DVDizzy Forum

Hi Everyone

I would love for Hunchback to come to the U.S. The music from this show is so beautiful. I have the German cast recording and can't get enough of it! I did a recording of the song "Someday" (the show's arrangement) If anyone would be interested in listening the link is below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tH962Fy9IU

Stephen Scwhartz was interview by Playbill.com soon after Enchanted and TLM on Broadway saying that this summer they may start to re-assemble HOND for the Broadway stage

I was browsing on Tumblr and saw this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... ZURia7go#!

A high school in Florida is performing the first stateside stage adaptation of Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame in April. That link above is a Youtube video, a 16 minute preview that includes the students singing bits of The Bells of Notre Dame, Out There, Topsy Turvy, God Help the Outcasts and the Court of Miracles.

This is interesting, because it indicates Disney is probably gearing up for a Broadway production of the show. There are lyric changes, most notably in the Bells of Notre Dame, but I actually kind of...like them. They're darker.

Clopin's lyric
"And for one time in his life of Power and Control...
"Frollo felt a twinge of FEAR for his Immortal Soul..."

Becomes:
"And the saints looked down on Frollo from their stone facade...
"And he knew he must do penance in the eyes of God..."

And Frollo's
"Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see...
"Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be
"Of use...to me..."

Becomes:
"See this lonesome creature from whom lesser men would flee...
"I will keep and care for him to teach him at my knee...
"To think...like me..."

But I don't like how they changed God Help the Outcasts to include Quasimodo singing with Esmeralda. Nor do I like how they have Esmeralda praying the selfish prayers of the parishioners. The whole POINT of that moment was that Esmeralda, who isn't a Christian, was being more humble and Christ-like than the 'pious' worshipers who were only asking God for selfish things like fame and wealth. Also it's interesting to note that in the German stage-show, The Court of Miracles song was CUT, but now it's back in.

Anyway, gotta say I'm more excited by the whole thing than disappointed, which is more than I can say about Aladdin's Broadway prospects. Thoughts?

I live in Florida, but live a bit far from this school otherwise I would see this myself since Hunchback is my all time favorite Disney movie.

ProfessorRatigan wrote:And Frollo's
"Just so he's kept locked away where no one else can see...
"Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be
"Of use...to me..."

Becomes:
"See this lonesome creature from whom lesser men would flee...
"I will keep and care for him to teach him at my knee...
"To think...like me..."

I do like this change. The others, not so much. The 2nd one makes Frollo sound less intentionally evil. "To think...like me" is a really good choice to lead into "who is the monster and who is the man?"

I think Quasimodo singing "GHtO" would be okay if, for instance, it was just at the very end (around "I thought we all were the children of God") rather than the whole thing, to show how Esmeralda is influencing him since he has just been humiliated by the Christians who think they are better than him and shown mercy from Esmeralda.

I especially like 'To think like me' because it's so in keeping with Frollo's character. He, of course, would see nothing wrong with it. In his mind, he'd be inoculating Quasimodo from the 'evils' of the world, not indoctrinating the poor child into a life of bigotry and hatefulness. And I also love the, 'from whom lesser men would flee' bit. In just a few short lyrics, we've gotten a window into Frollo and how he perceives himself. Better than others. He's still coming off as a huge, megalomaniacal dick, but in a more nuanced way.

I really kind of hope the musical goes back to Frollo's opening lyrics during Out There and fleshes them out, hopefully using the original demo as a template: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1HKnZZg_M4 I really love Frollo in this. (He is being sung by Stephen Schwartz, while Quasi is, of course, sung by Menken.)

The lyrics:
"The world is cruel...the world is wicked.
"It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city.
"I am your only friend.
"Remember what I've taught you, Quasimodo.
"You are deformed and you are ugly.
"And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity.
"You do not comprehend...

