The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Stage

[DisneyFan09]

Actually, both Beauty and the Beast and Mary Poppins have been performed in Norway in recent years.

Really? Have they? Whoops! My bad.

I am also curious to see if the new Little Mermaid live action movie that have recently been announced (not Disney, but every internet site seems to belive that it is or at least that the mermaid's name is Ariel) will influence Disney to make their own Little Mermaid movie soon, or if they will chose to wait in order for people to forget about the non-Disney live action movie.

I think we'll most likely get a live action remake of "Mermaid"

Either way, it's a pity that Disney isn't making a live version of Esmeralda or "Hunchback", for that matter, though not surprising. Though wonder if Disney would dare to pull off a mature, risky live action adaptation of the story.

[Sotiris]

Hunchback of Notre Dame Cast Recording and Licensing Details
http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/201 ... g-details/

2015 BroadwayWorld New Jersey Awards Winners Announced
http://www.broadwayworld.com/new-jersey ... e-20160113

Hunchback Cast Recording Tops Charts
http://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/201 ... ps-charts/

'Hunchback of Notre Dame' Rings In at No. 1 on Cast Albums Chart
http://www.billboard.com/articles/colum ... bums-chart

[ChrisLyne]

Previews are up!

Out There - http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/h ... .pyR3RLNdX

God Help the Outcasts - http://www.broadway.com/buzz/183468/exc ... otre-dame/

Hellfire - http://www.theatermania.com/new-york-ci ... =14jan2016

Esmeralda - http://playbill.com/news/article/exclus ... bum-379455

Someday - http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BW ... -20160114#

Made of Stone - http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/14/ma ... cast-album

And the show won 3 Broadway World New Jersey Awards for Best Actor (Michael Arden), Best Director (Scott Schwartz) and Best Musical!!

[Disney Duster]

Well deserved wins! Especially Best Actor and Best Musical! Michael Arden was so spectacular and moving and sad.

When I listened to "Made of Stone", I was thinking the last note should be higher. Then I listened to the original Berlin version. The note was higher in that one. I wonder if they lowered the note in general or lowered it for Michael Arden to be able to sing? Or am I wrong and it's not a different note? I don't think that's the case at all but if anyone can shed some light...

[taei]

ok... So mixed stuff about this album. Not a fan of the mixing of Hellfire. When I went to see it in La Jolla, you can clearly hear the music in the background. Here, his voice is drowning the faint music.

However... The ending to "Esmeralda" is glorious, I think I just listened to the last 45 seconds of the song over 100 times.

[ChrisLyne]

Well deserved wins! Especially Best Actor and Best Musical! Michael Arden was so spectacular and moving and sad.

When I listened to "Made of Stone", I was thinking the last note should be higher. Then I listened to the original Berlin version. The note was higher in that one. I wonder if they lowered the note in general or lowered it for Michael Arden to be able to sing? Or am I wrong and it's not a different note? I don't think that's the case at all but if anyone can shed some light...

It's a different note. I think the big "as if I" is the same note then he drops lower for "were made of stone." Having heard him live I've no doubt Michael Arden could easily hit the original note, however they've also changed it from a falsetto start to a full out belt. First time I heard that was Josh Strickland at the D23 concert (wish I could have seen that live). Josh did the original note but that was a concert, not 8 shows a week. Most likely though it was just a creative change during the production of the show.

[taei]

Well deserved wins! Especially Best Actor and Best Musical! Michael Arden was so spectacular and moving and sad.

When I listened to "Made of Stone", I was thinking the last note should be higher. Then I listened to the original Berlin version. The note was higher in that one. I wonder if they lowered the note in general or lowered it for Michael Arden to be able to sing? Or am I wrong and it's not a different note? I don't think that's the case at all but if anyone can shed some light...

I think it's just the way that Michael Arden sings, he can't go higher than that. His voice for Quasi was already ridiculously deep.

