Les Misérables

Focus on the Family has again pulled out the stops in this dramatization of the Victor Hugo classic. The production is replete with excellent acting, crisp editing, and seamless sound production, making the entire program a veritable movie for the mind. Brian Blessed plays Jean Valjean, a criminal of circumstance transformed by love and kindness at the time of the French Revolution. Blessed reads the part with tremendous strength and emotion. Other cast members include Geoffrey Palmer as Inspector Javert, Leo McKern as Monsieur Gillenormand, and Gina Beck as Cosette, the girl who awakens love and hope for Valjean. Performers, production, and beautiful source material make this an extraordinary program. S.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Les Miserables (The Wretches) is one of the most popular musicals in the world, though grand opera would have done more justice to the excessive romanticism of the 1862 original about the benevolent ex-con, his relentless pursuer and the street people of the July Revolution. Employing a judicious pruning and excellent translation, Nigel Anthony plays the melodrama and sentimentality without chewing the scenery--a neat trick. His characterizations are broad, but that's only appropriate here. He has a strangely jerky delivery, either a personal quirk or the product of numerous inelegant edits. Either way, he gives a listenable rendering of this improbable classic. Y.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Jean Valjean, released from 19 years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread, transforms himself into a respected businessman known for his kindness and mercy. But his past haunts him in the form of a relentless inspector dedicated to returning him to prison. This full-cast production captures the poignancy of each character, the injustice of the French monarchy, and the redemptive power of faith and love. Copious music and special effects enrich the text but never overpower the vocals. The performances of each actor, up to the finest stage standards, vividly bring the story to life, particularly those of Henry Goodman as the smarmy con man, Tanadier, and Lee Cornwall as the child revolutionary, Gavroche. Joss Ackland, as Victor Hugo narrating the tale, ties the performance together with compassion and a sense of wisdom. R.P.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine