Search - Victor Hugo :: Les Miserables: Smithsonian Historical Performances (Historical Radio Play)

Les Miserables: Smithsonian Historical Performances

Peter Alexander | 12/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre of the Air deliver a seat-riveting performance with Les Miserables. This audio drama, originally aired live, covers the majority of the Les Miserables story. There is no comparison between this rendition of the story and the two movies and Broadway show. First, it tells the story indepth, thus making the Broadway version easier to follow. Second, Welles completely captures the spirit of Jean Valjean. The scene at 2AM where Valjean commits his life to Christ after the Priest helps him escapes the gendarmes is powerful. Nothing in the play comes close to this power. The court room scene and emotional trauma Valjean goes through in deciding whether he should let a man go to prison who claims to be him is another spellbinding performance by Welles. The first time I heard this, I could barely move. It kept my attention for the entire performance. Though I've seen the play live, and have a video of it, it is this version by Welles that sticks with me. If you want a story that's truly touching and profoundly moving, skip HBO. Buy this."

Available for free online

Aric Miles Bright | oakland, ca | 12/17/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The copyright has expired on this program



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but the indexing info on amazon is valuable!"