Hunchback needs A LOT of work if it's coming to Bday

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 3:35pm

Just saw the La Jolla Playhouse production of Disney's Hunchback and as much as I love this film, this production was botched. The story remains dark, but it's done through storytelling. The whole thing feels like a children's theatre company describing even the most simplistic actions on stage as if you can't see them for yourself. The book was nothing but cliches and the new songs lack all the clever and quality lyrical rhyming that the film has. I expect even someone unfamiliar with the film would be able to spot the added songs due to the drop in quality. While Disney has made a name for themselves through their huge visuals on stage, the storytelling of this show allows them to cheap everything down to one set that gets only minor changes the entire show. And while the Gargoyles are absent, the chorus is twice as annoying as those characters could ever be, talking to the audience like they're 5 year old children at a community playhouse. I've never been more disappointed in a production. I've waited since '99 for them to bring this to the US and it's like watching a theme park show. They truly need to fire the director (Stephen Schwartz's son) and the book writer and get some people in there with a vision for adult theatre, not this garbage. The score is still beautiful and the show could be the best Disney's ever produced, but this concept is lethal. Back to the drawing board, please!

[Producer29]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 3:45pm

I could not disagree with you more. I also was at last nights final performance of Hunchback and the show exceeded my expectations. After being completely disappointed in previous Disney shows, Hunchback delivers the story the way it's meant to be told. I forgot I was even watching a Disney show.

There were minor things in the show that can be tweeked but a production as a whole this early in the game was spot on. You could feel the intense emotion in the room and the show had numerous moments of thunderous applause (If you were there last night, you know what I'm talking about)

Also listening to theatergoers talk during intermission about how dark and intense the show was for Disney was great! They did not dump pixie dust on this show, it was true to the story.

It is one of the best show's i've seen in a long time and I hope it only gets better before Broadway!

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 3:48pm

I couldn't stomach the storytelling aspect. It should have been fully realized sets. It looked dirt cheap. Also, The narrative interruptions killed all emotional momentum. I agree the story is dark, but the way it's told is juvenile. The director was amateurish.

[Producer29]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 3:55pm

I understand what you mean by the storytellers sounding like high school actors, they could probably work on that.

As for the set and lighting I thought it was beautiful, I have no problems keeping it simple, I think it had enough variety that I didn't get the sensation that we never left the bell tower.

I think the biggest hurdle with this production will be the marketing. It's clearly not for kids yet had Disney attached to it. I will be interested on how they market the show.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 3:59pm

I think the biggest hurdle with this production will be the marketing. It's clearly not for kids yet had Disney attached to it. I will be interested on how they market the show.

Time to revive the Hyperion Theatricals imprint...

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:00pm

I just think the show is too epic to hold back with this style. If Mary Poppins can be told fully designed, this certainly can. This style is better suited for kid's shows and I feel a realism design and cutting the chorus would fix it. The singing was great, and I love the story however. My other issue is the cast felt too small for the festival and end battle. It looked empty to me.

[Producer29]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:06pm

I think the chorus was one of the best parts about the show! The score would not have the same impact without them, it was made for this!

Did you not get chills various moments during the show when the entire cast and chorus was belting? When you see the bells for the first time...

I get chills thinking about it.

[Wildcard]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:09pm

Based on the already existing thread about this production, seems like you're in the minority in your opinion about the show.

[Producer29]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:19pm

I agree with WildCard. Just read the other thread.

My only disappointment with the show is that I saw the last performance and won't be able to see it again soon.

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:37pm

I don't understand why some people say it's such an 'epic' story and it should be a big production. It really isn't, it's a story of four people set in one cathedral with a few scenes set outside. The choir may give it a big sound but at its heart It's an intimate story and I think the idea of a smaller scale show is a great way to go both artistically and financially. It could, and has in the past, get lost in a big lavish production

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:52pm

To clarify, I'm not talking about the singing chorus on stage. I'm talking about the storytellers. They made it feel like I was watching a kid's show the way they spoke and commented on the action. The singing choir sounded great. I stand by the need for it to be fully realized though and not done in symbolism. This should be as lavish and realistic as the design for Mary Poppins and Beauty and the Beast.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 4:56pm

Plus I think if they ever revive Tarzan, they could give the physical production more of a traveling fair setting.

[Elfuhbuh]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 5:12pm

Heh. Happy b-day, Hunchback.

[WestCoastActor/Director]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 5:50pm

I totally disagree with your assessment. I found the production very powerful and entertaining. The audience I witnessed at the show would vehemently disagree as well.

I say bravo to a director/production team willing to rely on performers and theatricality instead of high teach sets and special effects. I found the set functional with enough versatility to still have a few surprises. The bells were gigantic (what more can you want?) The on stage choir was used selectively but were extremely compelling and beautiful when they were.

I was very impressed with the fact that 12 actors were the ensemble and all of the other roles. That is what acting is all about.

I don't know what more you would want out of the four leads. They were all incredible in their roles. Michael Arden's gut wrenching final scene was something I won't soon forget. (and his direction of Deaf West/Forest of Arden production of Spring Awakening that was happening at the same time was creative, original and stunning.)

