Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.laughingplace.com/w/blogs/alex-movie-blog/2014/11/12/disney-theatricals-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-review/" target="_blank"><b>11/12/14 Alex's Movie Blog: Disney Theatrical's The Hunchback of Notre Dame Review</b></a>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Here are some semi-spoiler thoughts on the show... What struck me most about this show was how effective the staging was. It was simple, but they managed to keep rearranging a couple benches and railings (and assorted other props for certain scenes) to completely convey different locations. While fairly basic from a design standpoint, it worked incredibly well with the lighting and motion they were given. I especially liked when Quasimodo slid down a bench during Out There, just like how he slid down the roof in the film, and later on how they were able to convey the narrow twisting streets with the simple railings. The battle at the end was also very effectively staged, with the ensemble having one-person fights and moving scenery to create the overall impression of a lot going on; it looked ridiculous if you focused on any single person, but it worked incredibly well overall The congregants/ensemble played a neat role throughout the production too. Unlike most shows where the ensemble completely changes costumes to denote a different character, they wore pretty much the same thing throughout. For me, that helped highlight how interconnected all the various groups were, despite them being on opposite sides of various issues (townspeople/gypsies/churchgoers/gargoyles). While I didn't understand the bells and wind chimes, I thought it was particularly effective for the gargoyles and how they reflected the outside world, in addition to Quasimodo's internal thoughts I also loved having the full choir in the background. If this goes to Broadway, I could see them reducing the size of the choir and increasing the ensemble so there's more variety in who is on stage (there were about 40 vocalists, 10 ensemble actors, and 5 leads), but I really liked this breakdown. They were able to add the extra weight and gravitas when needed, without requiring complicated staging for dozens of bodies I'm pretty familiar with the Berlin soundtrack so the only new songs for me were Dance of the Tambourine, the Tavern Song, and Flight to Egypt. While they all departed somewhat from the existing music, they had a lot of similarities to each other and worked well. I'm still not sure how I feel about Saint Aphrodisius (he's supposed to be funny, right? I couldn't quite tell, since everything else was so dark), but his song was a nice way to open Act II after the great Latin entre'acte While it didn't bother me that Phoebus was so lusty, I was disappointed that there was no real depth to his character. It didn't make me care any for his relationship with Esmeralda, since it had the exact same basis as Frollo's supposedly "bad" relationship with her; but because he's in the army it's somehow not creepy? This is one of the things that I could see getting tweaked as the show progresses I also would have liked to see more from Quasimodo and Clopin. What I saw of each of them was great, but they seemed to mostly stick to the background. Clopin's narrator role was given to the congregants (which worked to highlight the society/outcast dichotomy), but left him as a kind of pointless character. Quasimodo was great in every scene of his, but I felt that we spent relatively little time with the show's title character (much like how the Genie is the star of Aladdin, despite not being the namesake, Frollo is the star of this show) I also thought it was neat that Quasimodo appeared to be making random gestures, but upon closer inspection they were sign language. We had interpreters at our show which helped me realize it early on, but it's hinted at during his discussion with Frollo about Saint what's-his-name when he mentions that the bells have made him hard of hearing. I also though it was interesting to see the difference in Quasimodo's behavior when he was with someone vs alone. When he was with somebody he was very much the guy with various disabilities, but on his own (or with the gargoyles) he stood up straight and spoke clearly and effectively. It was neat to see him as other people perceived him, and as he perceived himself I also liked how he put on his lumpy back and sullied his face at the beginning, and took it off at the end. When it began, I figured that it would come back as some sort of bookend, but I thought that the whole ending sequence was beautifully done Overall, the real reason for my trip to CA was to see the show (the runDisney event just helped me pick the weekend). That's a lot of pressure to put on a production that's only testing the waters at this point, but they exceeded my expectations. It was great to hear everything sung with a live choir, and the show itself was incredible. I'm definitely going to see if I can make a day trip up to NJ to see it at Papermill in March
