Earlier this week I looked at a preview of a stage version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame but this seem to be a trend. In my never ending quest for content I have found lots of articles on up coming Hunchback stage shows.

https://kingsheadtheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873488292/events (The one called Quasimodo was written in the 1960’s  by Lionel Bart who wrote Oliver Musical. It’s now finally being performed. It’s playing March 20th 2013-April 13th)

http://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/education/gchs-students-perform-the-hunchback-of-notre-dame/article_e88fa511-2060-507c-8cf8-2c1d6810fda6.html

http://www.examiner.com/article/foothills-christian-high-school-to-present-updated-version-of-hunchback (this one is modern day interpretation set in a high school)

Plus the one in Gilbert, Arizona that I mention in another post http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20130103actors-youth-theatre-moving-gilbert.html?nclick_check=1

Also the Roland Petit ballet is gaining popularity. Plus the Ice Skating performances of Meryl Davis & Charlie White, and Yuzuru Hanyu. And Korean singer Iu recorded a cover of Age of the Cathedrals from Notre dame de Paris on her latest album.

So what does this mean? There is an increase of live performances using Hunchback as a source of late? Perhaps, I’m just noticing it more  and there is always  a number of Hunchback performances in the world or perhaps it is gaining popularity? What do you think is this typical or do you think Hunchback is gaining popularity?

Frollo Puppet Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Frollo Puppet

The stage show of  Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Disney Parks is like a high school production where the show has a high budget but the cast isn’t really that talented. Wait a second that’s pretty much what this is. Expect  they’re actually college students interning (slave labor) there for the summer. So what is the stage show about?  All  it is a rehashing of the movie. That’s it. I’m basing this review off these videos which you can watch it HERE.  (I’m sorry for the pictures)

 

Frollo interrupting the couple in Notre Dame a.k.a Not Grope Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Frollo interrupting the couple a.k.a Not Grope

A Guy Like you Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

A Guy Like you

Frollo finding out Esmeralda escape a.k.a Not Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Frollo finding out Esmeralda escape a.k.a Not Hellfire

 

 

 

 

 

 

But is the show bad? Yes, yes it. Everything that you love is gone, i.e Frollo. Well that’s not true Frollo is there and he gets line or two but there is not grope and no Hellfire basically what makes Frollo a character is gone. Frollo is just a plot point. Also they kept a guy like you over hellfire which seems like a big “Fuck-you” to audience.

 

Clopin's singnature pose Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture

Clopin's singnature pose

But how are the other actors? Umm, not so good. We’ll start with the best, Clopin at least he can sing well. Though he strikes the same pose and hand movements over and over.

Phoebus... that is all Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Phoebus... that is all

Quasimodo with a plastic model Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Quasimodo with a plastic model Esmeralda

The Gargoyles... they get more lines than Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

The Gargoyles... they get more lines than Frollo

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phoebus is meh. Quasimodo is forgettable. The gargoyles are annoying.

 

Esmeralda from the Stage Show of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame at MGM Studios picture image

Esmeralda

And then there is Esmeralda. First off I  say this with out trying to be offensive but she sounds like she from a 30’s movies. Other than that her acting is weak and over-the-top and she’s not a great singer. I think she was cast for the splits she does during the dance.

Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show Esmeralda's Kneepad image picture

Esmeralda's Kneepad

And she wears knee pads during the dance which I found hilarious.

 

Frollo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Frollo he's too cool for this play

 

Frollo’s not even a character so he doesn’t count. But even still he’s WAY cooler even with no personality.

Djali as a Marionette Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show

Djali as a Marionette.... where can I get one?

So the setting and the plot were okay. The whole puppet thing for the backstory was weird and a little silly. I mean I get why the did, because it’s Clopin’s puppet show, but to see a big Frollo puppet was too funny for me. I have a bad habit of laughing at puppet play even when that are suppose to be serious. Also Djali as a marionette was unnecessary. Actually Djali was unnecessary and that pains me to say.

