The Hunchback of Notre Dame (musical)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Musical information
Music by	Alan Menken
Lyrics by	Stephen Schwartz
Book	James Lapine (Berlin) Peter Parnell (North America)
Basis	The Hunchback of Notre Dame (with elements of Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo)
Productions	1999 (Berlin) 2014 (San Diego) 2015 (Papermill Playhouse) 2017 (Berlin)

Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (literally translated in English, The Bellringer of Notre Dame) is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and book by James Lapine. The musical is based on the 1996 Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was inspired by the 1831 Victor Hugo novel of the same name.

The musical premiered in 1999 in Berlin, Germany, produced by Walt Disney Theatrical, the company's first musical to premiere outside the U.S. It ran for three years, becoming one of Berlin's longest-running musicals.

Background

Story

The story follows Quasimodo, a deformed man taken in by Claude Frollo as an infant. Due to his haggard appearance, Quasimodo was forced to remain inside the Notre Dame cathedral for his entire life, until meeting a girl named Esmeralda, who inadvertently becomes the target of Frollo's lust and genocidal mission to eliminate all Romani people in France.

Production

The musical opened on June 5, 1999, for the opening of the Musicaltheater Berlin (now Theater am Potsdamer Platz (DE)), Berlin. After a successful run, it closed in June 2002. Directed by Lapine, the German translation was by Michael Kunze, choreography by Lar Lubovitch, set design by Heidi Ettinger, costume design by Sue Blane, lighting by Rick Fisher, sound by Tony Meola and projections by Jerome Sirlin.

This was Disney's first musical to premiere outside the US, and it became one of Berlin's longest-running musicals to date. As with Beauty an the Beast and The Lion King, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame opened three years after the release of the movie it is based on.

The musical is a darker, more gothic adaptation of the film. According to translator Michael Kunze, he was " 'campaigning to allow Esmeralda to die at the end, as she does in the book. There was a feeling that the audience would be depressed if Esmeralda dies. I feel that a European audience would see this as a very romantic ending ... two lost souls finally find each other. People will cry, but they'll be moved. And it is a very romantic ending.' " The producers wanted to see how "preview audiences react before making the final decision."

An original cast recording was recorded in German.

English adaptation

In April 2013, an English adaptation of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame by The King's Academy Fine Arts Department was staged in The King's Academy Sports & Fine Arts Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. According to TKA, "Walt Disney Productions...selected The King’s Academy Theatre to adapt and premiere their [1996 film]". The company collaborated with Disney Executive Studios. They explained via YouTube that "We received a license from Disney Productions to premiere the English version of Hunchback. Disney is now workshopping this musical for a possible run on Broadway. Our director, Mr. David Snyder, recently returned from NYC where he helped to cast talent for the new show!" This version does not include all the songs from Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, and excludes the deaths of Esmerelda and Frollo. Nevertheless, it is essentially a translation of that musical as opposed to a new adaption of the film. The entire musical is up on YouTube.

The musical had its successful US premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego from October 28 through December 14, 2014 (originally scheduled to end on December 7, but due to popular demand, an extra week was added). The production soon moved to the Papermill Playhouse from March 4 through April 5, 2015.

Cast

Production	Quasimodo	Esmerelda	Phoebus	Clopin	Frollo	Antoine	Charles	Loni	the Archdeacon
Original Berlin cast	Drew Sarich	Judy Weiss	Fredrik Lycke	Jens Janke	Norbert Lamla	Tamas Ferkay	Valentin Zahn	Yvonne Ritz Andersen	Carlo Lauber

Production	Quasimodo	Esmerelda	Phoebus	Clopin	Frollo	Jehan Frollo	Florika	Father Dupin	Lieutenant Frederic Charlus	King Louis XI	Madam	Saint Aphrodisius
American Premiere cast	Michael Arden	Ciara Renée	Andrew Samonsky	Erik Liberman	Patrick Page	Lucas Coleman	Samantha Massell	William Michals	Ian Patrick Gibb	Richard Ruiz	Beth Kirkpatrick	Neal Mayer

Variations from the 1996 film

Characters

• The gargoyles' names have been changed from Victor, Hugo, and Laverne to Charles, Antoine. and Loni. The gargoyles' comedy in the musical is greatly toned down; they sing in many more songs, and they are also firmly established as figments of Quasimodo's imagination. In the American production, they are completely replaced by a congregation of stone saints.
• Neither Esmeralda's goat Djali nor Phoebus' horse Achilles appear in the stage musical, due to the difficulties of making them believable on stage.
• Frollo has a younger brother in this version.
• Esmeralda is shown a way out of Notre Dame rather than Quasimodo climbing down, holding her.
• When narrating, Clopin appears as a crippled old beggar and no longer uses puppets. In the American production, narration duties are delegated to the congregation of saints.

