Les Miserables

Written by Alain Boublil and Claude-

Michel Schonberg

English lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer

Directed and adapted by John Caird and

Trevor Nunn

At the Shubert Theater

Through April 23

Now that all the talk surrounding the opening of Les Miserables has died down, people who have seen the all-too-brief three-hour show are beginning to talk about what really matters--Les Miserables is one of the best shows to play Boston in a long time.

In part, the effectiveness of the show is based on the inspired lyrics and the absence of any spoken dialogue. Although many of the show's tunes are repeated throughout, the lyrics change, and each song has something of its own to add to the finished product.

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the show tells the story of Jean Valjean (William Solo, who understudied the role on Broadway). Paroled in 1815, Valjean realizes he must break parole if he is to have any success in the outside world.

After 8 years, Valjean has changed his name and become the mayor of Montreuil-Sur-Mer, and he finds himself involved with the case of Fantine (Diane Fratantoni), a woman who finds she must work as a prostitute to pay for the care of her small daughter.

When Fantine dies, Valjean comes to the aid of her daughter, Cosette. He finds that the Thenardiers, the couple who take care of the young Cosette (Christa Larson), are nothing but thieving, conniving pub owners who have worked the child like a slave while charging her mother large sums of money. Thenardier (Tom Robbins) and his wife (Victoria Clark) are the show's clowns, and the audience revels in their provincial language and drunken vulgarity.

AFTER he has lived with the now-grown Cosette (Tamara Jenkins) for some time, Valjean realizes he is devoted to her, and the focal point of his life becomes taking care of his beloved "daughter." However, he must also run from Javert (Herndon Lackey), his relentless parole officer.

Valjean is so devoted to Cosette that he risks his life to rescue her lover, Marius (Hugh Panaro), during an uprising, in one of the most intense sequences of the play. The student activists are clearly ready to die for what they believe in.

On the eve of the battle, they have a last meeting in a small cafe, and sing their song, "Red and Black." The thoughts behind these words, sung by the leader Enjolras (John Herrera), who has one of the best singing voices in the show, are strong: "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!

Not only are the lyrics powerful, but the scenery is very cleverly done. A revolving section of the stage is used to give the impression of characters walking away and the world passing by. In a battle scene, the actors hide behind an imposing barricade, made from chairs and scraps of lumber. The scenes under the street, in a sewer, are suitably dark and foggy.

It is impossible to mention all the wonderful moments in this show. Each scene and song has its own special power, from Valjean's song questioning his identity and causing him to realize, "Who am I? I'm Jean Valjean," to the song sung by the adorable young Cosette as she scrubs the Thenardiers' floor before her rescue, in which she dreams of a fantasy world, a "castle on a cloud," where "nobody shouts or talks too loud."

It is unusual for a show to have a cast where every actor and actress could have held the lead roles, but every last company member is wonderful. Les Miserables is definitely worth seeing--especially if you're not a French Lit major and you don't plan on reading Hugo's 1300-page original.