On the record label website it’s as wait list status. I’m not sure if this the same as pre-order not. Could be a difference of language style like how in the Uk a season of tv show is a series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpgtV4QbAE

Jeremy Scott Lapp was the Asst. Director- Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical. It’s an interesting interview though it’s a little out-of-date since the show has no plans of going to broadway. I sort of wished they had mentioned the influence of the German Musical but it’s not a big deal.

Finally Google Alerts gives me something I can use.

Ciara Renee and Micheal Arden in the Jolla Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Ciara Renee and Micheal Arden in the Jolla Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Exclusive-THE-HUNCHBACK-OF-NOTRE-DAME-Cast-Album-in-the-Works-20150515

Basically we’ll get that cast album, I’m very happy.  I still hope it will go to Broadway someday but it’s better than nothing.

 

 

Ciara Renee and Micheal Arden in the Jolla Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Ciara Renee and Micheal Arden in the Jolla Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I thought the point of the musical performance at La Jolla and Papermill was a Broadway preview there is a petition for a Broadway version.

Sign the Petition Here , I did.

EDIT – Ok, I found the reason for the petition.  According to an article on Playbill that cited Patrick Page a.k.a Frollo, the show was NOT going to be transferred to Broadway hence the petition. Read article here.

Also I just watched a video of  Someday, got say I wish they had kept the song going up till Esmeralda goes to the pyre, it was just so powerful in Glockner but maybe they didn’t want to wait the epic music.

I have not been keeping up on this  but here are two  videos.

Ok I didn’t really want to interject my thoughts BUT if this musical production is “bare” what does that make Notre Dame de Paris? Non-existentant? I will also say that the videos I have seen from the shows are really good, the singers convey the emotions very well and I like play with the ensemble in Out There, gotta love the no gargoyles stance.

Also Bonus, in case you missed it,
Josh Groban is doing a cover of Temps des Cathedrales on his new album Stages
http://www.idolator.com/7584158/josh-groban-new-album-stages-kelly-clarkson

Behind the Scenes, Fight Choreography Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical La Jolla  picture image

Behind the Scenes, Fight Choreography

http://fuckyeahhond.tumblr.com/post/104731695671

 

This link is to a video of behind the scene of the Hunchback Musical of fight choreography.  I can’t say I know what scene this is or the characters but I think that Esmeralda appears in it. If you know, leave a comment.

Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Laverne King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Laverne King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

Having been in a High School production once I know that King’s Academy put a lot effort into their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Do I wish somethings were different? Yes, like I wished Phoebus sang and I wish his name was Phoebus but in all honesty I don’t think this production was meant for me. It was meant for the students, family, and the school and that is fine. It’s a decent re-telling of the Disney movie and the German musical Der Glockner von Notre Dame and really that is all it needed to be.

I will say that while the kids are all talented, the real stand-outs are the girls who play Esmeralda and Laverne.

Next Version – I can’t say right now as I’m debating between two, It’s between a good version and a bad version and even if I did know 100%, it’s a secret.

Also I’m going to take a break, reviews will resume in January.

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

They  start talking about Hunchback at  like 9 minutes in. The interview starts at 14 minutes and last till about 25 minutes.

All I been hearing that this show is great. Also this shows seems to about Frollo’s story and not Quasimodo.  They also say it’s Victor Hugo story with Disney score. I don’t think I believe that, I mean Frollo is not Quasimodo’s uncle and his motivation for adopting Quasimodo was out of pity and love from his brother. I suppose the show get the latter part but it’s still different.

The interview is is very good. I like how Page says he addresses how he plays Villains as not villains.   Even in the Disney version Frollo doesn’t consider himself a villain.

I do hope this show goes to Broadway because  it is very unlikely that I will get to see it at the PaperMill Playhouse so I can review it properly. Or Maybe Disney Theatricals should just send me a screener of the show because it’s very important that they impress me, a minor niche blogger.

 

Esmeralda,  Quasimodo, and Laverne King's  Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Quasimodo, and Laverne King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

At last we come to my favorite part of any Hunchback products, the costumes! Though to be honest wasn’t going to discuss the costumes but there are a few point I feel I need to mention about the King’s Academy production.  Now I was in a High School play once and I know they didn’t care about the costumes like at all and it was a fairly well regarded school for theater, though I’m not sure why. Anyway unlike my old middle/high school the King’s Academy did try in the costume area, it’s just some costumes are much better than others.

Let’s start with the negatives.

