Who's ready for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame?

[Overkill]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 5:12am

I know I am. Such a GORGEOUS score and story that lends itself so well to stage. Can we get this on Broadway already???

Jonathan Freeman as Frollo. Hello?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:40am

while I'd likely bring my kids to see this, I don't have a lot of interest in disney shows on b'way. I've only been truly impressed with one, and I cannot STAND to be in the theater with that many ill behaved children.

[candydog2]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 8:12am

Great as it would be, it certainly wouldn't be the same as the acclaimed European production. It'd be dumbed down and softened for the family audience if it went to Broadway. Sad but true.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:02am

No.

You want to move another Disney movie to Broadway? HERCULES. That one's been screaming for a stage adaption. The rest are just "movies on stage".

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:05am

HUNCHBACK is one of Disney's weakest animated films. Let's keep this one far from the stage, please.

[trentsketch]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:15am

I remember when Walt Disney World's MGM Studios had a stage adaptation of Hunchback running. It was before they started experimenting with the big Circle of Life show or the Tarzan stunt spectacular. It was actually really good. The music translated well to the stage and they actually went much darker than you would expect. It was more the fire and brimstone elements than the cutesy singing gargoyles and hope for humanity element. Of course, they did use a lot of puppetry, but the stage was pretty small.

I'm all for it if they don't whitewash all the tension and social issues out when they make it a two act show. The movie still had the fool's day sequence where everyone mocked the hunchback, Esmeralda's sad little song about outcasts, and Frollo literally singing about the flaming pits of hell. It wasn't all sunshine and lollipops until the last five minutes. Then they ruined it. But up till the point, it was pretty dark for a Disney animated musical.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 10:50am

^ James Lapine wrote a new book for the German version that toned down the cutesy elements, cut Esmeralda's resurrection, and darkened the whole thing in general. That won't fly on American shores, where Disney is a slice of family entertainment. Last I heard, they'd engaged Craig Lucas to do work on the book for an American transfer, but that was several years ago.

[Overkill]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 11:58am

"HUNCHBACK is one of Disney's weakest animated films."

Tarzan, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, The Rescuers, The Aristocats, Fox and the Hound, Oliver & Company, Robin Hood, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Home on the Range, Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, Atlantis, The Emperor's New Groove...

All movies that I love, but THESE are the weakest of the Disney animated films. HUNCHBACK is faaar from it. In fact, I see it as one of the best.

It's one of the most beautiful scores of all the Disney films, the story is very dark as mentioned and it's fabulously written to make it fit into the Disney genre. Let's not forget, in the actual story, Quasimodo is even more deformed, monster like, deaf, NOT a sweetheart and Esmerelda (even after he saves her life, the first time) is still repulsed and terrified of him. I LOVE the character they gave Quasi and the emotion and depth. Disney may change things to make them cutesy and lighter, but in the process, sometimes it actually works for the better. And we always seem to focus on the negative in this, and never the positive. Disney doesn't ruin EVERYTHING by putting the Disney spin on it. There's a reason these films were such huge successes, it was the Disney spin on the stories that made them more appealing to a wider audience, and sometimes even made the story itself better. I don't know about you, but I prefer the Disney versions of The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin and Pocahontas over any other. And when you hear these titles, most people automatically think of the Disney films. Not Hans Christian Anderson or Arabic folk tales. There's a reason for that.

While I agree, they would most likely cut the things that made the European production so great out, (Esmerelda dying, Quasimodo killing Frollo) even with the movie stuff added back in, that wouldn't mean the show would be awful. It's still dark and dramatic in tone. Unless they make it cutesy and just cut out half the story, there's no way it can't be a dramatic, epic, dark story. There is no way they wouldn't squeeze the last drop out of "Hell Fire" on stage. Why would they take the risk in a family FILM and not on Broadway? More people have seen the movie than anyone would ever see on Broadway.