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL Glad to finally read another review. Seeing it on opening night, I knew there were going to be a few tweaks to the show. Which is why I am seeing it again in December. Finding out a co-worker of my room mate's has a son in the choir, I have an little inside to what has gone down....and it's not much really. From what I've been told, the only notable change, opening to now, is the toning down of Frollo's "rape" of Esmerelda. Yes kiddies, Disney still doesn't want dark to be too dark. I was so hoping they would rework the depiction of Frollo's death. This, for me, was among the glaring mis-steps in this productions staging. It took me right out of the story, it was that bad. Another aspect that hasn't changed but should, is the lack of the 3 dedicated gargoyles. While I didn't miss "A Guy Like You", I really missed Quasimodo's intimate interaction with the three physical manifestations of his personality. The sight of Quasi crying at them at the end of "Of Stone" and them turning back into stone was so haunting. (and honestly, the bells/wind chime thing was just plain dumb). All in all, just so thrilled to have the opportunity to hear this wonderful score in person. What makes a monster and what makes a man, indeed!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros >>From what I've been told, the only notable change, opening to now, is the toning down of Frollo's "rape" of Esmerelda.<< Oh interesting! That scene definitely felt like it was headed in that direction, but then let up just before anything actually happened. Given the tone of the rest of the show, I think they made the right decision to change it, especially considering how close it is to the end and how little resolution they'd be able to get out of it. That's a heavy thing to just toss in there My friend and I also laughed about the following scene with Esmeralda and Phoebus, which seemed to take its stage direction from As Long As You're Mine from Wicked. Apparently the kneeling hug is code for an intimate moment I also think they could rework Frollo's death, but it worked okay for me. It wasn't what I expected at all, but it fit the general attitude of the production, making the most out of limited sets and props. It was definitely strange, but I thought it was cleverly done
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Yesterday I roadtripped up to New Jersey to catch Hunchback at the Paper Mill Playhouse. They made some changes since I saw the show in La Jolla, but overall it's very similar. This version seemed to be more polished with smoother transitions, but there weren't any major structural changes One of the biggest changes I noticed was some additional mini-reprises of songs, particularly in the second act. These were mostly just a verse or two to help with the transitions between scenes (like when Quasimodo sang part of Out There over the first few lines of Topsy Turvy), and really tied everything together Most of the blocking was the same as in La Jolla, but there were some minor changes. I only remember seeing one staircase-on-wheels last time (and it didn't appear until near the end of Act 1) but there were two of them in this production (and they were often tucked away on stage, in the space in front of the choir). This led to different blocking for the Court of Miracles, making it feel more intimate and closed in than before, by hanging a curtain between the stairs near the front of the stage. They also changed the blocking for God Help the Outcasts, replacing the carts of votive candles with the ensemble wearing their cloaks holding tapers They also did a better job explaining when the ensemble was portraying the gargoyles. Instead of just wearing the grey cowls, the gargoyles wore the full robes which made them stand out more. They also toned down the random wind chimes and bells (though still used them), and played up the occasional moments when they turned back into statues. I think this was a clear improvement and really helped clarify what was going on I think the biggest change was Flight into Egypt, the Act 2 opener. Instead of St Aphrodisuis appearing in the stained glass window and played off of the congregants, he was a statue surrounded by the gargoyles. The scene still got a few chuckles, but it was a far cry from the rolling-in-the-aisles version in La Jolla, and a much better fit for the overall tone of the show It also seemed like Phoebus got a little more backstory than I remember. During Rest and Recreation, the ensemble men broke off and did a verse about the difficulties he faced as a soldier, which helped give him a little more depth and make him seem a little less lusty. This made his character a little more vanilla, but it wasn't so uncomfortable when Esmeralda ended up with him It also seemed like Frollo's scene in the jail with Esmeralda was toned down again. It was still tense, but it was much less rape-ey and uncomfortable than what I remember from La Jolla (though perhaps I was anticipating it more). Not sure if that is an improvement or not For me personally, the highlight was the performance of Esmeralda at the end of Act 1. Having familiarity with the German soundtrack and some occasional YouTube videos, I really like this song and was really looking forward to it in La Jolla. While it wasn't a bad performance there, it didn't quite live up to my expectations for a huge showstopper. Although I don't think there were any noteworthy changes to that sequence, the performances just seemed a lot tighter and it made for a great moment In all, it's still a very good show with incredible music. It leaves you with a strange feeling, since it's a tragedy with a clearly tragic ending, but there was a ton of buzz and excitement about how good it was. It's still unclear what Disney's ultimate plans are for this show, but I'm glad I got the opportunity to see it in both places
