Hossein Parsaei to Stage Musical Adaptation of Les Misérables

TEHRAN. (Iranart) - A lmost a year after staging of the popular musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s famous novel “Oliver Twist,” theater director Hossein Parsaei is getting ready to bring on stage another musical in the fall.

This time Parsaei will be directing an adaptation of the French historical novel “Les Misérables” authored by Victor Hugo. The Royal Hall of Espinas Palace Hotel will host the performance from November 11, Mehr News Agency reported.

So far names of four actors have been released, all of which are popular.

Navid Mohammadzadeh who also played in Parsaei’s Oliver Twist, will go on stage in the role of Inspector Javert, while Parsa Pirouzfar is Jean Valjean.

Ashkan Khatibi will perform as Marius Pontmercy, a young lawyer, who falls in love with Cosette, a little orphaned girl whom Jean Valjean adopts, and Sahar Dolatshahi will play the secondary female antagonist role of Madame Thénardier who mistreats Cosette until Jean Valjean takes her away.

Published in 1862, Les Misérables is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original French title. However, several alternatives have been used, including The Miserables.

Examining the nature of law and grace, the novel elaborates the history of France, the architecture and urban design of Paris, politics, moral philosophy, antimonarchism, justice, religion, and the types and nature of romantic and familial love.

The convict Jean Valjean is released from a French prison after serving 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread and for subsequent failed attempts to escape from prison. When Valjean arrives in the town of Digne, no one is willing to give him shelter because of his past conviction. Desperate, Valjean knocks on the door of Myriel, the kind bishop of Digne. Myriel treats Valjean with kindness, and Valjean repays the bishop by stealing his silverware.

When the police arrest Valjean, Myriel covers for him, claiming that the silverware was a gift. The authorities release Valjean and Myriel makes him promise to become an honest man.

Eager to fulfill his promise, Valjean masks his identity and enters the town of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Under the assumed name of Madeleine, Valjean invents an ingenious manufacturing process that brings the town prosperity. He eventually becomes the town’s mayor.

source: Financial Tribune