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.
Dawn of Anguish
Claude-Michel Schönberg Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The people have not stirred
We are abandoned by those who still live in fear.
The people have not heard.
Yet will will not abandon those who cannot hear.
Let us not waste lives
Let all the women and fathers of children
Go from here.
Feuilly
Drink with me to days gone by
Sing with me the songs we knew
All
At the shrine of friendship
Raise your glass high
Let the wine of friendship
Never run dry
If I die
I die with you!
So never kick a dog
Because he's just a pup
We'll fight like twenty armies
And we won't give up
So you'd better run for cover
When the pup grows......
The lyrics to Claude-Michel Schönberg's "Dawn of Anguish" reveal the frustration and disappointment of Enjolras, who is the leader of a revolution. He believes they have been abandoned by those who are still afraid and have not joined their cause. Although the people have not stirred, Enjolras is determined not to abandon those who cannot hear them. He urges the women and fathers of children to leave, not wanting to waste their lives in a fight they may not win.
Feuilly joins in by proposing they sing and drink to days gone by, calling to remember the songs they used to know. The group collectively raises their glasses at the shrine of friendship, vowing to never let the wine of friendship run dry. They are ready to fight and die together, like twenty armies, never giving up and urging their enemies to run for cover when they get stronger.
The message conveyed in this song is that the revolutionaries are determined to fight for their cause, regardless of how many supporters they have presently. They recognize that it may not be an easy fight and that some may lose their lives. Still, they are committed to standing up for what they believe in and will fight alongside each other with all they've got.
Line by Line Meaning
The people have not stirred
No outcry or rebellion has emerged from the people who still live in fear.
We are abandoned by those who still live in fear.
We are on our own, without the support of those who are too afraid to act.
The people have not heard.
The masses are not aware of the injustices committed against them.
Yet we will not abandon those who cannot hear.
Despite the lack of awareness, we will continue to fight for the rights of those who are unaware.
Let us not waste lives
We must avoid unnecessary loss of life.
Let all the women and fathers of children go from here.
We urge women and fathers of children to leave and protect their loved ones from harm's way.
Drink with me to days gone by
Let us reminisce about the good times we had before this turmoil.
Sing with me the songs we knew
In the midst of uncertainty, let us take solace in the familiar melodies we know and love.
At the shrine of friendship
As friends and allies, we pledge mutual aid to this cause.
Raise your glass high
Let us make a toast to our collective strength and perseverance.
Let the wine of friendship never run dry
May our friendship and solidarity never falter.
If I die, I die with you!
If it comes to it, I will not abandon you and will fight until the end.
Never kick a dog because he's just a pup
Do not underestimate us because we are young or inexperienced.
We'll fight like twenty armies and we won't give up
We possess a fierce tenacity and resilience, and will fight against overwhelming odds.
So you'd better run for cover when the pup grows...
Beware of us as we gain strength and mature in our convictions.
Contributed by Zachary J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.