The Bastard Orphan Has a Parent; Similarities between Les Mis and Hamilton

The musical ‘Hamilton’ is a work of genius.

It is the most resonant cultural artifact of the Obama era. Its first outing was at a White House reception, and Obama himself collaborated on a special rendition of ‘One More Time’.

It is a touchstone of progressive politics. The spontaneous applause from the audience at the line “Immigrants, we get the job done” has now become part of the performance. The audience know now they’re expected to stop and clap that line.

The use of different musical genres to reveal the identities and personalities of the characters singing the song is a small act of genius in itself. Slavemaster Jefferson, far longer established in American society and in its revolutionary history is introduced via the old-time jazz of ‘What did I Miss” whereas the younger, hungrier Hamilton mostly raps. King George III’s theme is a Britpop classic. Slavemaster Washington’s moral authority is expressed through dignified soulfulness, particularly on “One More Time” when his vocal gyymnastics are backed by Hamilton reading the same words, some of the actual lines Hamiton wrote for Washington’s Farewell Address. This address set out perhaps Washington’s most important and beautiful constitutional legacy, the orderly transfer of power. “If I say goodbye, the nation learns to move on, It outlives me when I’m gone” as the musical Washington puts it. Only soul music can support a doctrine so simple and perfect.

While some historical details are obvious, discovering more subtle references is part of the joy of Hamilton. Consider Sally Hemings, Jefferson’s partner of nearly four decades with whom he had six children and who was at his deathbed, a woman he owned as a slave that he first impregnanted when she was a teenager and he a widower with daughters her age. Although Hemings had three white grandparents she was legally black and born a slave, as were her children with her Slavemaster. Hemings left no letters or other writing. There are no photographs of her. Her inner life is unknowable. For years Hemings’ story was denied by Jefferson acolytes, and hagiographers. and it is only in recent decades that historians and DNA have been able to lay out the bare bones of her life. In Hamilton she is recognised in just a single line; Sally be a lamb, darlin’, followed by an instruction from her master, life-partner and groomer/rapist. Hemings has no part to play in the story of Hamilton, but that brief mention acknowledges this invisible woman.

It’s the combination of genre-hopping, history, layers of meaning, hip hop easter eggs, ear-worm tunes, the reverse choreography and, just, everything . that has led to the success of Hamilton and the obsessiveness it generates.

Hamilton is not perfect. It has been criticised for ignoring or minimising slavery (it doesn’t ignore it but it is not centred) and for how it deals with the issue of consent in his first encounter with Maria Reynolds. But these are political criticisms, not artistic ones.

So yeah, a work of genius.

But is it a work of pure originality? No. Of course not. Like all great people and art, it is standing on the shoulders of giants. And in this case the giant that towers above the rest is Les Miserables.

The similarities of the two musicals in structure and plot, in themes and even songs is extraordinary.

Both musicals are wholly sung with no dialogue. Technically they both might be operas, and not musicals at all.

Les Miserables is 2 hours 40 minutes long, and Hamilton last 2 hours 50.

Both are based on books. (Les Miserables and Alexander Hamilton, the first a work of fiction based on historical events, the other a biography.)

They are set in overlapping periods of history; the story of Les Miserables begins in 1815 and ends in 1833, Hamilton spans 1755 to 1854 (albeit most of the action is 1772 to 1804). But Eliza Hamilton, who may or may not die after the very last chord of the musical, was alive during the events of Les Mis.

French politics is key to the plot of both, Les Miserables very directly, but France’s history — its material support for the American revolution and America’s subsequent failure to support France after the French revolution — are key to Hamilton’s plot, and the reasons for the hostility between Hamilton and Jefferson. Hamilton also gloriously delivers America’s favourite fighting Frenchman, one of the greatest characters in a musical ever.

Both musicals tell the story of revolutionary attempts to overthrow Kings. But only Hamilton has the frothing King make an appearance. While both musicals tell the stories of the lives of men against a revolutionary background, only Hamilton gives us a second act to enjoy the political scheming that came afterwards.

