The job of writing a follow-up to "Les Miserables," the hit musical that caused a world-wide sensation in the 80's, must have caused a great deal of stress for creators Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg. "Les Miz" was, and still is, one of the most popular shows in the world.

Judged by any other standards, their sophomore effort, "Miss Saigon," would have been viewed as an unqualified success. The show received 29 awards worldwide, including three Tony Awards (Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor), and lasted on Broadway for over 4000 performances, making it the sixth longest running musical in Broadway history.

Despite those facts, "Miss Saigon" has frequently been lost in the shadow of its more beloved predecessor. The music is reminiscent of "Les Miz" at times, and it really wouldn’t hurt to lose about 15 minutes of its 2 hour and 40 minute length (with intermission), but the authors were successful at creating a show that is very different from their first.

You can judge for yourself at the Sangamon Auditorium, where the new national tour of "Miss Saigon" has just landed for an eight-performance run.

Loosely based on the classic opera "Madame Butterfly," "Miss Saigon" concerns two lovers caught in the middle of the chaos of the Vietnam war right before the fall of Saigon.

Kim, a young virginal Vietnamese woman, is forced into prostitution after her parents are brutally killed and she is left to fend for herself. On her first night as a "bar girl" working for the charmingly amoral "Engineer," she meets Chris, an earnest young American GI who falls instantly in love with her.

After two weeks of bliss among the bombshells, Chris is torn away from Kim as the Americans are forced to evacuate the city.

While differing slightly in design, choreography and direction from the London/Broadway original, this production nevertheless offers us an exciting and well-performed version of the musical.

Without question, the scene-stealing star of the show is Jon Jon Briones as the Engineer, the slimy pimp/power broker who cons his way out of every dire situation. While the rest of the cast is made up primarily of fresh talent right out of college, Briones brings the expertise of an actor who has been playing the role for years, literally all over the world. His experience shows.

Coming off as a demented cross between Sammy Davis, Jr. and Wayne Newton (with a pinch of Huggy Bear from "Starsky and Hutch" thrown in for good measure), Briones exhibits a wonderful singing voice and real charisma throughout the show. He is especially good in his big second act number, "The American Dream." The staging of this number has been wisely changed from the original, where the Engineer -- how should I put this? -- "romanced" his Cadillac.

As the central couple Kim and Chris, Jennifer Hubilla and Alan Gillespie certainly deliver in the voice department. It takes an incredible amount of stamina to sustain the "American Idol"-like vocal pyrotechnics this show requires, but this duo handle the job admirably. They also effectively capture the sweetness and sincerity of the two lovers who have found an oasis in the middle of the horror that surrounds them.

The only way the show (or direction) has let them down in this production is in the early scenes, when they must magically, and instantly, connect. They are missing a "ping" moment, where the audience clearly sees that these two wounded people have fallen hopelessly in love at first sight.

Without that immediate heat between these two, the show takes a while to find its groove. It’s not helped by a confusing 3 year leap in the action that takes us from 1975 to 1978 with little explanation (the confusion is cleared up in an Act 2 flashback sequence, however).

An exceptional vocal and acting performance was given by Wallace Smith as John, Chris’ best friend. His anthem, "Bui-Doi," about the children the American GI’s left behind, was one of the strongest numbers of the evening. Bryan Geli, Ramona Dubarry and Rachel Kopf also made solid contributions. As a matter of fact, the entire cast of young singer/dancer/actors did excellent work.

Special praise must also be given to young Ashley Chan as three-year-old Tam. Ashley hit every mark and showed remarkable poise for an actor so young. She shares the role with Sammy Stopa.

Director Mitchell Lemsky and choreographer Jodi Moccia, who were both associated with the Broadway production of the show, keep this version true to the spirit of the original. They’ve focused their ensemble of energetic young talent into a very polished show.

Sets, lights and sound effects were all super and far above the usual high standards of these touring productions. There is always much talk about the appearance of a helicopter during the evacuation of Saigon sequence, and the special effects team doesn’t disappoint here. I won’t tell you how they accomplish this, but they utilize new technology that wasn’t readily available to stage designers ten years ago.

Parents should be warned that since much of the action takes place in a brothel, and because there are some violent sequences, it probably isn't appropriate for children.

"Miss Saigon" is presented by Big League Theatricals. It continues at the Sangamon Auditorium until Sunday. Tickets may be ordered by calling 206-6160.

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Gus Gordon is the chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 20 and a free lance arts reviewer. He can be reached at gusgordon00@lycos.com