Listen to Glorious Previews from the Hunchback Cast Album

We're just over a week away from the release of The Hunchback of Notre Dame's Studio Cast Recording and if you've pre-ordered the album digitally then the chances are that you've already heard the fabulous opening 'Bells of Notre Dame', 'Top of the World' and Ciara Renee's beautiful rendition of 'God Help the Outcasts'.  I believe US readers may also have received 'Topsy Turvy, Pt. 1' as well.

Well, now Disney have opened the marketing floodgates and unleashed a wave of previews in anticipation of the albums release!

Buzzfeed has an exclusive first listen to Michael Arden's breath taking performance of 'Out There'

Broadway.com has a special preview of Ciara Renee's 'God Help the Outcasts' for anyone who hasn't already pre-ordered the album or is waiting patiently for the CD to arrive.

Theatre Mania has the exclusive first listen to Patrick Page's show stoppingly villainous 'Hellfire'

Playbill has an exclusive first listen to the Act 1 Finale, 'Esmeralda'.  Out of all the tracks on the Berlin album, this was easily my favourite, I listened to it that much I practically hear it in English these days, and now I can listen to it in English for real!  A truly magnificent performance from the entire cast!

Broadway World has an exclusive first listen to Ciara Renee and Andrew Samonsky's incredible duet, 'Someday'

And finally, this is another one I can't believe they released before the album, EW has the exclusive first listen to Michael Arden's phenomenal 'Made of Stone'

If these don't send shivers down your spine and make you want to buy the album then I don't know what will!  This album is going to be glorious.  Incredible music sung by a superb cast.  Next Friday can't come soon enough!


The Hunchback of Notre Dame Studio Cast Recording is due for release Friday 22nd January and features music by Alan Menken and lyrics Stephen Schwartz.  The book is by Peter Parnell and the album is produced by Michael Kosarin, Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, Chris Montan and Executive Producer Kurt Deutsh.

The cast stars Michael Arden as Quasimodo, Patrick Page as Dom Claude Frollo, Ciara Renee as Esmeralda, Andrew Samonsky as Captain Phoebus de Martin and Erik Liberman and Clopin Trouillefou.

The Congregation includes Julian Decker, Mary Joe Duggan, Ian Patrick Gibb, Beth Kirkpatrick, Samantha Massell, Neal Mayer, Nora Menken,William Michals, Anise Ritchie, Vincent Rodriguez III, Richard Ruiz, Joseph J. Simeone, Jeremy Stolle and Dashaun Young.

Opening Night for The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Michael Arden and Ciara Renee as Quasimodo and Esmeralda, Photo by Matthew Murphy

After a week and half of previews the Paper Mill Playhouse's production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame officially opens tonight!  After last year's critically acclaimed production at the La Jolla Playhouse here's hoping for more of the same after the press leave the theatre tonight.  Then maybe, just maybe, Broadway could be next.

But that's the future.  Tonight is important for that, of course, but it's more important as a celebration of this production and all the hard work and energy that the cast, creative team and everyone at the Paper Mill have put into making this show the best it can possibly be.  The press will be there, but more importantly so will friends and family.  So to everyone at the Paper Mill tonight, on stage, back stage and in the audience, I will say simply this, enjoy it, celebrate it and be moved by it.  That's what live theatre's all about.  This is your night and I wish you all the very best.

And maybe, if we're lucky, we'll see this show make its way to Broadway one day, someday, soon.

The Bells of Notre Dame Will Ring Tonight!

 

What a week it's been for the cast and creative team of The Hunchback of Notre Dame!  Sitzprobe on Thursday, invited dress rehearsal last night and the US Premiere tonight as the show officially begins previews at the La Jolla Playhouse!!

This week Michael Arden (Quasimodo) spoke with Gay San Diego about Quasimodo, his path to theatre and about Hunchback in general, calling it "a lot sadder than the original Disney movie and much more of an adult treatment".  He also touches upon Director Scott Schwartz's vision for the piece saying "it's set in 1483, and we're using a lot of techniques that would've been used theatrically in plays of the time ... we use our bodies and furniture to create these worlds".  And I certainly agree with him when he calls Hunchback Alan Menken's greatest score.

The creative team of Alan Menken (composer), Stephen Schwartz (lyricist), Scott Schwartz (director) and Peter Parnell (writer), along with members of the cast, have been doing the rounds with the press this week.  Discussing the show with La Jolla Light and with U-T San Diego.

For all the speculation over the years that Disney considered the Berlin production of Hunchback "too dark" to bring to US audiences, it sounds like this new production could potentially be even darker.  And, if not darker, certainly more complex.  Speaking with U-T San Diego Scott Schwartz says "Something I really believe about this story is, nobody is just one thing ... There are horrific actions in the show, particularly that Frollo takes.  But you see moments of light within him ... there are moments of darkness in all the characters.  Quasimodo, too - there's real violence in Quasimodo."  Speaking with La Jolla Light, Alan Menken agreed, calling the piece "darker and more character-focused than the animated film."

What really excites me is that Scott Schwartz has called Hunchback's incredible score "the central focus and the essential means of the storytelling".  This, combined the show's emphasis on the humanity of the four main characters leads to what Peter Parnell calls "a very nice dynamic ... the largeness and the smallness, that feels like a very interesting place that this musical can live."