 

Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show Spire Turn during Out there picture

Spire Turn during Out there

Also I just want to mention that you know in “Out There” where the camera spins around Quasimodo while he’s on the spire yeah, they do that here except while the performer sings on a platform, two guys spin said platform around, it very silly and awkward.

 

More Puppets dolls Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

More Puppets erm I mean Dolls

Basically  the whole thing a very rushed feeling and it over superficial, I mean it’s a appropriate, given that it’s in a Disney park. It’s flash and no substance. It subtracts too much from the movie and if their intent was to take that film and make it even more “Kid Friendly” why not do an after-story or sequel. Frollo doesn’t do anything cool here so who cares if he’s in the show. It at least could have been more interesting than seeing a water-down version of a classic story that Disney already watered down.

 

Getting the Lead out Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show picture image

Getting the Lead out

On the plus side, I liked the extras and the lead pouring was cool.

 

Der Glockner von notre Dame German Musical of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Der Glockner von notre Dame German Musical of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Cast Poster of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Cast Poster of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Der Glöckner von Notre Dame has a lot of differences from the Disney Film; some small some big. Here are the major differences in a nutshell (in no real order);

Jens Janke as Clopin in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Jens Janke as Clopin in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

 

Clopin with Puppet Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Clopin with Puppet Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Djali or Achilles, Esmeralda dies, Quasimodo kills Frollo, Frollo was a Priest, Phoebus starts off somewhat of a philander, the gargoyles are 100% imaginary, the gargoyles have different names (Antoine, Charles and Loni opposed to Victor, Hugo and Laverne), the story is told as flashback by Clopin as an old beggar man who doesn’t use puppets, Esmeralda is shown out of Notre Dame rather than Quasimodo holding her while climbing down, The Court of Miracles Song is replace by a dance number, the archdeacon brings a wounded Phoebus to Quasimodo and Out There is split between two songs.

 

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

 

Frollo and Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Frollo and Qausimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of these differences don’t add too much but some add a great deal because some of these differences add Character Development. Quasimodo gets an arch in the stage version. Like in the Disney movie Quasimodo starts off naive, he wants to see the world for himself despite what Frollo tells him, however in Glöckner Quasimodo does not come off as gentle as he does in the movie and his emotions are more intense. This gives way for more interesting character development. Also in the movie Quaismodo claims to believe Frollo only out of fear for Frollo not because he actually believes him. In Glöckner it seems that he fully trusts Frollo  at the beginning, they even make a point of  mentioning Quasimodo lying to Frollo for the first time at the end of Act I when Quasimodo denies knowledge of Esmeralda’s escape to Frollo. Quasimodo’s trust in Frollo makes Quasimodo killing Frollo at the end all the more dramatic.

 

Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus performing Weil du Liebst Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo, Esmeralda and Phoebus performing Weil du Liebst Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s not just Quasimodo to get a character development Phoebus gets an arch too. He starts off as a guy who just wants to have fun and views his new position as a path for “Rest and Recreation.” But through interactions with Esmeralda he learns that he would rather be “good’ than do what his boss tells him i.e burning an innocent family to death. Esmeralda doesn’t exactly get character development but her backstory  about of how she gets into trouble and is forced to move around because she expresses her opinion without a filter makes her at least a little more human and flawed. Disney’s Esmeralda was just too perfect, some goes for Disney Phoebus.

Norbert Lamla as Frollo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Norbert Lamla as Frollo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

 

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

However I don feel that Frollo’s backstory was unnecessary (Frollo’s background as a Priest). I know what Glöckner was trying to do and as a fan of the book I do appreciate that they tried to make Frollo like he was in the book but it didn’t really add to any character development or an arch. To my knowledge Frollo being a former Priest  was only mentioned once. I guess it adds a single shade of a backstory to him but most megalomaniacal people in power position don’t really need a reason to think they are better than most people. Plus why would someone who was once a Priest decide that the best way to cleanse to the world (or in this case Paris) of vice and sin was to promote genocide and corporal punishment? If anything Glöckner’s Frollo being a Priest adds further questions to his character and backstory. At least Disney’s Frollo was just a megalomaniacal mad man who has power and was having a control issue.