"You are such a monster, they would hurt you if they could.
"They would call you hideous and hateful.
"Every thing I tell you, boy, I do for your own good.
"I'm surprised to find you so ungrateful.
"Out there...you'd become their prey.
"But they can't hurt you out there...
Not if you obey...and stay...in here..."

The film's version went:
"The world is cruel...the world is wicked.
"It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city.
"I am your only friend.
"I, who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you.
"I, who look upon you without fear.
"How can I protect you boy unless you always stay in here... Away in here...

"Remember what I've taught you, Quasimodo.
"You are deformed and you are ugly.
"And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity.
"You do not comprehend...

"Out there they'll revile you as a monster.
"Out there they will hate and scorn and jeer.
"Why invite their calumny and consternation?!
"Stay in here! Be faithful to me, grateful to me...
"Do as I say, obey, and stay in here..."

Maybe this isn't common knowledge or something, but those lyric changes have been around for, I dunno, years now. Schwartz did English lyrics for the show back before they were translated in German because obviously you'd need a starting point, and there are differences from the movie to the stage. The libretto (which I've uploaded here) has all the lyrics in both English and German so you can get the versteckte Bedeutungen.

... Is it pretty much literally the Berlin production translated to English?

Are the gargoyles still figments of Quazi's imagination? Does Esmeralda still die at the end?

HUNCHBACK IS OFFICIALLY COMING!!!!

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stage Adaptation Developmental Lab Set For 2014! Auditions Announced & Dates Set
October 25

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stage Adaptation Developmental Lab Set For 2014! Auditions Announced & Dates SetModern Disney animated classic THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is on its way to the stage in a reworked adaptation of the film and Victor Hugo's iconic 1831 source novel set for a developmental lab in January according to a new casting notice. If all goes as planned, could Broadway be next?! That is, if the proposed tryout regional run goes well (as it certainly did for ALADDIN, which is on its way to Broadway now)?

Scott Schwartz is set to direct the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME lab set for January 6 through 17, complete with the first presentation of a new book for the musical by Peter Parnell, outfitted with the songs from the 1996 film and 1999 original German stage adaptation by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Auditions for the lab will be held next month.

The official breakdown of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME developmental lab is as follows: "Disney Theatrical Productions is currently developing The Hunchback of Notre Dame into a new stage musical based on Victor Hugo's famous 1831 novel and the 1996 Disney animated feature. This is a reinvention of the 1999 German production Der Glockner von Notre Dame, with an eye toward a possible regional theatre production. This new approach to the material incorporates a "story theatre" style of dramatization in an intimate staging. The epic tale is set in late 15th century Paris. The Hunchback of Notre Dame investigates "what makes a monster and what makes a man." This musical features the Oscar nominated score by Alan Menken (music) and Stephen Schwartz (lyrics) with a new book by Peter Parnell."

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Au ... b-20131025

disneyprincess11 wrote:HUNCHBACK IS OFFICIALLY COMING!!!!

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stage Adaptation Developmental Lab Set For 2014! Auditions Announced & Dates Set
October 25

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stage Adaptation Developmental Lab Set For 2014! Auditions Announced & Dates SetModern Disney animated classic THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is on its way to the stage in a reworked adaptation of the film and Victor Hugo's iconic 1831 source novel set for a developmental lab in January according to a new casting notice. If all goes as planned, could Broadway be next?! That is, if the proposed tryout regional run goes well (as it certainly did for ALADDIN, which is on its way to Broadway now)?

Scott Schwartz is set to direct the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME lab set for January 6 through 17, complete with the first presentation of a new book for the musical by Peter Parnell, outfitted with the songs from the 1996 film and 1999 original German stage adaptation by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Auditions for the lab will be held next month.