Plot points

• The song "The Court of Miracles" from the film is replaced by a dance number called "Dance of the Gypsies".
• Frollo's past is expanded to note that he was once a priest, harking back to his position as the archdeacon in the original novel. The American production goes as far as to add his brother, Jehan.
• Esmeralda dies at the end, as in the original novel.
• Frollo is thrown off the cathedral by Quasimodo, instead of falling from the crumbling gargoyle fixture.
• "Sanctuary", the song that consists of Quasimodo and Frollo that played before "Out There" is expanded and the Gargoyles are added in the number. In the American production, the song is mostly the same as the movie, but with a few of Frollo's lyrics changed and a few lines of dialogue cut.
• It is the archdeacon who brings Phoebus to Quasimodo instead of Esmeralda. The archdeacon is absent in the American production.
• The ending of the American production stays true to the original novel by Victor Hugo, in which the skeletal remains of Quasimodo and Esmeralda are discovered locked together in an embrace.

Original Berlin Musical numbers

Act I

• "Die Glocken Notre Dames" ("The Bells of Notre Dame") – Clopin, Archdeacon, Frollo & Chorus
• "Zuflucht" ("Sanctuary") – Frollo, Quasimodo, Antoine, Charles & Loni
• "Draußen" ("Out There") – Quasimodo
• "Tanz auf dem Seil" ("Balancing Act") – Clopin, Esmeralda & Gypsies
• "Ein bißchen Freude" ("Rest and Recreation") – Phoebus
• "Drunter drüber" ("Topsy Turvy") – Clopin, Quasimodo & Crowd
• "Zuflucht II" ("Sanctuary II") - Frollo & Quasimodo
• "Die Glocken Notre Dames II" ("The Bells of Notre Dame II") - Clopin, Priests
• "Helf den Verstoß'nen" ("God Help the Outcasts") – Esmeralda, Quasimodo & Parisians
• "Hoch über der Welt" ("Top of the World") – Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Antoine, Charles & Loni
• "Das Licht des Himmels" ("Heaven's Light") – Quasimodo
• "Das Feuer der Hölle" ("Hellfire") – Frollo & Priests
• "Die Glocken Notre Dames III" ("The Bells of Notre Dame III") - Clopin & Frollo
• "Esmeralda" – Frollo, Quasimodo, Phoebus, Esmeralda, Clopin & Soldiers

Act II

• "Trommeln in der Stadt" ("City Under Siege") – Clopin & Parisians
• "Ein Mann wie du" ("A Guy Like You") – Antoine, Charles, Loni & Quasimodo
• "Esmeralda (Reprise)" - Frollo
• "Weil du liebst" ("Out of Love") – Quasimodo, Phoebus, Antoine, Charles & Loni
• "Tanz der Zigeuner" ("Dance of the Gypsies") - Orchestra
• "Weil du liebst (Reprise)" ("Out of Love (Reprise)") – Phoebus, Esmeralda & Quasimodo
• "Die Glocken Notre Dames IV" ("The Bells of Notre Dame IV") - Clopin & Frollo
• "Zuflucht (Reprise)" ("Sanctuary (Reprise)") - Frollo
• "Wie aus Stein" ("Made of Stone") – Quasimodo, Loni, Charles & Antoine
• "Einmal" ("Someday") – Esmeralda, Phoebus & Parisians
• "Grand Finale" – Full Company

American Premiere Musical numbers

Act I

• "The Bells of Notre Dame" - Clopin, Frollo, Jehan, Father Dupin & Congregation
• "Sanctuary Part I-II" - Frollo & Quasimodo
• "Out There" - Quasimodo
• "Topsy Turvy" - Clopin & Congregation
  • "Rest And Recreation"- Phoebus & Frollo
  • "Rhythm of the Tambourine" - Esmeralda, Frollo, Phoebus & Quasimodo
• "Sanctuary Part III" - Frollo & Quasimodo
• "God Help the Outcasts" - Esmeralda & Congregation
• "In My Life" - Esmeralda & Phoebus
• "Top of the World" - Esmeralda, Quasimodo & Congregation
• "The Tavern Song (Thai Mol Piyas)" - Gypsies, Esmeralda & Frollo
• "Heaven's Light" - Quasimodo
• "Hellfire" - Frollo & Congregation
• "Esmeralda"(Act One Finale) - Company

Act II

• "Entr'acte" - Choir
• "Flight Into Egypt" - Saint Aphrodisius, Quasimodo & Congregation
• "Rest and Recreation (Reprise)" - Phoebus, Quasimodo & Congregation
• "The Court of Miracles" - Clopin & Gypsies
• "In a Place of Miracles" - Phoebus, Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Clopin & Gypsies
• "Sanctuary (Reprise)" - Frollo
• "Someday" - Esmeralda & Phoebus
• "Made of Stone" - Quasimodo & Congregation
• "Finale Ultimo" - Company

Gallery

Drew Sarich as Quasimodo

Judy Weiss as Esmeralda

Fredrik Lycke as Phoebus

Jens Janke as Clopin

Norbert Lamla as Frollo

Tamas Ferkay as Antoine

Valentin Zahn as Charles

Yvonne Ritz Andersen as Loni

Carlo Lauber as the Archdeacon

Frollo adopts Quasimodo.

