Blessed.

Go ahead and pick any adjective you want. Not one of them – or all of them – can possibly do justice to the glorious production of "Les Misérables" that opened Friday night at the Skylight Music Theatre.

But blessed may come close for those lucky enough to see it. After it was over, I felt blessed.

It’s hard to describe the magnificence of this production. Let us begin with director Molly Rhode, who last year gave us all a memorable rendition of "The Sound of Music" at Skylight.

With "Les Misérables," she has scaled new heights of excellence and set a standard for plays with music in Milwaukee. She is a musician and an actor, and she directs with a foot in every camp, a careful understanding of a story and how best to tell it.

Viswa Subbaraman, the Skylight’s new artistic director, gets huge props for turning such a well-known and difficult piece over to Rhode.

The musical, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, tells the story of Jean Valjean, imprisoned for 19 years for stealing bread, and his search for redemption in 19th century France.

But it is, in reality, a story of pursuit. It is Valjean’s pursuit of redemption. Javert’s furious pursuit of Valjean to bring him to justice. The beautiful and doomed Fantine’s pursuit of a better life. Eponine’s unrequited love for Marius and her pursuit of him. Thenardier’s pursuit of lucre in any form, including the sale of a child. The mutual pursuit of Marius for Cosette and she for him.

And above all, the pursuit of the downtrodden for a life of freedom and justice, a battle fought to win at any cost.

At one point in its history, Skylight was known as the Skylight Opera Theatre. That name is long since gone, but though some may call "Les Mis" musical theatre, it had every element of a great, unforgettable opera. The greatest operas in the world – "Don Giovanni," "La Traviata," "Le nozze di Figaro" – all have something in common. They all have great music, a great story and a strong sense of the dramatic.

That is this production, in spades.

Rhode is assisted in spectacular fashion. The music direction of Robert Linder is both thoughtful and full of the passion in the story. The set and lighting, designed by Peter Dean Beck, captures every nuance of the story in visual terms that, along with costumes designed by Carol J. Blanchard, rivet the eye.

But the true joy of an opera like this (I will continue to call it an opera until someone forces me not to do so) is in song and story. It takes singers to sing, and actors to tell a story and act. When you have the demands of both in one show, it can be a daunting task. But let us take these one by one.

Luke Grooms plays Valjean, and you can’t watch and listen to him without thinking of the great Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. Grooms has the same kind of dominating stage presence that carried Pavarotti to worldwide acclaim. Grooms is a lead tenor, and his voice scales the skies inside the Cabot Theatre with both power and intimacy. His rendition of "Bring Him Home" rivals the one I saw Colm Wilkinson sing in the original Broadway production of "Les Mis."

As the arch enemy of Valjean, Andrew Varela plays the role of Javert with a stinging authority. He played Valjean on Broadway and in the national touring company, and he brings a superbly rounded humanity to the role of the bad guy. He’s a marvelous actor and a singer of magnificent precision.

Susan Spencer is married to Varela and a graduate of Greendale High School. The role of Fantine is fraught with peril as it demands both a woman hardened by the knocks of life and the dreams of devout dreamer. Spencer sings with grace, and her every emotion is worn on her sleeve for all to see. The song "I Dreamed A Dream" is probably the best known from this show, and her performance drew stunned and respectful silence from the audience. The lyrics of that song are enough to bring anyone to tears.

"I dreamed a dream in times gone by
When hope was high and life worth living.
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted.
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted."

The entire cast of this show is absolutely irresistible. Each one brings incredible beauty, strength and passion to his or her parts. A special mention must also go to Melissa Fife, who plays Eponine, who is in love with Marius but can’t get him to pay attention to her. The scene when she dies in his arms is a signal for the tears to come and never stop until the play ends.

If you are a person who loves a great story and great music rolled into one wondrous evening, call and buy a ticket to see this production. You won’t be sorry.

I have tried to find a way to do justice to this production. And I’ve found one. After three hours, I wanted it to never end.

"Les Misérables" runs through Dec. 29. Information about performances and tickets can be found at skylightmusictheatre.org.