Spork Goddess, I apologize, and let me clarify and expand upon what I wrote.
Sure, there are operas that include dialogue such as the Magic Flute and Carmen. In these cases, the dialogue is there in place of the recitative. HOwever, once we start getting into things like the Merry Widow, or Die Fledermaus, many of Offenbach's, and even Gilbert and Sullivan, which all have lots of dialogue, we start getting into Operetta/Light Opera land.
PLease don't shoot me for this, btu I looked up the definition of opera, and this is what it gave me:
an extended dramatic composition, in which all parts are sung to instrumental accompaniment, that usually includes arias, choruses, and recitatives, and that sometimes includes ballet.
And here's another one:
A drama, either tragic or comic, of which music forms an essential part; a drama wholly or mostly sung, consisting of recitative, arials, choruses, duets, trios, etc., with orchestral accompaniment, preludes, and interludes, together with appropriate costumes, scenery, and action; a lyric drama.
In terms of Les Miz, for all intents and purposes, it lends itself perfectly to this definition....minus the whole ballet bit. However, it's musical style and needs is obviously not that of opera, and its relation to classical music and technique. One does not need a classically trained voice to sing the score of Les Miz (although it couldn't hurt due to the stamina issues of singing that score 8 times a week), but it doesn't mean it's not an "opera."
Also, when people call it a pop opera, it's not that we're equating it with some of the stuff they have on the radio today, but more of a way of saying it's more accessible and more well known to the general public than say ohhh a production of Ernani, or Don Pasquale, or even the more famous Verdi or Puccini operas.
-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."
