Word: les
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Cajun is the raucous, slightly tragic musical memory of a people, then Zydeco is its ebullient younger cousin. The name is the phonetic rendering of the first two words of the French phrase "les haricots sont pas salas," which means "the snap beans aren't salted," a traditional indicator of hard times. But there is no misery here: while Cajun's intrinsic melancholy can be heard in its grave waltzes, Zydeco is almost nothing but upbeat two-step rhythms. Audiences show their appreciation not by applauding but by getting up and dancing...
...Les Miserables' world conquest has been fueled by its universal message. It is the classic triumph of good over evil translated into and out of a great French novel and onto a revolving stage with full chorus. Like all moving theatrical experiences from Greek tragedies on, Les Mis invites the audience to apply themes from the show to their own lives...
Despite its endless applicability, Les Miserables is successful simply because it is one of the most entertaining pieces of theater to surface during the last decade. In 23,000 performances since Cameron Mackintosh and the Royal Shakespeare Company first produced it in London, thirty-six million people have enjoyed Claude-Michel Schonberg's memorable melodies and Herbert Kretzmer's powerful, alarmingly addictive lyrics...
...adult Cosette (Jodie Langel) is unengaging, and her Marius (Tom Donoghue) looks and sounds far too much like Richard Marx. We hardly care whether they end up together. Fortunately, these minor barriers cannot slow the theatrical steamroller that is Les...
...towering set is a perfect re-creation of the Broadway production, down to the revolving stage and spinning barricades. Les Miserables survives a few weak performances to retain the powerful message and exciting drama of the original script...