These include the musicals:
* La Révolution Française (1973)
* Les Misérables (1980 french version- 1985 english version)
* Miss Saigon (1989)
* Martin Guerre (1996)
* Wuthering Heights (ballet 2001)
* The Pirate Queen (2006)
* Marguerite (2009)
Schönberg began his career as a record producer and a singer. By the early 1970s he had become successful.
He wrote most of the music for the French musical and rock opera, La Révolution Française, France's first rock opera, in 1973, and also played the role of King Louis XVI in the show's production that year.
In 1974 he wrote the music and the lyrics of the song "Le Premier Pas", which became the number 1 popular song in France that year and sold over 1 million copies. Le Premier Pas was produced by Franck Pourcel. He recorded albums as a singer until 1985.
Schönberg then made an album in which he sang his own songs. In 1978, he dedicated his full attention to musicals when he and Alain Boublil conceived the idea for a stage musical version of Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, which opened at the Palias de Sports in Paris in 1980. The musical opened to acclaim in London in 1985 and on Broadway in 1987. The Broadway production was nominated for twelve Tony Awards and won eight, including Best Musical and Best Original Score . In 1989, Schönberg and Boublil took London by storm with the musical Miss Saigon, which starred Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce. In its transition to Broadway, the show broke advance-ticket sales, earning $24 million before its premiere on April 11, 1991 [1]. The show was nominated for ten Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
In 1997, Schönberg and Boublil premiered a new musical, Martin Guerre at the Prince Edward Theatre in London. The musical won the 1997 Olivier Award and went on to tour the UK and the United States.
Schönberg's latest project with Boublil is The Pirate Queen, a musical about the 16th century Irish pirate, chieftain and adventuress Grace O'Malley. The Pirate Queen completed its 8-week pre-Broadway tryout at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre on November 26, 2006. The show is undergoing further development in preparation for its Broadway previews at the Hilton Theater in March 2007. The Broadway opening date is April 5, 2007. Miss Saigon co-lyricist Richard Maltby, Jr. has come on-board to work with Boublil on revisions to the book and lyrics. Additionally, Graciela Daniele will work on the musical staging.
Les Miserables celebrated its twentieth anniversary in London on October 8, 2005. The Broadway production closed on May 18, 2003, making it the third-longest-running Broadway musical following Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Schönberg will oversee the production of Les Miserables that is returning to Broadway for a six-month engagement at the Broadhurst Theatre on November 9, 2006.
Claude-Michel Schönberg is also an ex-husband of France 2 evening news anchor Béatrice Schönberg.
He lives in London, and has 3 children.
He is actually writing the music and for the first time the arrangements, for a new ballet to be created in UK in 2011: Cléopâtra.
ABC Café / Red and Black
Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
COMBEFERRE
At Notre Dame the sections are prepared!
FEUILLY
At rue de Bac they're straining at the leash!
Students, workers, everyone
There's a river on the run
Like the flowing of the tide
Paris coming to our side!
ENJORAS
The time is near
So near it's stirring the blood in their veins!
And yet beware
Don't let the wine go to your brains!
For the army we fight is a dangerous foe
With the men and the arms that we never can match
It is easy to sit here and swat 'em like flies
But the national guard will be harder to catch.
We need a sign
To rally the people
To call them to arms
To bring them in line!
(Marius enters)
Marius, you're late.
JOLY
What's wrong today?
You look as if you've seen a ghost.
GRANTAIRE
Some wine and say what's going on!
MARIUS
A ghost you say... a ghost maybe
She was just like a ghost to me
One minute there, and she was gone!
GRANTAIRE
I am agog!
I am aghast!
Is Marius in love at last?
I've never heard him `ooh' and `aah'
You talk of battles to be won
And here he comes like Don Ju-an
It's better than an o-per-a!
ENJOLRAS
It is time for us all
To decide who we are
Do we fight for the right
To a night at the opera now?
Have you asked of yourselves
What's the price you might pay?
Is it simply a game
For rich young boys to play?
The color of the world
Is changing day by day...
Red - the blood of angry men!
Black - the dark of ages past!
Red - a world about to dawn!
Black - the night that ends at last!
MARIUS
Had you been there tonight
You might know how it feels
To be struck to the bone
In a moment of breathless delight!
Had you been there tonight
You might also have known
How the world may be changed
In just one burst of light!
And what was right seems wrong
And what was wrong seems right!
GRANTAIRE
Red...
MARIUS
I feel my soul on fire!
GRANTAIRE
Black...
MARIUS
My world if she's not there!
ALL
Red...
MARIUS
The color of desire!
ALL
Black...
MARIUS
The color of despair!
ENJOLRAS
Marius, you're no longer a child
I do not doubt you mean it well
But now there is a higher call.
Who cares about your lonely soul?
We strive toward a larger goal
Our little lives don't count at all!
ALL
Red - the blood of angry men!
Black - the dark of ages past!
Red - a world about to dawn!
Black - the night that ends at last!
ENJOLRAS
Well, Courfeyrac, do we have all the guns?
Feuilly, Combeferre, our time is running short.
