Friday 3 January 2014

Chance McClain does Les Misérables, with Lightsabers

Chance McClain, well-known author of The Yao Ming Song, has done it again; he has found a way to improve Les Misérables. Chance created, directed, and arranged this epic reimagining of the showdown between Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert, as featured in Les Misérables' The Confrontation.
Javert has finally tracked down his nemesis, Jean Valjean, at the bedside of the dying Fantine. Hellbent on arresting and imprisoning Valjean, Javert soon learns that the Force is strong with this one.
Jedi Confrontation stars Tyler Galindo, Noah McClain, and Lindsey Vrana. ________________________________________________________________________

I asked Chance how the video came about.

I was taking my son and three of his friends to see a production of Sweeney Todd and we were listening to Les Miz in the car. He blurted out how cool it would be if the students in France had light sabers, how different things would have been. He then added that The Confrontation would be a better number if Javert and Valjean had them.
    I had been wanting to learn how to rotoscope, and you can't do a proper light saber sequence without rotoscoping, so... I said let's do it.
    My son Noah, Javert in the video, was cast with a combination of nepotism and merit, and Tyler, the Valjean, another incredibly talented young man, was available, so we planned the shoot. We rehearsed one night at my house and I recorded their vocals in my home studio.
    I recruited a handful of video pros to meet at the community theatre where I'm on the board and have unfettered access, and we shot it on a Sunday afternoon. I edited over the next three weekends and, voilà, as they might have said in
Les Miz.
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LYRICS:

[JAVERT]
You must think me mad!
I've hunted you across the years
A man like you can never change
A man such as you.


[VALJEAN (in counterpoint)]
Believe of me what you will
There is a duty that I'm sworn to do
You know nothing of my life
All I did was steal some bread
You know nothing of the world
You would sooner see me dead
But not before I see this justice done
I am warning you Javert
I'm a stronger man by far
There is power in me yet
My race is not yet run
I am warning you Javert
There is nothing I won't dare
If I have to kill you here
I'll do what must be done!


[JAVERT (in counterpoint)]
Men like me can never change
Men like you can never change
No,
24601
My duty's to the law - you have no
Rights
Come with me 24601
Now the wheel has turned around
Jean Valjean is nothing now
Dare you talk to me of crime
And the price you had to pay
Every man is born in sin
Every man must choose his way
You know nothing of Javert
I was born inside a jail
I was born with scum like you
I am from the gutter too!


[Valjean breaks a chair and threatens Javert with the broken piece.
Turns to Fantine]

[VALJEAN]
[to Fantine]

And this I swear to you tonight

[JAVERT]
[to Valjean] 

There is no place for you to hide

[VALJEAN]
Your child will live within my care

[JAVERT]
Wherever you may hide away

[VALJEAN]
And I will raise her to the light.

[VALJEAN AND JAVERT]
I swear to you, I will be there!