Both are blighted by the usual dreary love stories and sickly ballads, each with contrived love triangles (Cosette — Marius- Eponine and Eliza-Hamilton-Angelica . . and Maria Reynolds too!). Les Miserables would benefit from the full elimination of the Cosette and Marcus love and longing songs and Hamilton would sprint by like a raucous political rock festival without Eliza begging him to stay home and Angelica flirting with him over punctuation. I’d keep Burn because it’s the one moment in the show where Eliza is active and empowered and not the the docile, bland, best of wives and best of women whose most remarkable feature is her kindness.

The less said about sentimental Disney tunes which get in the way of the plot and concern the fate of unimportant characters in Dear Theodosia and A Little Rain the better. There is weeping to be done at the death of a child; In Les Miserables Gavroche is shot at the barricades, in Hamilton Philip is shot in a duel.

Can we get back to politics? Yo.

The plots of the two musicals tell a very similar story, of a very similar hero.

Both start with the heroes renewing themselves from a position of disadvantage, with Valjean newly freed from prison and Hamilton arriving in New York as “another immigrant coming up from the bottom”.

Both men have special powers, Valjean preternatural physical strength and Hamilton exceptional intellectual vigour.

Both Valjean and Hamilton sing out their names, Hamilton in the opening track and Valjean a bit later on, after some self-examination. “I am Alexander Hamilton” sings one, “I’m Jean Valjean” the other.

Jean Valjean has an antagonist, Javert, and the relationship between the two men will affect both their lives. Ultimately the relationship will cause Javert to end his own life as he cannot live in a world with Valjean after Valjean saves Javert’s life.

Hamilton takes the formula and makes it extra by having two antagonists, Jefferson and Burr. These relationships affected the lives of all concerned. The Hamilton-Jefferson conflict starts almost as soon as Act 2 starts, but ends with Hamilton ensuring Jefferson’s election to President at the Election of 1800 in a surprising twist. The Hamilton-Burr relationship is longer, more varied and ends when Burr kills Hamilton in a duel, a duel demanded by Burr as he cannot live in a world with Hamilton.

“It is either Valjean or Javert” sings Javert.

“It’s him or me” sings Burr.

Of course, the plot builds up to these dramatic final scenes. Javert expresses his hostility to Jalvean in the booming solo “Stars”, while Burr’s big solo “Wait For It” is a song so brilliant in its own right that it’s the subject of an episode of Netflix documentary series ‘Song Exploders’. Both musicals include a duet between the enemies where they share their disagreements, “The Confrontation” in Les Mis and “Your Obedient Servant” in Hamilton. It has even been suggested that the same tune is used for Burr’s line “I look back on where I failed . .” as for Javert’s “I am reaching, but I fall . . “ as a deliberate nod to the similarities. They certainly sound the same.

Les Miserables ends with Valjean’s death scene.

Hamilton ends with Hamilton’s death scene.

In both the dying men see visions of comrades who have previously passed on the other side before taking their final breath.

And so it goes on. A song for young men to drink alcohol to prior to taking revolutionary action? You can choose from Les Mis where you can “drink with me to days gone by, can it be you fear to die” or Hamilton where “we may not live to see tomorrow, but we will gladly join the fight.” The young men in Les Mis are confident that “We will see the people rise”, whereas in Hamilton they instruct people to “Rise up.”

Not all the young men do live, and both musicals mark the fallen in song, Les Mis with the maudlin over-long Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Hamilton jerks the dead comrade tears with the death of John Laurens in The Story of Tonight reprise. Other songs too have their siblings; “Bring him Home” and “Stay Alive” are both big songs about hoping someone doesn’t die.

Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was familiar with, and a fan of Les Mis. But was it the blueprint for Hamilton? Without Les Mis, would there even be Hamilton? Maybe the bastard orphan has a parent after all.