Victor Hugo's powerful story of personal redemption amid the French Revolution and the enduring songs of the mighty musical it inspired continue to grab companies like Pittsburgh CLO by the lapels, daring them to attempt the marathon that is "Les Miserables."

Why else would anyone take on such a demanding beast?

Though we may have felt under siege recently by Brit Susan Boyle's rendition of Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream," it did serve as a reminder of the power of the music, and why the show lasted on Broadway for so many years and continues to be a draw in towns like ours.

"Les Miz" is a test of endurance, for both the audience during that two-hour first act and the principals who must carry it. The weight fell squarely on the strong, able shoulders of Fred Inkley, a Broadway veteran as Jean Valjean, who made his Pittsburgh CLO debut Tuesday night with the commanding presence and vocal range that the role demands. We suffer with him as he agonizes and ages before our eyes. He was matched toe-to-toe by Robert Cuccioli's relentless, unyielding Javert.

The young principals among the cast made strong impressions, particularly selfless Eponine, who was embodied by Ashley Spencer, a finalist in the TV competition "Grease: You're the One That I Want," and Kevin Earley as the student leader Enjolras. Matthew Scott (Marius) and Kate Loprest (Cosette) had the right amount of earnest longing as the young lovers who may get a chance at tomorrow.

The CLO production that runs through July 19 at the Benedum Center includes a beefed-up orchestra of 23 musicians. But this show was all about the performances and the voices -- on display to the point of straining or shouting at points. There were a couple of other minor opening-night glitches, with a momentary dead mic or a spotlight that didn't immediately hit its mark. The lighting was mostly on target, though, creating the illusions of space and atmosphere, as in the scene where Valjean rescues Marius and carries him through the sewers under Paris. The big, familiar ballads -- Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream," Eponine's "On My Own" -- were performed with the curtains drawn behind the spotlighted singers.

Tim Hartman, as the devious, devilish Thernadier, got to be "Master of the House" in his bawdy tavern, and there were those brave boys at the barricade, with that big, bright red flag to wave. But this was a rather intimate revolution, with the appropriately gloomy sets fading into the dark. The CLO focus was squarely on the Herbert Kretzmer/Claude-Michel Schonberg score and the work of some formidable performers.