Aladdin, Broadway, and the Hunchback

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Aladdin the musical picture image

Aladdin the musical

It has been announced that Aladdin will hit Broadway Spring of 2014 after a run in Toronto. This isn’t the first time Aladdin has had the Live Musical treatment as it has a show in the parks and in Seattle.

 

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin and Courtney Reed as Jasmine, Seattle Production picture image

Adam Jacobs as Aladdin and Courtney Reed as Jasmine, Seattle Production

But what does this announcement mean for the Hunchback and it coming to Broadway? This mean don’t except the show anytime before 2015. I for my part am disappointed that this mean a Broadway show of the Hunchback will be delayed even more but I’m not surprise that they would go for Aladdin over Hunchback. Aladdin was the more successful movie that spawned two additional movies, a TV series and in general made more money for the company. Plus an Aladdin production is more geared to the over-the-top spectacle that Broadway and Disney both love. Hunchback not so much. It’s spectacle comes from the sets and not so much the costume or the choreography.

Esmeralda & Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda & Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

I do hope that someday the show will come to Broadway after all it was very success in Germany so it’s not that far-fetched that they it could do well in New York.

Disney’s Hunchback on Blu-Ray

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Disney is releasing a blu-ray of The Hunchback of Notre Dame . It will be release March 12th 2013.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Blu-Ray Cover picture image

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Blu-Ray Cover

I’m not sure what features it will have but I can’t say I like the box art. Quasimodo gets lost in it and the gargoyles should not be in the foreground. Not sure why Disney is still forcing the gargoyles on the fans, most people hate them and love the other characters. But I never studied marketing.

A fun countdown to the release date ^^

http://www.onlinecountdowns.com/countdown-clock/show/Disney%20HOND%20Bluray%20Release%21%7c513eb650%7c1

Baby Clopin

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This adorable picture is of a Disney Clopin Onesie. It unclear if it official but isn’t a adorable. If it’s not official Disney should produce it and if it is official they Disney needs to make more of them.

Disney Clopin Onesie picture image

Disney Clopin Onesie

This was actually on e-bay so if you really want it keep a look out for it.

Jetlag’s one Postive

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Despite all of its negatives, the Jetlag version has one major positive that seems to eclipse the all negatives and that its adherence to the original plot of the book albeit with a happy ending and no deaths.

Frollo attack while Esmeralda and Phoebus embrace, Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo attack while Esmeralda and Phoebus embrace, Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

A lot of the plot point from the original book are let in tact. Like Frollo as Priest and he starts off kind, there is the kidnapped attempt, Phoebus is a cad who tries to seduce Esmeralda even though he has a fiancée, Fleur de Lys, and does get stab by Frollo, Gringoire’s character is large let intact, Quasimodo is deaf etc.

Esmeralda, Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Jetlag version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Coming off the heels of the Disney movie which is very different than the book, to watch this version despite its lazy execution is very refreshing. However since Disney is a big company they couldn’t make Hunchback accurate to the book without offending people whereas Jetlag is a smaller company so they don’t have that concern. But more that Jetlag is a American-Japanese company so a lot the hang ups on making Frollo a lusty priest didn’t really apply. This also explain why Esmeralda has an anime look to her.

Quasimodo throws Frollo off a bridge Jetlag version Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo throws Frollo off a bridge

Hunchback was Jetlag’s last production under the name GoodTimes before GoodTimes turned in a new company. This version of Hunchback came out on April 30th 1996. So it beat the Disney version but it’s release was meant to capitalize off of it. However, in direct competition to Disney movie the Jetlag version’s saving grace is that it maintain the plot whereas Disney didn’t and most people seem to forgive the laziness and the slow pacing of the Jetlag version because of this. If there was a film version that had good execution and maintain the plot of book than this version would fade into more obscurity. There are some version that come close but there is also something missing.

Next Jetlag article (almost done) – a major Plot hole

Esmeralda tells Quasimodo about Frollo Jetlag version Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda tells Quasimodo about Frollo