The official breakdown of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME developmental lab is as follows: "Disney Theatrical Productions is currently developing The Hunchback of Notre Dame into a new stage musical based on Victor Hugo's famous 1831 novel and the 1996 Disney animated feature. This is a reinvention of the 1999 German production Der Glockner von Notre Dame, with an eye toward a possible regional theatre production. This new approach to the material incorporates a "story theatre" style of dramatization in an intimate staging. The epic tale is set in late 15th century Paris. The Hunchback of Notre Dame investigates "what makes a monster and what makes a man." This musical features the Oscar nominated score by Alan Menken (music) and Stephen Schwartz (lyrics) with a new book by Peter Parnell."

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Au ... b-20131025

WHEE!

disneyprincess11 wrote:HUNCHBACK IS OFFICIALLY COMING!!!!

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stage Adaptation Developmental Lab Set For 2014! Auditions Announced & Dates Set
October 25

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stage Adaptation Developmental Lab Set For 2014! Auditions Announced & Dates SetModern Disney animated classic THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is on its way to the stage in a reworked adaptation of the film and Victor Hugo's iconic 1831 source novel set for a developmental lab in January according to a new casting notice. If all goes as planned, could Broadway be next?! That is, if the proposed tryout regional run goes well (as it certainly did for ALADDIN, which is on its way to Broadway now)?

Scott Schwartz is set to direct the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME lab set for January 6 through 17, complete with the first presentation of a new book for the musical by Peter Parnell, outfitted with the songs from the 1996 film and 1999 original German stage adaptation by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Auditions for the lab will be held next month.

The official breakdown of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME developmental lab is as follows: "Disney Theatrical Productions is currently developing The Hunchback of Notre Dame into a new stage musical based on Victor Hugo's famous 1831 novel and the 1996 Disney animated feature. This is a reinvention of the 1999 German production Der Glockner von Notre Dame, with an eye toward a possible regional theatre production. This new approach to the material incorporates a "story theatre" style of dramatization in an intimate staging. The epic tale is set in late 15th century Paris. The Hunchback of Notre Dame investigates "what makes a monster and what makes a man." This musical features the Oscar nominated score by Alan Menken (music) and Stephen Schwartz (lyrics) with a new book by Peter Parnell."

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Au ... b-20131025

Awesome. Now I'm just hoping they don't kill off Esmeralda for real (let alone kill her off and then automatically have her come back from the dead without explanation).

Even though that I'm truly happy that Hunchback will finally premiere on Broadway soon. I'm worried about the book writer who created the tedious and god-awful new book to the musical On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.

Hopefully Peter Parnell did learn his lesson.

Ooooooo now that is exciting!!!!

But are Disney trying to take over Broadway now as well?? They are everywhere !

Atlantica, they've been doing Broadway since Beauty and the Beast made its stage debut back in 1994.

Yes, I'm aware of how long they have done broadway for. I'm just commenting on the fact they seem to be having a pathora of shows now all coming to Broadway.

Heck, a large chunk of the shows that premiere on Broadway now are basically adaptations of movies. Disney obviously weren't the first to do that (Little Shop of Horrors, Nine, Sunset Boulevard), but they seemed to help in more and more Broadway musicals being film adaptations. I think we can credit The Lion King and Mel Brooks' The Producers for the popularity of this current trend.

estefan wrote:Heck, a large chunk of the shows that premiere on Broadway now are basically adaptations of movies. Disney obviously weren't the first to do that (Little Shop of Horrors, Nine, Sunset Boulevard), but they seemed to help in more and more Broadway musicals being film adaptations. I think we can credit The Lion King and Mel Brooks' The Producers for the popularity of this current trend.

Agreed!

Playhouse to premiere 'Hunchback'
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan ... k-musical/

Michael Arden and Patrick Page Will Star in Hunchback of Notre Dame at La Jolla Playhouse, Complete Cast Announced
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/mi ... me-at-la-j

Sotiris wrote:Playhouse to premiere 'Hunchback'
http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan ... k-musical/

You beat me to it. So, I'm guessing Huunchback will either within a year like Newsies or 3 years like Aladdin, so around 2015-2017, it'll come to Broadway.

The UK please please please please please !!!