[Disney Duster]

I heard Michael Arden live too, and I don't know if he could hit the note. Josh Strickland hitting the note makes me think the reason they changed the note was because Michael couldn't hit it. He was doing this one time in a recording studio and so having the "so many shows a week" excuse doesn't apply for not having the note in this CD. So I think they changed it for his voice.

[Disney's Divinity]

I listened to the OBC recording a few days ago and thought it was very good. I like the cast outside of Clopin (even if Patrick Page of course doesn't match Tony Jay) … although strangely, I liked “Topsy Turvy” more here than in the movie? Not vocally, but functionally, I guess. It might be because of the addition of "Rhythm of the Tambourine" and "Rest and Recreation" in the middle that makes it work better? Altogether, it reminds me of "Portobello Road" in a way, as far as capturing a partying atmosphere. Anyway, I especially loved Ciara Renée as Esmeralda; her voice reminded me of Audra McDonald at moments. The use of “Someday” was fantastic, imo. I’ve never been fond of the way the song’s tacked on at the end and it always felt very cheesy that way, but the musical made me like it.

I know they both involve Stephen Schwartz--so it wasn't surprising--but I was greatly reminded of Wicked during most of the narration additions. "Made of Stone" sounded just like "No Good Deed," too. The only thing that annoyed me is how a couple of the songs taken from the film aren’t given time to breathe. “God Help the Outcasts” and “Hellfire” sound like they are rushing to the finish line compared to what’s in the film. Because I loved Renée, I was disappointed they did that to “GHtO” because I would've liked to hear her version of an arrangement closer to the film's. Except for "Into Notre Dame," "Flight Into Egypt" and "Rhythm of the Tambourine," the new songs didn't stand out to me, but they were all serviceable and none were bad at least.

[ProfessorRatigan]

I still have to get this! I'm so broke at the moment, though, it may be a while! I've listened to a few tracks on Youtube, and I'm all ready starting to get antsy about it! I really love Made of Stone and Esmeralda. Out There is pretty great. The Bells of Notre Dame still gives me chills, even though it's a lot clunkier here than in the film. I don't much care for this Clopin at all, I'm afraid. It's hard to hold a candle to Paul Kandel. Topsy-Turvy and The Court of Miracles just feel...off to me. In a Place of Miracles isn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I'm still not sold on it. (I like that Quasi's reprise of Heaven's Light is tucked in there now!) I still haven't really listened to any of Esmeralda's songs or the Finale (I'm trying to save SOME surprises for when I actually buy the album!) but I definitely like it so far! I think, naturally, that the film versions are still THE classic versions of these songs, but it's so nice to hear them with 'fresh ears.' It's almost hard to believe that I've been obsessed with this score for 20 years now!

[Prince Edward]

I continue to hope that Disney will continue it's legacy soundtrack collection and include the Hunchback score. So many (cut) songs could be featured there and it would be nice to have the complete score (including Quasimodo's short reprise of "Heaven's Light") released.

[RyGuy]

Took my family to see The Little Mermaid at La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts tonight and was surprised to see HoND will be there in September!

(sometimes it's awesome to live in SoCal again)

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/To ... n-20160421

[rb_canadian181]

I continue to hope that Disney will continue it's legacy soundtrack collection and include the Hunchback score. So many (cut) songs could be featured there and it would be nice to have the complete score (including Quasimodo's short reprise of "Heaven's Light") released.

I second that motion!