Frollo’s costume is boring. It’s just black vestments with a red stole. It’s not inherently bad, just dull. But it’s Quasimodo’s costume that leaves me  wondering. First off, he has no make-up for the facial deformities and I forgive that, I really do and I’m a heartless critical nitpicking monster but what I can not forgive or wrap my head around is the white label. Just why? It makes his costume looks so lazy.  Also I don’t really care for the costumes the dancers wear during Hellfire and yes this is a colossal nitpick. I mention it because I actually like the light up tutus the dancers wear in Heaven’s light. At first I thought they were cheesy but it works  with the song and the point of the dual songs is the light reference. I just wished the dancers looked more like fire in Hellfire. I think they were almost there but the pants should gave been red in tone and not black, though I suppose they could have been and the video just makes the look black.

Stuff I sort what like.

I like the tutus in Heaven‘s light, there are cheesy but I appreciate them.  Speaking of the dancers and the ensemble, I appreciate that they have the appreciate costumes for the roles they have.

Esmeralda’s costume is one of the few costume in the main cast that is pretty much a copy of the Disney costume but it’s done well and looks nice.

The gargoyles are the only costumes that look like they were made from starch for the production and in that sense they stand out in a good way.

Heaven's Light King's  Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Heaven’s Light King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

Next time Conclusion of the King’s Academy Production

Frollo, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing Esmeralda King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing Esmeralda King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

Last week I posted the Promo video of the La Jolla production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame on the blog’s Facebook page, so some of you have seen this already.

These are my reaction to the video, what I like and what I dislike. This might be  my only chance to discuss this since it’s looking unlikely that I will make the Paper mills  prodution this spring and who really know if this show will get an audio recording, or go to Broadway or La Jolla will just magically send me a video recording of the show for christmas but anyway here we go.

Ciara Renee and Michael Arden in the Jolla Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Ciara Renee and Michael Arden in the Jolla Production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

What I liked:

No Gargoyles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES! Yeah sure they have their place in a kids movie in a franchise that has character like this but in a musical that is boosting being closer to the original story, no, just no.

The Sets- the sets are lovely. As silly as this might sound, I really like the floor. It’s not only accurate to Notre Dame but ti’s a nice visual statement.

The cast looks like they are having fun – I know this a ploy, if the cast is having fun then I the audeince will have fun, take my nonexistent money, (I’m a broke blogger). But I do enjoy the fun the seem to be having.

The Costumes – Across the broad these costume look great.  A few of the ensemble‘ costume caught my eye one being yellow and having an  most painterly touch to it and the other had leather-like components which is great but the two costume I really want to take about are Esmeralda’s costume. The promo video doesn’t show her in the prisoner costumes so we can’t talk about that but it does show her casual and performance dress. Her performance dress reminds me of across between Bollywood and Ren-faire, I don’t mean that in a negative way. They is something about the fabric or the sparkles just reminds of costume I seen in Bollywood film specific movies that features courtesans who are performing a dance number.  However the neckline reads more medieval, I dunno I think it works and it’s pink though if it were red I don’t think I would have minded. That being said I’m sick of seeing Esmeralda in red or pink as her primary color and for that reason Esmeralda’s casual  costume here is a breathe of fresh air for  me. It’s mostly blue which is a color she does wear in the novel although I think turquoise was color to the novel. The costume is very similar to the Disney costume as it the same basic cut, she also wears a purple skirt and her corset had gold stripes. The hip scarf is devore blue velvet and ti reminds me a little bit of Esmeralda costume in Notre Dame de Paris, whether this was intentional or I’m just making a connection that is not there it’s still a nice touch that adds a bit of texture to her costume. I wished her sleeves had been more puffy, it would have made a nice visual for the audience but that is a nitpick. Also I like that her knife is back though now that I think about, Esmeralda must have had a knife in the Disney version so it’s a null point. I wouldn’t I love her costumes but I appreciate them.

What I didn’t like:

Quasimodo’s makeup – It just looks like two lines of his face, it’s lackluster. Considering the scope of this production it just very underwhelming. Now to be fair, the promo video make not have a good shot of it but it seems like the deformity is coming more from the actor making a face than makeup. In a show like Notre Dame de Paris where everything is minimal, they can get way this the deformity being implied rather than realized but here I don’t think they can. And considering Quasimodo’s characterization in any version is wrapped up in his deformities, it’s not a little thing.

Hmm, only one thing I didn’t really like, either the video was too short or I’m going soft.

What did you think of the promo video?