Notre-Dame de Paris

Conventional wisdom has it that the French don't like musicals. Not true at all, as the success of this show demonstrates. Plamondon and Cocciante have concocted a masterpiece that perfectly captures all the important parts of Hugo's novel, and magnificently transports the whole thing to the stage. The handful of young unknowns who star in this production on the video tape (most of them from Quebec) are almost overwhelming in their talent as singers, dancers, and dramatic performers. Bruno Pelletier shines as the anguished, tortured priest. Hélène Ségara (the only French star in the cast) totally captures our hearts as the doomed Esméralda, and Garou (the name means "Werewolf" in French!) demands and receives all our sympathy as the hapless Quasimodo. Incredibly powerful supporting performances by Patrick Fiori as Phoebus, Julie Zenatti as Fleur-de-lys and Luc Merville as Clopin round out a cast that can do no wrong.

Imagine Riverdance on steroids, "West Side Story" meets "Cirque de Soleil", or a Paris riot set to music, and you have an idea of the scope of this incredible show. The choreography is the most energetic, not to say frenetic, I have ever seen, and the most imaginative. It's hard to decide, at times, if we are watching a dance or a gymnastics exhibition.

If you can't get to Las Vegas, Montreal or Paris to see the show live on stage, this is the next best thing. For me it totally eclipsed every rock opera and musical which preceded it, to become the definitive musical of the 20th century. And I believe it will be at least another generation before anyone can come up with a way to surpass it.