Natalia Osipova as Esmeralda & Roberto Bolle as Quasimodo
If I had to venture a guess, I’d say this version of Quasimodo is more in keeping with the Laughton version. Indeed this Quasimodo falls into the more sad, devoted thoughtful brand of Quasimodo.
There is nothing in this characterization that is morose or hateful to the masses but nothing that worships Notre Dame either. Instead it seems like this Quasimodo wants to be a normal person and is devoted to Esmeralda.
Not a major departure for the character but you rarely see a Quasimodo trying to stand straight and failing.
All in all it’s a very safe approach to the character. Time tested and audience approved. People like the emotional pathos of the tragic disfigured figure of Quasimodo and this is the characterization the ballet offers.
Awhile ago I did an Anti-Hypothetical Casting Post for Kim Kardashian and while she best worst choice (as far as people involved in Keeping up with the Kardashian go), Kylie and Kendall seem more topical and in the right age range to play Esmeralda.
Kendall Jenner
I guess Kendall makes more sense than Kylie but honestly these two run together for me, I’m not sure which one is which. I thought of Kylie first since I tend to watch make-up/nail polish content of youtube but Kendall seems to have more a filmography and she did that social justice Pepsi commercial. So let’s just consider Kendall Jenner for this post.
Kendall Jenner in a Lil Dickie Music video
I can’t pretend that I know Kendall Jenner’s acting prowess but I’m going to assume it’s low to bad. But she is a model who was on a reality show, has been in a bad music video singing about her vagina and a not self-aware soda commercial so she seems like she’ll do whatever for notoriety.
Kendall Jenner
Since she “sang” in that horrible music video and since she has that Social Justice Pepsi ad maybe she could play Esmeralda in a musical version. Maybe a Disney live action version. I mean Disney likes popular people in their movies. And for some reason she is popular, I still don’t get it and I never will. Also Disney really doesn’t live Hunchback version much but wants to curtail to fans so maybe casting a reality show star turned model turned some form of celebrity is a good bet for them? You know, for money.
Kendall Jenner
She does have a good look for Esmeralda. So that is one thing working for her.
But would Kendall Jenner even want to play Esmeralda? I honestly don’t know enough about her to say but maybe. Though the Pepsi commercial did cause some pushback maybe she would want to double-down on it and want to play a beautiful, desirable, social justice warrior of a repressed people. Or at least just a character who is beautiful and desirable and in some versions and known as a social justice warrior, like Disney’s version. Activist by association!
Kendall Jenner
This casting idea scares me. It’s just bad. I wouldn’t even want it in a “so bad it’s good way.” Kendall Jenner would be a bad choice. I hate it!
Isabelle Guerin as Esmeralda Roland Petit Notre Dame de Paris
What can one really say about analyzing characters in a ballet? Yes, they have some traits of the characters from Hugo’s novel but nothing in depth. And that is okay.
With this version of Esmeralda we get that she is flirty, at least when she dances and is generally kind. She doesn’t have the innocence or superstitious streak that she has in the book but she does seem a bit shy about sleeping with Phoebus, so at least there is virginal quality of Esmeralda’s character present in this ballet.
She doesn’t seem to fear Frollo as much until his attack on Phoebus. Unlike the book where she fears him very early on. In this ballet she does seem to be uncomfortable with his leering but it doesn’t seem like fear. This is not a big deal as many Esmeraldaa rarely fears Frollo from the onset.
Esmeralda is sweet, kind, flirtatious and tragic in this version. So we have a baseline version of Esmeralda. And for a ballet that is all she really needs to be.
This idea both horrifies and excites me, so it’s perfect. It’s like the pope of fools in movie form. So let’s break down idea of Tommy Wiseau playing Quasimodo.