Grantaire, put the bottle down!
Do we have the guns we need?
GRANTAIRE
Give me brandy on my breath
And I'll breathe them all to death!
COURFEYRAC
In St. Antoine they're with us to a man!
COMBEFERRE
In Notre Dame they're tearing up the stones!
FEUILLY
Twenty rifles good as new!
(Gavroche rushes in shouting)
GAVROCHE
Listen!
JOLY
Twenty rounds for every man!
GAVROCHE
Listen to me!
JEAN PROUVAIRE
Double that in Port St. Cloud!
GAVROCHE
Listen everybody!
LESGLES
Seven guns in St. Martin!
GAVROCHE
General Lamarque is dead!
ENJOLRAS
Lamarque is dead.
Lamarque! His death is the hour of fate.
The people's man.
His death is the sign we await!
On his funeral day they will honor his name.
It's a rallying cry that will reach every ear!
In the death of Lamarque we will kindle the flame
They will see that the day of salvation is near!
The time is near!
Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer
Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our hearts
But a jubilant shout
They will come one and all
They will come when we call!
The song ABC Café/Red and Black is a crucial turning point in the musical Les Misérables. The song is sung by the student revolutionaries, led by Enjolras, as they plan and organize their rebellion against the government. The first part of the song sees the different members discussing their plans for the revolution, with Combeferre announcing that the sections are prepared, and Feuilly saying that they're straining at the leash. Courfeyrac adds that everyone is involved, including students and workers, and that Paris is coming to their side. Enjolras cautions them all against letting their excitement take over completely, warning them that the fight they face will not be easily won, and that they will need a sign to rally the people and bring them in line.
Marius then joins them and announces that he has seen Cosette again, the love of his life. The other students tease him, but Marius insists that she is the reason for his newfound enthusiasm for the cause. It is at this point that Enjolras delivers his memorable speech about the cost of the revolution and its ultimate goal. The lyrics paint a picture of a changing world; a world defined by the colors red and black. Red represents the blood of the angry men and of the new dawn that awaits them, while black symbolizes the dark past that they are trying to leave behind.
Overall, ABC Café/Red and Black is one of the most powerful and emotional songs in the musical, highlighting the passion, determination, and revolutionary spirit of the students as they fight for their beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
At Notre Dame the sections are prepared!
The organization of the revolutionaries has taken hold in multiple locations, in this case, Notre Dame.
At rue de Bac they're straining at the leash!
The revolutionaries in rue de Bac are eager to take action but are being held back for the right moment.
Students, workers, everyone
There's a river on the run
Like the flowing of the tide
Paris coming to our side!
More and more people are joining the revolutionary cause, creating a sense of momentum towards revolution.
The time is near
So near it's stirring the blood in their veins!
And yet beware
Don't let the wine go to your brains!
The revolutionaries are close to achieving their goals, but they must remain level-headed and not get carried away with excitement.
For the army we fight is a dangerous foe
With the men and the arms that we never can match
It is easy to sit here and swat 'em like flies
But the national guard will be harder to catch.
The revolutionaries are facing a formidable enemy in the national guard, which has superior resources to them and will not be easily defeated.
We need a sign
To rally the people
To call them to arms
To bring them in line!
The revolutionaries need a clear message or event to galvanize people to join their cause and fight for revolution.
A ghost you say... a ghost maybe
She was just like a ghost to me
One minute there, and she was gone!
Marius is enamored with a woman he met briefly and is describing his experience to his friends.
It is time for us all
To decide who we are
Do we fight for the right
To a night at the opera now?
Have you asked of yourselves
What's the price you might pay?
Is it simply a game
For rich young boys to play?
The revolutionaries must reflect on their motivations for fighting, whether they are fighting for material comfort or for a just cause.
The color of the world
Is changing day by day...
Red - the blood of angry men!
Black - the dark of ages past!
Red - a world about to dawn!
Black - the night that ends at last!
The world is becoming more polarized and revolutionary, with anger and violence on one end, and hope and a new beginning on the other.
Marius, you're no longer a child
I do not doubt you mean it well
But now there is a higher call.
Who cares about your lonely soul?
We strive toward a larger goal
Our little lives don't count at all!
Enjolras reminds Marius that the revolutionary cause is more important than personal relationships and individual desires.
Well, Courfeyrac, do we have all the guns?
Feuilly, Combeferre, our time is running short.
Grantaire, put the bottle down!
Do we have the guns we need?
The revolutionaries are running out of time and need to confirm their supplies and logistics for the revolution.
General Lamarque is dead!
The death of General Lamarque, a revolutionary figure, is a pivotal event that will ignite the revolution.
Lamarque is dead.
Lamarque! His death is the hour of fate.
The people's man.
His death is the sign we await!
Lamarque's death marks a turning point in the revolution, where the people will rise up and fight for their cause.
They will see that the day of salvation is near!
The time is near!
Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer
Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our hearts
But a jubilant shout
They will come one and all
They will come when we call!
The revolutionaries are ready to take to the streets and fight for their cause, with the belief that the people will join them in the fight for salvation.
Contributed by Jacob R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.