The MGM show was fabulous and you can watch the entire thing, Pro-Shot here:
http://vimeo.com/3878526

I have a soft spot in my heart for HUNCHBACK (as you can probably tell, lol) As a kid, seeing the movie, I walked away thinking it was good, but still prefering Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. As I got older, especially as of late, I have begun to appreciate the story and beautiful music and the humanness of it all. This is one of the only movies in the Disney Renaissance era, where I could actually BELIEVE it happened. The rest are all fairy tales and talking animals. It's just the most real, and that's why I think it would lend itself so well to stage. Better than any Disney film. And also...I must hear "Out There" sung on the Broadway stage before I die. lol

Thank you for endulging me. :)

[THDavis]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 12:17pm

I think Hunchback is dying for a stage production. All of that beautiful music would sound terrific if it was expanded for the stage and I can only imagine the visuals would be absolutely stunning. If Disney would allow those darker elements to fly on Broadway, then I think it'd truly be something special. I'm sure it wouldn't happen, but it's a wonderful story and Menken and Schwartz wrote beautiful music for it.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:00pm

I've been ready for like 4 years. I love the new songs (including the new arrangement of Someday) and James Lapine's book. It's so dark and draws so much emotion and power. And the innovative set with the cubes...yeah it better be amazing. And they best not change the ending.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:10pm

The German book restores another element of Quasimodo's character, but I am unsure whether it works for better or for worse.

In the Disney film, the point is repeatedly made the Quasimodo only LOOKS like a freak- he is a sensitive, brilliant and artistic spirit trapped in a body that prevents him from attaining his true potential. In the German musical, much more like the book, Quasimodo is implied to be not only deformed, but both insane and mentally retarded. Only when he sings do we see any verbosity or rhetorical skill. A much darker story and much more unique leading character, true, but that change seemed to dampen the main theme of the film- that looks are deceptive, and that piety may hide evil just as deformity hides brilliance.

Would you prefer the intelligent Quasimodo of the film, or a more book-accurate mentally handicapped Quasimodo?

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:46pm

I like my Quasi like I like my Tobias Ragg: Mentally retarded and ultimately validated by murderous vengeance. And I like my Esmeralda like I like my Lovette: Incinerated.

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:55pm

With the exception of Demi's voice over, I thought the animation has one of the best scores and has potentials to be a good stage musical provided they tweak the book and change (remove) some of the corky characters. With the perfect casting, amazing lighting and dramatic set, it could work! My vote goes to Hunchback first before Aladdin.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 1:58pm

And remove the corky characters they did! And all the lame cartooney antics are gone. As for humor, there is a pedophile joke within the first 10 minutes of the play!

[musicaltheater1]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 2:10pm

Thanks, rougeduck. Is there a workshop? I'm currently listening to Menken's score. Quite dramatic. Out There is such a beautiful song and can be the signature piece. And Tom Hulce singing in the film? Who would have thunk! I heard a piece from the German production. Was it Drew Sarich that sang the song? Not bad, they definitely need to cast the role to a powerful singer and actor.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 2:14pm

Drew Sarich should definetly reprise his role. He is phenomenal! And there used to be a definitive fansite with the script, videos, and other wonderful things but it was taken down. If anyone still has the script, I would love a PM. The original cast recording is definitely worth a listen.

[socarrat]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:28pm

If the man himself is to be believed, Alan Menken said they were definitely working on bringing Hunchback to the US.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_EXCLUSIVE_Alan_Menken_Talks_TANGLED_SISTER_ACT_LEAP_HUNCHBACK_ALADDIN_More_20101115_page2

Of all the Disney film scores, this is my favorite. I must've worn the CD out. If they use Lapine's book, and according to that interview they are, it'll be a wonderful production. No way I'll miss it!

I agree that Drew Sarich did an amazing job, but I wouldn't mind seeing someone new with a fresh and incredible voice.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:38pm

Rougeduck: "corky" characters? I think you meant quirky characters.

I'm not making fun of you for the error...until I was nearly 30 I thought the phrase was MUTE point (as opposed to MOOT point).

Of course, maybe you did mean corky...but I don't know what that would actually refer to.

[Overkill]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 6:43pm

"I like my Quasi like I like my Tobias Ragg: Mentally retarded and ultimately validated by murderous vengeance."

I agree to an extent. I think you lose a lot of the sympathy for the character when he's like this, though. Also, I really think that when they bring it over, that'll be one of the things they change. He'll be a lot more like the film, which is what I'd prefer. I love the smart, sweet, human Quasi. It would be nice if they could find a happy balance with both.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 8:32pm

"Tarzan, The Black Cauldron, The Great Mouse Detective, The Rescuers, The Aristocats, Fox and the Hound, Oliver & Company, Robin Hood, Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Home on the Range, Brother Bear, Treasure Planet, Atlantis, The Emperor's New Groove."