Tommy Wiseau
In Greg Sestero’s book, The Disaster Artist, Sestero referenced to Wiseau looking like “the Hunchback of Notre Dame following corrective surgery.” So the groundwork for this idea is already in place. Also let’s not forget that Wiseau has already funded one passion project with The Room, which has given him a lot of notoriety and has spun a cult following with midnight showings, a hit book about the production and an Oscar nominated movie based on the book based on the production of The Room. If he wanted to play Quasimodo he could, he doesn’t need to go through a studio, he already has one. And it’s a two in one deal because he could get Sestero to play Phoebus, because of course he would. Side note Sestero was in Best F(r)iends with Wiseau, so they are like a package deal.
Tommy Wiseau in Best F(r)iends
But the question is would Wiseau even want to play Quasimodo? Well as has been stated by me, many, many times, Quasimodo is a dream role for men to play. It’s both super psychically demanding and very emotional. So If Tommy wanted to show the world that he could play a serious role why not Quasimodo? I mean he was already liken to Quasimodo so why not just lean into it and play him.
Also Quasimodo is from a famous French novel and Wiseau in the past has pretended to be French. So it could give some French cred.
Tommy Wiseau in The Room
Now if you have watched The Room, or The Neighbors, or Best F(r)iends or anything else he has been in or done, Wiseau has a weird cadence to his voice and a weird way of saying things that did in fact turn The Room into a comedy. Since Quasimodo is deaf, Wiseau’s unique voice could add something to the role. What it could add? I don’t know what but I would be curious see it.
Tommy Wiseau
One the hand this casting would be so bad but I still would HAVE to see it and not going to lie, it might be so bad that it’s good again although still scary. I dread the idea but it might be amazing in all the wrong ways.
Would you watch a Wiseau version of Hunchback?
Also here is a challenge, for Halloween this year dress-up as Tommy Wiseau as Quasimodo, Here is a tommy Wiseau wig or you can just dress-up as Tommy Wiseau from the Room.
Season 3 of The Good Placehas started and in the primer episode there is a “The Man who Laughs” Reference. Well not so much a reference as it’s right there in the frame.
William Jackson Harper as Chidi Anagonye
Moral philosopher, Chidi, is going through another existential panic. He takes to the University library and takes out a myriad of books one being “The Man who Laughs” by Victor Hugo. Though the main joke of this scene is Chidi holds up a book by The Chocolate Rain guy called Chocolate Book, The Man who Laughs sits front and center. You can’t miss it.
I’m not sure what this means. Could be superficial advice for the character? The production people just like the book? Foreshadowing? Or it good have a deeper meaning? Not sure.
Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda & Martin Giroux as Phoebus
I have been watching videos of the most recent cast of Notre Dame de Paris and I noticed something about Hiba Tawaji’s portrayal of Esmeralda that was just off. It was something I couldn’t place but it was something I didn’t like. It was like she was trying to do too much but not succeeding. She just wasn’t coming off as natural but forced.
Just so we’re clear this has nothing to with her as singer or person, this is just in her acting. She is fine as a singer.
Natalia Osipova as Esmeralda, Roberto Bolle as Quasimodo and Mick Zeni as Frollo, Roland Petit Notre Dame de Paris 2013
This version of Hugo’s novel is very pared down to a very minimal telling of the story. You have the four principal characters: Quasimodo, Esmeralda, Frollo and Phoebus. The ballet doesn’t have Gringoire, Clopin, Fleur de Lys, or extra characters.
As one can guess having only the love/lust plot-line it follows that trajectory and doesn’t concern itself with the subject of blight of the downtrodden, social justice or the modernity of the printing press’ impact on architecture.
It starts with Quasimodo getting crown Pope of Fools, Frollo gets mad. Esmeralda dances to which she attracts the attention of Quasimodo and Frollo.
Frollo then has Quasimodo kidnap Esmeralda. And here is where we a deviation. After Quasimodo grabs Esmeralda they are set upon by the corps dressed in red. Now I was very confused, I had no idea what was happening. I thought it was maybe fire or that the dancers were somehow symbolic of Frollo’s lust. I didn’t know!
