The Hunchback of Notre Dame (musical)

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.Simonson, Robert and Lefkowitz, David. "Disney's Berlin 'Hunchback'Will Rehearse in New York in Spring 1999" playbill.com, November 10, 1998 After a successful run, it closed in June 2002."'Der Glöckner von Notre Dame'" thisdayindisneyhistory.com, accessed January 28, 2011 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."The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Find Articles at BNET.com, Variety"'Der Glöckner von Notre Dame', Production History" jameslapine.com, accessed January 28, 2011Wolf, Matt. "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Der Glockner Von Notre Dame)", Variety Magazine, June 21, 1999 - June 27, 1999, Section: Legit Reviews; Abroad; p. 86
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.' "Geitner, Paul. "Disney's 'Hunchback' Goes to Stage", Associated Press Online, May 26, 1999, Section: Entertainment, television and culture, Dateline: Berlin The producers wanted to see how "preview audiences react before making the final decision."
An original cast recording was recorded in German."'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' Cast Album" castalbumdb.com, accessed January 28, 2011
====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-211x300.jpg|Drew Sarich as Quasimodo
Judy-Weiss.jpg|Judy Weiss as Esmeralda
Fredrik-Lycke-2.jpg|Fredrik Lycke as Phoebus
Jens-Janke.jpg|Jens Janke as Clopin
Norbert-Lamla-211x300.jpg|Norbert Lamla as Frollo
Tamas-Ferkay-antoine.jpg|Tamas Ferkay as Antoine
Valentin-Zahn-charles.jpg|Valentin Zahn as Charles
Yvonne-Ritz-Andersen.jpg|Yvonne Ritz Andersen as Loni
Carlo-Lauber.jpg|Carlo Lauber as the Archdeacon
Dgvnd-qua-bady-arch-fro.png|Frollo adopts Quasimodo.
DGvND-Fro-quas-blue.jpg|A hunchback and his master.
tumblr_n5eamdzA0S1tufnl2o2_1280.jpg|Quasimodo in his bell tower
dgvnd-fro-qua.jpg|Frollo and Quasimodo
dgvnd-qu-gar-2.jpg|Quasimodo looking down from the Bell Tower
Dgvnd-qua-gar.jpg|Quasimodo with Hugo, Victor, and Laverne
dgvnd-esme-clo.jpg|Esmeralda and Clopin
Ann-Christin-Elverum.jpg
Gesmi_tanz.jpg
dgvnd-esme-dance-topsy.jpg
dgvnd-esme-clo-qua.jpg
dgvnd-q-clo-topsy.jpg
glockner5.jpg|Quasimodo tortured at the Feast of Fools
dgvnd-esme-notre-dame.jpg|Esmeralda in the Cathedral singing Hilf den Verstoßenen
dgvnd-esme-qua.jpg|Esmeralda and Quasimodo
Gesmi4.jpg
Gesmi2.jpg
Gesmi5.jpg
dgvnd-uber-annchristine-elverum.jpg
nd1.jpg
dgvnd-fro-pho.jpg|Frollo and Phoebus
dgvnd-esme-pho-bridge.jpg|Esmeralda saves Phoebus from plunging off the bridge.
dgvnd-men-mob.jpg|Paris burns.
dgvnd-pho-qua.jpg
Dgvnd-gyspy-dance.jpg
dgvnd-weil-du-liebst-reprise.jpg
Hunchback3.jpg|Esmeralda in the Palace of Justice dungeon
Ann-Christin-Elverum-1-300x206.jpg|Esmeralda singing Einmal while being tied to the stake.
Einmal-judyweiss.png
judyweiss.jpg|Frollo pronouncing Esmeralda's sentence while Esmeralda awaits to be burned at the stake.
dgvnd-lead.png
glockner4.png|Esmeralda dying
dgvnd-esme-qua-pho-end.png
hb03.JPG
Glocknercdcover.jpg|A front cover of the original Berlin Cast album version.
Disney's Der Glockner von Notre Dame - Conceptual Logo Design by Hans Bacher.jpg|A conceptual logo design of the original Berlin version by Hans Bacher.
===Papermill Playhouse===
Hunchback Papermill 01.jpg|Michael Arden as Quasimodo
Hunchback Papermill 02.jpg|Quasimodo (Michael Arden) and Esmeralda (Ciara Renée) during "Top of the World"
Hunchback Papermill 03.jpg
Hunchback Papermill 04.jpg
Hunchback Papermill 05.jpg|Esmeralda (Ciara Renée) and company during "Rhythm of the Tambourine"
Hunchback Papermill 06.jpg
Hunchback Papermill 07.jpg|Phoebus (Andrew Samonsky) and Esmeralda (Ciara Renée)
The Hunchback Musical OST.jpg
Michael-Starobin Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Michael Starobin in the recording studio
The-Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame-Choir Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg
Stephen-Schwartz-and-Alan-Menken Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken
Patrick-Page Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Patrick Page (Claude Frollo) in the recording studio
Michael-Arden Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Michael Arden (Quasimodo) in the recording studio
Erik-Liberman-and-Andrew-Samonsky Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Erik Liberman and Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) in the recording studio
Brent-Alan-Huffman-and-Orchestra Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Brent Alan Huffman and the orchestra in the recording studio
Andrew-Samonsky Photo-by-Nathan-Johnson.jpg|Andrew Samonsky (Phoebus) in the recording studio
8ba58922215e25e79f950c62be5216ea.jpg
== References ==
== 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
Category:Disney Theatrical shows
Category:Musicals
Category:The Hunchback Of Notre Dame