Les Enfants de Paris

Victor Hugo adaptations have a good track record in musical theater. "Les Misérables" played more than 7,000 performances on Broadway and continues to play in London, Spain and on tour. Instead of adapting Hugo's "Notre Dame de Paris" directly, Stacey Weingarten and David Levinson create a similar story in France 1958 dealing with the xenophobia brought on by the Algerian war for independence. The result feels like a poorly executed imitation of "Les Mis" and despite some pleasant voices, the show never soars.

Pierre Frollo (Jed Resnick), a young songwriter, pines for Fleur-de-lys DeGondelauriere (Megan Reinking), who is unfortunately engaged to soldier Phillipe Chateaupers (Adam Halpin). The rejected Pierre seeks a muse and finds one in a beautiful Muslim girl, Esme Benhamou (Nadine Malouf), an activist against the war in Algeria. When Esme hosts a protest on church grounds, priest Claude Frollo (Dan Kohler), who happens to be Pierre's brother, ridicules her. However, Claude harbors a lust for Esme that he can't express because of his position in the church. Claude has also adopted Michel Giroux (a fantastic Blake Segal), a young deaf man who he treats like a servant. Phillipe has just returned from war, and we learn that he knew and was possibly involved with Esme while in Algeriea. Esme has just moved to Paris to live with her brother Nehal Benhamou (Sevan Greene). This love quintet proceeds to unravel in every way possible.

Weingarten's book scenes push the story forward with generic dialogue and forced situations, while Levinson's score, though lovely, has little musical diversity. Mark Hartman's musical direction brings out the best of the songs. Director Donna Drake, who appeared in the original "A Chorus Line," does not focus enough on the dramatic important of the scenes, while Rhonda Miller's choreography is too stylized. The intimate space and the play's songs do not call for many dance numbers. Malouf is magnetic as Esme, and while she has a powerful belt, she struggles in the higher registers. Reinking boasts the best voice of the bunch as Fleur-de-Lys, and her Act 1 finale song, "Let Love Begin" is captivating.

The story shows promise, but a few more rewrites and workshops are necessary.

Presented by Chinese Mother Jewish Daughter Productions as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival at the TBG Theatre, 312 W. 36th St., NYC. Oct. 4-15. Remaining performances: Wed., Oct. 12, 5 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 15, 5 and 9 p.m. (212) 352-3101, (866) 811-4111, www.theatermania.com, or www.nymf.org. Casting by Michael Cassara.