According to http://ticket.heraldtribune.com (an actually well-done review) the corps are portraying thugs. This makes sense both within the context of the ballet’s narrative and adapting Hugo’s story. In the original novel after the kidnapping, Gringoire, who was trying to help Esmeralda, is set upon by the Court of Miracles. However the thugs are now in this scene to help convey Quasimodo as more sympathetic as he is protecting Esmeralda. This adaption isn’t really necessary to story and could have been skipped but works to add more dancing which you need in a ballet.
So after the thugs are dealt with, Phoebus then arrests Quasimodo. Phoebus notices Esmeralda and they are attracted to each other. Then Quasimodo is sentenced and Esmeralda gives him water. Esmeralda and Phoebus have their tryst, though he flirts with whores prior and during their time together. That is to communicate Phoebus’ lack of romantic feelings towards Esmeralda and that he just in it for the sex. He is then stabbed by Frollo. I’m pretty sure that Phoebus does in fact die in this version.
Esmeralda has her trial and is sentenced. Quasimodo then saves her from the gallows.
The second act is Esmeralda and Quasimodo bond. Frollo then attacks Esmeralda and I mean he slaps her a bunch. She is then dragged off to her death. Quasimodo strangles Frollo and then carries Esmeralda’s body away.
It is a very basic rendition of Hunchback which is fine for medium of ballet. You don’t want anything too complex but is this telling too simple? Perhaps. It is very pared down to a degree that basic disney’s knockoff have more developed story lines though that is not always a good thing.
To be honest the narrative only works to convey mood, style and dancing and that is what this Ballet is all about. But we should address the character before getting to those points of interest.
I have been wanting to these type of posts for a while. Basically it’s just fashions, mostly gowns, that look similar to an Esmeralda costume in someway.
Renato Balestra, Spring 2014
This gown by Renato Balestra from spring 2014, is akin to Disney Esmeralda’s costume in terms of its color story and verticality. I also like that it has a sari-like way about kind adding to appeal.
This was a suggestion of one of those lists I found a while ago and truthfully this is a great casting idea. Ralph Fiennes would be a perfect Frollo.
Ralph Fiennes as Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights
As far as Fiennes’ acting prowess goes, he can played Frollo regardless of the type of Frollo the version is depicting. Whether it be sympathetic or cruel or some mixture of both. Fiennes has a very unique ability to make his villains likable yet still very threatening. Even his heroes run the gamut from nice to intense.
Ralph Fiennes
Fiennes has a good look to play Frollo. Not only is he age appropriate to the role but he has a great bone structure for Frollo’s angular, austere yet intense face.
Ralph Fiennes
He’s got it all. He has good look for the role, he’s age appropriate, and he’s capable of playing a likable bad guy. Fiennes would be an ideal casting pick for Frollo in any interation of the character. But what do you think? Would you like to see the actor who played He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named play Frollo?
Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise
Also the idea of the actors who played Voldemort and and Dumbledore playing the same character makes me smile.
Way back in April 2018, I asked which version of Hunchback should be next to review. I had a few versions of my radar, like the Dingo version and La Esmeralda. See post here
Now I did picked one a while but due to personal issues I wasn’t ready to sit down and go back down the rabbit hole. So I put it off till now, hopefully.
Roland Petit’s Notre Dame de Paris ballet
The version that is up next was a suggested by neala897 and it’s the Roland Petit Ballet. We will see how this goes because ballets are hard to review.
As of yet I have not watch the Ballet that will come later as I as fresh of perspective as possible.
But here is a little background information. Petit mounted Notre Dame de Paris in 1965 with music by Maurice Jarre. Jarre was a film composer who did the music on films like Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965) and Passage to India (1984.) I will just say one source site the ballet as debuting in 1965 and another sites 1967, the point is this ballet is from the 60s.
So let’s get into this. I’m going to watch the version performed by the Opera national de Paris, 1996 with Isabelle Guérin as Esmeralda, Nicolas Le Riche as Quasimodo, Laurent Hilaire as Frollo and Manuel Legris as Phoebus.
Who has seen this version or at least this ballet before?
