Portrayed on Broadway and in film, Les Miserables relates the horrific struggles of living during the 1830 French Revolution. Likewise, Giordano’s opera relates the true story of André Marie Chénier, a French poet and victim of the perilous years of the first French Revolution. Known for his sensual, emotive poetry, he was guillotined for alleged “crimes against the state”, just three days before the end of the Reign of Terror. Dramatic highlights include Maddalena’s heartbreaking aria “La mamma morta” as heard in the popular film “Philadelphia” starring Tom Hanks, and Chénier’s, “Improvviso”, his passionate vision of France.