Originally Posted By FerretAfros In the last few days, I've noticed a lot of videos of the La Jolla production popping up on YouTube, if anybody is interested in getting a flavor of the show. I'm not sure how long these will stay around before getting taken down by the copyright folks (it looks like a couple of them have already been taken down) Out There: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8CZ6z_Mtdw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...Z6z_Mtdw</a> Heaven's Light (complete with bell-chiming gargoyles; the Paper Mill staging didn't have this song up in the scaffold): <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POMhQ7rAYVU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...hQ7rAYVU</a> God Help the Outcasts: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQBAVC1tdjk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...AVC1tdjk</a> In this promo video, you can also get a sense of the Paper Mill staging of God Help the Outcasts, which is briefly shown at 0:25 <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsWfKVJdNp0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...fKVJdNp0</a> For comparison, here's another promo compilation that seems to have come from La Jolla, which uses different staging in several scenes, and a different central stage for Topsy Turvy: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Jcv86lwbI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...cv86lwbI</a>
Originally Posted By utahjosh Thanks for the clips. Alan Menken's high point, if you ask me, is Hunchback. His finest work. And the actor playing Quasi has an incredible voice. Wow.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Also - I enjoy listening to the German album (I bought the CD years ago) but I never really tried to translate or understand exactly what is being said. Hearing these familiar melodies in English is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgeNYCM7T9g https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rAjlrdisO4
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I agree that it's great to hear those songs in English. On Top of the World is a really sweet moment, and it's definitely one of the more charming parts of the show. If you pay attention when the gargoyles come in, even though they're no longer the comedic trio, the individual lines are still male/male/female just like in the Berlin version. I'm not a huge fan of the lyrics the gargoyles got for this translation (they feel like they belong in the Finding Nemo show at DAK, rather than in Hunchback), but it's still a really nice moment in the show And it also looks like there's a recording of Someday: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp4nHZmp3cE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...nHZmp3cE</a> I'd also love to see a recording of Bells of Notre Dame, since it's such a tour de force at the beginning, and Esmeralda at the end of Act I. Until then, I'll settle for this video from a WDW CM charity event (which is basically a straight translation from the German recording, skipping over the scenes that take place in the middle of the song): <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjaxTUDesOw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...xTUDesOw</a>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros There were also a couple recordings of Hellfire up yesterday, but they seem to have been taken down. Here's an (audio only) recording of Patrick Page singing it at some sort of event about a year ago, independent of his future role as Frollo: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLk-9IF-Yns">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...-9IF-Yns</a>
Originally Posted By u k fan These videos are all excellent. I really hope this show gets a wider release. I'd love it to come to London, but if a Broadway version is ever announced I don't know if I'd chance waiting and would really consider a trip to NY!!!
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Ciara Renee, who played Esmeralda at La Jolla and Paper Mill, is going to be starring in an upcoming CW superhero series: <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://news.yahoo.com/flash-arrow-spinoff-casts-hawkgirl-221115876.html;_ylt=AwrBT8avoxpVYz0A20xXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzM2IxbTdwBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDVklQNTc3XzEEc2VjA3Nj">http://news.yahoo.com/flash-ar...c2VjA3Nj</a> She was great as Esmeralda, so I'm excited that she's getting some wide exposure, but I'm worried about what this might imply for Hunchback's future. She would be the logical choice to originate the role on Broadway, but that seems unlikely with her new commitment
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I think I found the gold mine! Although I've only had time to sample pieces of it here and there, it looks like this is a video of the entire show, and the source of the videos of the individual songs. It's probably only a matter of time before it gets taken down, but it's worth checking out! <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tcx-4rsUWeM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...-4rsUWeM</a>
Originally Posted By FerretAfros The other day I stumbled upon this story, but forgot to share it here. Apparently they're going to release a cast recording of the show. Although I'm sure it will be tough to get a copy of, I'm really looking forward to it! <a target="blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-THE-HUNCHBACK-OF-NOTRE-DAME-Cast-Album-in-the-Works-20150515">http://www.broadwayworld.com/a...20150515</a>#
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL So glad to FINALLY have an english cast album of the show coming. All the voices cast for the La Jolla and PAPERMILL productions were excellent. Thanks for the heads up Ferret.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros Sure thing! Let me know if you hear anything more about it. I don't frequent the Broadway sites, so I'll keep digging to see if I can find a release date and/or locationg