You take that back about TGMD! The rest, I could not give a flip about. The Great Mouse Detective had one of the best hero-villain battles and had dark moments that rivaled anything done by Disney. I do not even think Disney could make a hand-drawn animation movie like today. The Ratigan song, anybody?

I actually love Hunchback's songs in the film. Hearing about the stage version actually impressed as far as Disney productions go. I think it could work but it would have to be advertised very differently. I remember the original movie, way, way, way tamer than this musical, getting great reviews for being very different from the usual Disney fare but at the same time it definitely did not appeal to kids like other Disney movies and when it had those elements expected in a 90s Disney film, the gargoyles, it seemed out of line with where the tone, in story and songs were going. I actually appreciate the movie now more than I did when I saw it in theaters.


Updated On: 7/16/11 at 08:32 PM

Posted: 7/16/11 at 8:34pm

I've really liked what I saw of the James Lapine production they did in Germany, and the added music is gorgeous. But I get why Disney was too scared to bring it, despite being a hit, to the USA. The movie already suffered from perhaps Disney's most schizophrenic style - there were some great dramatic moments, and then you'd have comic slapstick battles and gargoyles making fart jokes. I'm sure the creative team behind the movie were pretty frustrated making it (i know it was largely the team that did Beauty and the Beast and they thought they'd be able to do something more serious, but Disney got scared and insisted on some elemtns).

The stage version wisely changed a lot of this--they gave it a downbeat ending with Esmeralda dead (as she should be), and even managed to make the gargoyles a bit more palatable as less comic figments of Quasi's imagination. Most of the humour was dropped. That's as it should be (it certainly works a lot better than the Notre Dame de Paris musical did). But on Broadway audiences would bring kids who would be either scared, bored, or sad (mostly--I know some kid theatre goers are actually pretty savvy, but...), many parents would complain about the religious/sexual tones, let alone the ending, it's a no win situation.

For a while they were going to use the German production as the basis for a TV musical, but I think that disappeared with Eisner leaving Disney. It's too bad, judging by the German production it was an infinitely more interesting work than Mermaid on stage, not to mention of course Tarzan.

(Didn't we just have a thread about this last month?)


And about Disney's animated films, yes there was a ton of mediocricy especially in the post Walt pre Mermaid era (though I think Great Mouse Detective has some charm--and The Rescuers actually holds up remarkably well, much to my surprise it's a good film). The nadir was Robin Hood, which is just sooo mediocre, there's zero effort--at leat with disasters ike Black Cauldron they were ambitious and trying something new. There's a great documentary about all that that came out last year, Waking Sleeping Beauty. You can see why Don Bluth left Disney to make the exquisite Secret of NIMH. Of course Bluth's stuff quickly fell apart too, but... Updated On: 7/16/11 at 08:34 PM

[Overkill]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 8:54pm

Well, I wasn't saying that they were all BAD. I love every one of them...excluding Robin Hood. Not only was that one mediocre, but I hate the story of Robin Hood. Period. No versions of that story appeal to me. Anyways, I was just saying that compared to HUNCHBACK, they were all weaker and Jordan said Hunchback was the weakEST. That's all.

I do LOVE TGMD, btw. And Waking Sleeping Beauty is definitely a must see. It's brilliant.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/16/11 at 9:22pm

I was actually responding to musicaltheatre1's use of corky, but you know, whatever.

[rougeduck]

Posted: 7/17/11 at 2:21pm

The stage musical is just so much stronger and different then the movie. I feel like it should be released and treated as any new musical...with a bajillion dollars to use on marketing. Aida wasn't exactly family friendly but it still had the disney name on it.

[hotjohn]

Posted: 7/18/11 at 6:20pm

I've always considered Hunchback to be Disney's best score since Walt's tenure - "Out There" never fails to bring a lump to my throat (is it just me or is there a huge gay subtext to the song?).

I also loved the Walt Disney World version and the Topsy-Turvy Day Parade was amazing!
Updated On: 7/18/11 at 06:20 PM