Esmeralda and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame image picture

Esmeralda and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Esmeralda and Quasimodo Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda reading Quasimodo's palm Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do think a lot of changes between the film and stage version were good and added something that was missing from the original Disney film. However adding things from the book  to make a compromise between the book and the Disney film really didn’t work that well. Maybe had the spent some more time developing Frollo it could have worked but it really didn’t.

 

Next time – Conclusion

Esmeralda Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a long film history of being a big grand production and Der Glöckner von Notre Dame of does a good job of capturing a grand scope on stage.

Esmeralda singing Helf den Verstoß'nen Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda singing Helf den Verstoß'nen Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

The Stage Design uses a lot of tricks to simulate heights and locations. They way the show does this is by using hydraulic to raise portions of the stages and they also use projections to show various locations. The Lighting also work well to capture the mood of the scene by also lets the projections shine.  For example, a Rose Window Projection with columns on stage and soft dark lighting to indicate the nave of Notre Dame or Clouds and Stone Carving with bright lights to show the top of the tower of Notre Dame. There are also a lot of moving pieces which add to the spectacle.

 

Esmeralda saving Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda saving Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

The overall effect looks well integrated and rich and less cheesy than standard sets. You can tell that this where the budget was mostly spent but I think it was worth it The Stage design combine the sets, lighting and projection to give Der Glöckner von Notre Dame a grand majestic style.

Molten Lead Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Molten Lead Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Set Design by Heidi Ettinger, Projections by Jerome Sirlin, and Lighting by Rick Fisher

Watch a video the sets in action here

Next Time – Costumes

Esmeralda dancing Der Glöckner von Notre Dame Picture Image

Esmeralda Dancing Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

This is the fifth part of my review on the music of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Esmeralda

Esmeralda saving Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda saving Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

 

Esmeralda is the closing number of Act 1 so it’s high on drama and plot.  This song takes place when Frollo is searching for Esmeralda and Phoebus realizes  that he would rather be “good than smart”, (morality over career ambition) and he disobeys Frollo.  After he stands up to Frollo, Frollo condemn his to death and Phoebus flees with Esmeralda’s help.  Frollo then begins to burn down Paris for Esmeralda while Quasimodo worries.

Musically this song is  the melody that Clopin and Esmeralda sing in Tanz auf dem Seil and Draußen. However there are other melodies floating around in this piece and therefore it have more of  mash-up feel.

Frollo and Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

What I like about this song is that it speaks to the basic plot of Hunchback, three men one women. There is another famous Notre Dame song like this, mmm but it’s name escapes me, what could it be? The inclusion of song is needed to get the point of what Esmeralda does to this cross-section of men, granted it’s different than in the book or the Disney movie especially with regards to Phoebus. Phoebus in the Disney movie didn’t have any character development, he started morally good and ended morally good. In the Book he is a philander but after his meeting with Esmeralda and getting stabbed by Frollo be commits himself to his fiancee Fleur de Lys. In this musical he starts off with career ambition and he wants to have a good time but after he meets with Esmeralda and is pushed by Frollo he decides to act in accordance with doing the right things, morally (ie. not burning innocents because the boss is crazy). Quasimodo here is worried about Esmeralda’s safety and Frollo wants her dead or to be his woman, either is fine. The point is this song shows that Esmeralda creates powerful emotions and with exception of Frollo the Disney version didn’t explored that part of the story.

Esmeralda Der Glöckner von Notre Dame image picture

Esmeralda Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

 

All in all Esmeralda is a very dramatic song that ends the first act perfectly with Phoebus falling into a river. Mmm that reminds me of another Hunchback musical where the first act ends with Phoebus getting injured, mmm which one was that?

Click here to watch a video of Esmeralda being performed on Stage

Note – this song made my list of the top Ten Best Hunchback song which was my fist squidoo lens. Click Here to go there now

Next time – Trommeln in der Stadt & Ein Mann wie du

Mob Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Mob Der Glöckner von Notre Dame