I'll admit that after hearing the beautiful Berlin cast recording I was nervous when it was initially announced that this new production would be smaller and more intimate.  I worried that it might not capture the grandness of the score and the beautiful music of the show.  The confirmation that there would be a live choir on stage soon eliminated my fears and with each new article I've been convinced that this is the right direction for the show.  It's new and exciting but at the same time very traditional.  The choir will allow the majesty of the score to soar as it should but the renewed focus on the four principal characters will give the piece a greater intimacy as well.  Personal stories told against an epic backdrop.  Disney may be taking a risk by making the show darker and more intimate but it's one I'm very glad they're taking and one I believe will pay off.

To the cast and creative team and everyone at La Jolla Playhouse, I will you all the very best for tonight's opening.  All your hard work over the last weeks and months (and even years in some cases) has led to this and you deserve every success.  Enjoy it.



The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins tonight at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego and runs through December 14th 2014.  Tickets are available here.  Tickets to D23's VIP Experience on November 11th 2014 are available here. Next year The Hunchback of Notre Dame will play at the Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey from March 4th through April 5th 2015.  Tickets are available here.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Song List Revealed!

Normally we don't get the song list of a show until after the first preview, but La Jolla Playhouse have posted a Know Before You Go guide to the show giving us a tantalising first glimpse at Disney's next musical masterpiece.  You can download the full PDF (including a fantastic interview with Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, Peter Parnell and Scott Schwartz) at the link.  Here are the highlights;

The Cast (in order of appearance)

Erik Liberman as Clopin Trouillefou
Patrick Page as Dom Claude Frollo
Lucas Coleman as Jehan Frollo
Samantha Massell as Florika
William Michals as Father Dupin
Michael Arden as Quasimodo
Andrew Samonsky as Captain Phoebus de Martin
Ian Patrick Gibb as Lieutenant Frederic Charlus
Ciara Renee as Esmeralda
Richard Ruiz as King Louis XI
Beth Kirkpatrick as Madam
Neal Mayer as Saint Aphrodisius

The Congregation (ensemble) includes Lucas Coleman, Ian Patrick Gibb, William Thomas Hodgson, Beth Kirkpatrick, Samantha Massell, Neal Mayer, Nora Menken, William Michals, Anise Ritchie, Vincent Rodriguez III, Richard Ruiz and Brian Smolin

Choral Ensemble - Sacra/Profana

Male Swings - Julian Decker & Christian Villanueva
Female Swing - Mary Joe Duggan

The Creative Team

Book by Peter Parnell
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Directed by Scott Schwartz
Choreographed by Chase Brock
Music Supervisor/Arranger - Michael Kosarin
Music Director - Brent-Alan Huffman
Orchestrator - Michael Starobin
Dance Music Arranger - Rob Berman
Scenic Designer - Alexander Dodge
Costume Designer - Alejo Vietti
Lighting Designer - Howell Binkley
Sound Designer - Garth Owen
Hair & Wig Designer - Charles G. LaPointe
Fight Director - Steve Rankin
Vocal Consultant - Ursula Meyer
Casting Director - Tara Rubin Casting
Local Casting Director - Teresa Sapien
Production Stage Manager - M. William Shiner
Assistant Stage Managers - Becky Fleming & Jennifer Kahn
Producing Director - Judith Richardson
Artistic Director - Shirley Fishman
Production Manger - Audrey Hoo

For the La Jolla Playhouse Christopher Ashley is Artistic Director and Michael S. Rosenberg is Managing Director.

Musical Numbers

Act One
The Bells of Notre Dame - Clopin, Frollo, Jehan, Father Dupin, Congregation
Sanctuary - Frollo, Quasimodo
Out There - Quasimodo
Topsy Turvy - Clopin, Congregation
Rest and Recreation - Phoebus, Frollo
Rhythm of the Tambourine - Esmeralda, Frollo, Phoebus, Quasimodo
God Help the Outcasts - Esmeralda, Congregation
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 Two
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
Someday - Esmeralda, Phoebus
Made of Stone - Quasimodo, Congregation
Finale Ultimo - Company

And since the Know Before You Go guide includes the set rendering by Alexander Dodge I guess it's safe to share the Broadway World photos from the other day (big thanks to Sotiris2006 for actually saving these!)

It looks like an interesting mix of songs from the film, songs from the original Berlin production, all new songs for this production and even a song that was written for the film but cut.  But even if you recognise the names, don't expect to recognise the lyrics as Stephen Schwartz confirms "in addition to the brand new songs, there are a lot of songs in which there are new lyrics, or parts of the song are restructured."

Indeed this looks to be, much like Aladdin, a complete reimagining of the film for stage.  Whilst Aladdin went back to Howard Ashman's original concept, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is going back to the book.  The guide even states that this production is "Based on the Victor Hugo novel with songs from the Disney film".  Like Aladdin lost Abu, Quasimodo has lost his gargoyles (at least in the sense of the individual characters they were in the film), but whilst Aladdin  uses the latest special effects to bring the magic of the movie to life on stage, the story of Quasimodo will be a much more human take.  Director Scott Schwartz says "My guiding principle for the production is: if they couldn't do it in 1482, we shouldn't be doing it now.  In other words, the physical production is based all on period techniques that have been around for hundreds and hundreds of years.  This is not a technological version of the story.  It's a human one."

Everything I hear about this production just makes me more and more excited to see it!  Next March can't come soon enough!

The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins this Sunday, 26th October, at La Jolla Playhouse.  Tickets are available here.