Les Miserables (Radio Theatre)

You've read the book, you've seen the musical,  you've seen the movie, now you've seen the movie musical.  If that's not enough for you, pick up Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre adaptation of Victor Hugo's beloved classic, Les Miserables.  True to their radio roots, Focus on the Family does radio theater well.  This is by no means an audio book.  It's a true dramatization, with a large cast of actors and actresses, who tell the story through dialogue and sound effects.

Enjoying this program, which is about 3 hours long, is all about expectations.  If you want the full story of Les Miserables, with all of its interconnected plots and subplots, along with Hugo's rich character studies and descriptive passages, you will be sorely disappointed.  But let's be realistic.  My Everyman's Library edition runs well over 1000 pages.  There's no way a 3 hour movie, a 3 hour musical, or a 3 hour radio theatre adaptation will capture all of that.

But if you listen to this production with the expectation of a well-acted, enjoyable program which captures the kernel of Hugo's story, you'll be delighted.  The actors are terrific (Although I always wonder, when the original is in French or German or some other language, why British accents are normally used.  Is it simply anglophilia?) and the sound effects give eyes to your ears.  And, in spite of the story compression of this epic novel, the story hangs together well.

My biggest complaint is the dynamic range.  In a quiet theater or at home in the living room, when a barely audible whisper one moment is followed by a noisy explosion and shouting the next, no problem.  But listening to this in the car during a road trip, I had to keep turning it way up to hear over the road noise, then crank it back down when it got loud.  Maybe this is a personal problem. . . .

This Radio Theatre production is not a replacement for the book, but it is a worthy introduction to a great work of literature.  I'll never get my 11 year old to read the book (I shouldn't say never.  It would be a long shot, though.), but this production can at least get kids, and adults, for that matter, into the story.  Enjoy!




Thanks to the Tyndale Blog Network for the complimentary copy!

Oliver Twist (Radio Theater)

Radio theater may be a lost or dying art, but don't tell the folks at Focus on the Family.  They have produced some great programs over the years, including the long-running Adventures in Odyssey and the fantastic Chronicles of Narnia adaptation.  They have outdone themselves with this new adaptation of Charles Dickens's classic Oliver Twist.

With a wide-ranging, talented British cast, the voices are convincingly right out of 19th century London.  The sound effects and music add dramatic tension and draw the story along.  Although it's only about 5 1/2 hours long, this production captures the essence of the book.  I haven't done a line-by-line comparison, but my assumption is that much of the text and dialogue are Dickens's own words.

By updating this classic tale, while remaining true to the source, the Focus on the Family team has provided a terrific springboard for some moral and spiritual lessons.  In spite of great temptation and the threat of mistreatment, Oliver knows right from wrong and demonstrates the difficulty of making moral choices under duress.  The characters remind us repeatedly that we are not imprisoned by our past, whether choices or circumstances, and the redemption is available.

A radio or TV program is never a substitute for an original work of literature, but this audio program will enhance your family's enjoyment of Dickens's story.  Some listeners might have a bit of difficulty with the accents and occasional archaic language, but most children will be drawn into Oliver's world.  Thanks to Focus on the Family for this well-done, accessible production which beautifully captures the moral lessons and compelling story of Oliver Twist.

One more reason to like this: Focus on the Family is using proceeds from the sale of this audio program to fund its "Wait No More" adoption program.  Included with the audio CDs is a DVD with the documentary, "Modern Day Oliver," which focuses on children in foster care and adoption.

Click here for a preview.

Thanks to the Tyndale Blog Network for the complimentary copy of this terrific program!