[Sotiris]

Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame to Receive New Outdoor Production
http://www.theatermania.com/utah-theate ... 74623.html

Slow Burn Theatre to Stage 'HUNCHBACK', TITANIC and More in 2016-17
http://www.broadwayworld.com/fort-laude ... 7-20160226

Tom Hewitt and Lesli Margherita to Star in HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME as Part of La Mirada's 2016-17 Season
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/To ... n-20160421

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Having Its New England Premiere at Maine's Ogunquit Playhouse
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/TH ... e-20160711

What Ever Happened to Hunchback?
http://www.playbill.com/article/what-ev ... -hunchback

New musical ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ premieres at Music Circus
http://www.villagelife.com/entertainmen ... ic-circus/

Deaf actor in lead role for Music Circus’ darker ‘Hunchback’
http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/art ... 50247.html

Deaf Actor Plays Lead Role at Music Circus
http://fox40.com/2016/08/19/deaf-actor- ... ic-circus/

An authentically deaf 'Hunchback'
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/deaf ... sical.html

For the First Time, One of Classic Literature's Iconic Deaf Characters is Being Played by a Deaf Actor
http://www.laweekly.com/arts/for-the-fi ... or-7363612

Photo Flash: First Look at Deaf Actor John McGinty, Lesli Margherita, Mark Jacoby and More in HUNCHBACK at Music Circus
http://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/a ... s-20160824

BWW Feature: Slow Burn Theatre Company's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
http://www.broadwayworld.com/fort-laude ... E-20160917

[Prince Edward]

Bought the soundtrack on iTunes (and I plan to get it on CD), and I think it's really, really great! I hope the stage version will get a proper Broadway treatment at some point. A live action musical movie would also have been cool.

[RyGuy]

So I saw the show tonight in LaMirada. It was decent, but after seeing it, I can kind of see why they decided not to put it on Broadway.

What worked: the songs. Every song was really good. I can't think of any that were useless or that fell flat (can't say the same of any other Disney on Broadway show, with maybe the exception of Aladdin). The staging. They recycled the main set piece and cleverly lit in each scene such that the same set functione as the inside of a church, the outside of a church, a village square, a prison cell, a brothel, the court of miracles . . . Almost all of it believable. The additional story/story tweaks. If you've listened to the soundtrack you know a bit more of Frollo's backstory and that was carried through and developed during the show. Frollo is more tortured and repressed in this version rather than maniacal like he seems to be in the film. The gargoyles. That was really surprising to me. I always felt like they detracted from the story in the film, but the way they are used on stage drives the story forward, but doesn't detract from it.

What didn't work: the pacing. Much like TPatF, the story is so rushed and the pacing is so swift that what should be "kick you in the feels" moments (Top of the World, In a Place of Miracles, Someday) feel very forced. They don't leave any room for there to be any chemistry between Phoebus and Esmeralsa so they don't come off as believable. And consequently you don't feel much sympathy for Quasimodo either. The tone. There is zero levity in this show. I think I heard maybe one chuckle the entire time. i wasn't expecting it to be Aladdin-funny or anything, but even Topsy Turvy didn't manage to be a bright spot.

The story ends differently than the movie Esmeralda dies, not just swoons but it works.

Anyway, those were my thoughts/impressions. Others may very well receive it differently. I did enjoy the show a lot, just not as much as I thought I would.

[Disney Duster]

The tone. There is zero levity in this show. I think I heard maybe one chuckle the entire time. i wasn't expecting it to be Aladdin-funny or anything, but even Topsy Turvy didn't manage to be a bright spot.

The story ends differently than the movie Esmeralda dies, not just swoons but it works.

I don't think the tone has a problem that would keep it from Broadway. It has a dark, serious, mature tone - that's perfect for Broadway for the adult crowd. As for the ending, just to let you know, that's the original book's ending, if you didn't know.

I felt really bad for Quasimodo so I don't think there was a problem there, but maybe the pacing really is off.

Glad you liked the rest of it. I really can't remember a bad song from the show, either.

[Sotiris]

The show's coming to Germany in April 2017! We've come full circle!

Update: Disney Germany has released music videos for the songs Out There and Someday.

[JeanGreyForever]

I'm excited it's returning to Germany. And I love the logo! Maybe the success in other countries will spark an interest for Disney to bring it to Broadway.

[DisneyFan09]

The show's coming to Germany in April 2017! We've come full circle!

Indeed