Editor’s Note: “Spider Sounds” invites members of the University of Richmond community to share their thoughts about CDs (or other items in the Parsons Music Library’s collection). The links included will take you to the library catalog record for the item in question, or to additional relevant information. Today’s installment of “Spider Sounds” is by Rebecca, one of our student workers, and features the original Broadway cast recording of the acclaimed musical Les Misérables. Thanks, Rebecca!

In the thirty years following its English-language debut, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical Les Misérables has rightly earned its status one of the world’s most beloved Broadway shows. Adapted from Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel of the same name, Les Misérables appeals to bookworms, history buffs, and music lovers alike. The musical tells the story of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict whose journey from Prisoner Number 24601 to upstanding citizen and finally fugitive on the run from a relentless police inspector tragically intersects with the unfolding of the fateful June Rebellion in Paris.

This original Broadway cast recording brings to life all of the stunning lyricism and vitality of the stage production. The heartbreakingly melodic vocal themes and nearly seamless musical accompaniment weave the listener into the gritty realities of life in Orléanist France, and are well worth revisiting for those already familiar with the show.

Catch the revolutionary spirit this spring by listening to the original Broadway cast recording of Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables!