets resources.