A hunchback and his master.

Quasimodo in his bell tower

Frollo and Quasimodo

Quasimodo looking down from the Bell Tower

Quasimodo with Hugo, Victor, and Laverne

Esmeralda and Clopin

Quasimodo tortured at the Feast of Fools

Esmeralda in the Cathedral singing Hilf den Verstoßenen

Esmeralda and Quasimodo

Frollo and Phoebus

Esmeralda saves Phoebus from plunging off the bridge.

Paris burns.

Esmeralda in the Palace of Justice dungeon

Esmeralda singing Einmal while being tied to the stake.

Frollo pronouncing Esmeralda's sentence while Esmeralda awaits to be burned at the stake.

Esmeralda dying

A front cover of the original Berlin Cast album version.

A conceptual logo design of the original Berlin version by Hans Bacher.

Papermill Playhouse

Michael Arden as Quasimodo

Quasimodo (Michael Arden) and Esmeralda (Ciara Renée) during "Top of the World"

Esmeralda (Ciara Renée) and company during "Rhythm of the Tambourine"

Phoebus (Andrew Samonsky) and Esmeralda (Ciara Renée)

Michael Starobin in the recording studio

Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken

Patrick Page (Claude Frollo) in the recording studio

Michael Arden (Quasimodo) in the recording studio

Erik Liberman and Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) in the recording studio

Brent Alan Huffman and the orchestra in the recording studio

Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) in the recording studio

External links

• Official Der Glöckner von Notre Dame website (Archive)
• Official Der Glöckner von Notre Dame website (Archive)
• Description of the technical design of the original production

v - e - d

Media Films: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (video/soundtrack/Studio Cast Recording) • The Hunchback of Notre Dame II • Hunchback Television: House of Mouse • Esmeralda Video Games: The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Topsy Turvy Games • Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance • Disney Sorcerer's Arena Disney Parks Disney Animation Building Entertainment: Disney Classics: The Music & The Magic • One Man's Dream II: The Magic Lives On • Mickey's Gift of Dreams • The Golden Mickeys • The Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure Restaurants: Clopin's Festival of Foods Parades: Disney's Party Express • The Hunchback of Notre Dame Topsy Turvy Cavalcade Fireworks: Believe... There's Magic in the Stars • Disney Dreams! • Happily Ever After • Harmonious • Momentous • World of Color • Wonderful World of Animation • Wondrous Journeys Spring: Disney's Easter Wonderland Summer: Stitch and Friends Summer Surprise Halloween: Frightfully Fun Parade • Happy Hallowishes • It's Good to be Bad with the Disney Villains • Kooky Spooky Halloween Night • Re-Villains! Halloween Parade • The Disney Villains Halloween Showtime • Villains Grove • Villains Mix and Mingle • Villains Night Out! Chapter 2 Christmas: A Christmas Fantasy Parade Characters Original: Quasimodo • Esmeralda • Claude Frollo • Phoebus • Victor, Hugo, and Laverne • Djali • Clopin • Archdeacon • Achilles • Brutish and Oafish Guards • Frollo's Soldiers • Old Prisoner • Quasimodo's Mother • Quasimodo's Father • Snowball Sequel: Madellaine • Zephyr • Sarousch Songs Original: The Bells of Notre Dame • Out There • Topsy Turvy • Humiliation • God Help the Outcasts • The Bell Tower • Heaven's Light • Hellfire • Paris Burning • A Guy Like You • The Court of Miracles • Sanctuary • And He Shall Smite the Wicked • Into the Sunlight • Someday Sequel: Le Jour D'Amour • An Ordinary Miracle • I'd Stick With You • Fa la la la Fallen In Love • I'm Gonna Love You Musical: Balancing Act • Rest and Recreation • Rhythm of the Tambourine • Into Notre Dame • Top of the World • Thai Mol Piyas • Esmeralda • City Under Siege • Flight Into Egypt • Out of Love (Reprise) • Made of Stone • Finale Ultimo Deleted Songs: In a Place of Miracles • As Long As There's a Moon • Someday Locations Paris • Notre Dame de Paris • Palace of Justice • Court of Miracles Miscellaneous Musical • Disney Sing Along Songs: Topsy Turvy • The Making of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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