<P> The original French song was very extensively rewritten for the English production by Herbert Kretzmer, adding the prologue (There was a time ...) and cutting the last few lines which became the ending to "Lovely Ladies" (' Don't they know they're making love to one already dead'). For the French revival in 1991, the song was loosely translated back from the English version; there are thus two very different French versions of the song . </P> <P> The song, as it appeared in the original Paris production from 1980, was entitled J'avais rêvé d'une autre vie ("I had dreamed of another life"), and was originally sung by Rose Laurens . The first English - language production of Les Misérables opened on the West End in London in October 1985, with the role of Fantine portrayed by Patti LuPone . She would later feature the song on her 1993 album Patti LuPone Live! </P> <P> When the musical made its Broadway début in New York City in March 1987, Fantine was played by Randy Graff . Laurie Beechman would perform the role in the original U.S. touring production in 1988 and then on Broadway in 1990 . That year she included the song on her album Listen to My Heart . Debra Byrne sang the song on the Complete Symphonic Recording . Ruthie Henshall sang it on the Tenth Anniversary Concert Recording (1995). A Broadway revival in 2006 featured Daphne Rubin - Vega (2006--07), Lea Salonga (2007), and Judy Kuhn (2007--08). Lea Salonga sang it for the 25th Anniversary Concert in London (2010). </P> <P> The show, and the song, has been translated into twenty - one languages, including Japanese, Hebrew, Icelandic, Norwegian, Czech, Polish, Spanish, and Estonian, and there have been 31 cast recordings featuring the song . The London cast version is Triple Platinum in the UK, for sales of more than 900,000, and Platinum in the U.S., for sales of more than one million . The Broadway cast version is Quadruple Platinum in the U.S. (more than four million sold), where four other versions have also gone Gold . </P>

Who is fantine singing about in i dreamed a dream