Mini reviews of stage productions on O'ahu

• "The History Boys": There's a disarming sense of honest expression in this British play about preparing schoolboys for university exams. Good performances and brisk direction keep the action moving, and video clips take us out of the classroom. Presented by The Actors' Group. Repeats at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 2 and 5:30 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 26, at the Mendonca Building, 1116 Smith St. Tickets: $16 general, $14 seniors and students, $12 each for groups of 10 or more; $5 students for Thursday shows only. 722-6941, www.taghawaii.net.

• "Les Miserables": The musical with a sewer scene is excellently staged. Voices are first-rate, pacing is crisp, and emotions soar with the music. See it if you can get a ticket. Repeats at 8 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays and 4 p.m. Sundays (matinees: 3 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 18), extended through Oct. 19, at Diamond Head Theatre. Tickets: $12 to $42, with discounts for children younger than 18, seniors 62 and older, and military. 733-0274, www.diamondheadtheatre.com.

• "Miss Saigon": Ron Bright directs the megahit that transforms the "Madame Butterfly" story into a gritty melodrama set against the 1975 fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese. Excellent voices, professional production qualities, and focus on the characters' tragic delusions make it an unflinching success. Repeats at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 26; extended 2 and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2 p.m. Nov. 2, at Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College. Tickets: $30 general; $26 seniors 62 and older, military and UH faculty and staff; $20 students 26 and younger. 235-7310, www.etickethawaii.com.