I have no idea what the performance you were at was like but the Saturday night I saw the show was one of the most moved I have seen in a long time and I see a lot of shows. The thunderous standing ovation at the end was one of the biggest I have ever witnessed.

This is a very dark show but still very well done. Not really a family outing and I notice that Disney is not really even making a big connection with it because it is not that close to the animated version. Not everyone likes the same things in a show but I find it interesting that some people feel their opinion is the only one that matters and the whole show should be sent back to the drawing boards because of their comments.

[MoDance0934]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 6:11pm

I have a feeling that it will be heavily worked on before it's run at Paper Mill.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 7:24pm

I'm sure they will do "some" work on the show, but it was very close to being ready for a healthy run on Broadway when I saw it. It was very moving and the "storytelling" works just fine for this version. The set is wonderful, again they can do some work on using it a little more creatively. DISNEY, of course, is saying, "no Broadway plans, but they should just get on with it.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 9:01pm

I also totally disagree with your assessment and the thoughts of West Coast Actor/Director would reflect what I felt when I saw the production. In the real thread where good and bad opinions were given I was one of the first to post seeing the second preview in which Michael Arden was not on as Quasimodo; the swing Julian Decker played the role. It wasn't perfect but I liked what I saw which was that this was not going to be a Disneyfied musical but something that took elements from the movie mixed with the darkness that the original story was.

I also went to the closing performance last night like Producer29 and as he said "you could feel the emotion and the show had numerous moments of thunderous applause". Arden's "Out There" and "Heaven's Light" were greeted with tremendous ovations. Ciara Renee's "God Help the Outcast" was a showstopper, but the biggest applause was for Patrick Page's "Hellfire". Bathed in RED before the end of Act 1 he brought the house down and the applause went on for what seemed like forever. He just had to stay in place bent over on the floor until it stopped.

Everyone in the cast was on fire for the last show and there wasn't one that hadn't improved from the earlier performance that I had seen. The pacing which was sluggish in my preview clicked and the 1st Act the longest just flew by.

There were changes from when I saw it. Don't know when they started doing it but the choir who when I saw it entered periodically from the right and left side of the auditorium before the show started, going on stage and then off to return in a robe and sit in the cathedral was changed. They now entered and took their seats in the cathedral all together with the cast as they entered in robes through the cathedral doors to begin the story. I liked this a lot better and that first number "The Bells of Notre Dame" was still a huge WOW for me.

The Act 1 finale "Esmerelda" was a show stopper with the audience breaking out in applause before it ended and in no rush to head out to the restrooms for potty breaks.

"Flight Into Egypt" was a crowd pleaser even if it's out of place in the darkness of the show. From my seat I could see the people putting the pieces of the stained glass window together which provided me an additional chuckle before the song began. Will be interesting to see if they decide to keep or get rid of it when it goes to Papermill.

Liked that Michael Arden had brought the deaf sign language into his role's interpretation which I now wonder if any understudy would use. Julian Decker didn't the night I saw it for the 1st time.

Still not a fan of all the Wicked lines used in the play but they do fit for the characters and the storyline. The most disconcerting Wicked tinges were for "The Court of Miracles" which was so similar to Wicked's musical styles and the staging was just too similar to "No Good Deed". Unfortunately my two other Wicked friends that I went with all just looked at each other and laughed to ourselves.

The ending which when I saw it the 1st time wasn’t good but they refined it to make it work better and Quasimodo’s final scenes with the Gargoyles & the towns people which were laughable for me before were not now.

Before the music stopped and the show ended people had already stood up for the curtain call; even the Stand-by’s who were all Swings came on.

First time I saw it was *** 1/2 out of ****; this time it was *****!

I agree with CurtainPullDowner that "I'm sure they will do "some" work on the show, but it was very close to being ready for a healthy run on Broadway" if they decide to move it there.

Lastly Tony winner Steve Kazee was in the audience. He drove down with his girlfriend, Michele Beadle without tickets and they were in the Standby line (#15 & #16). They were late in starting the show as they had the few empty seats to fill with Steve and Michele getting sets almost dead center in the middle of the theatre. What did he think of the show? Here's what he posted at Twitter today...

https://twitter.com/SteveKazee/status/544350932759093249

https://twitter.com/SteveKazee/status/544609486057779201

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 10:30pm

I'm not saying they need to "rely" on tech, but it should be told at an adult level. The storytellers talk to the audience like we're kids and their constant narration is unnecessary and pauses the action. I'm not asking for more out of the 4 actors, I want them left alone to actually act. The narrators don't shut up for more than 2 minutes and when they talk they tell us things we can either clearly see, or that the awful storytelling is doing some cheapo version of, instead of doing it at a professional level. The worst offender would be Quasi rescuing Esmeralda. Where they horribly and clumsily carried his across the stage. it was laughably cheap and I can't believe the producers didn't fire this director then and there. Or after the painful appearance of the headless saint. I just found every aspect of the director's concept a failure.

[TheHappyPhantom]

Posted: 12/15/14 at 10:33pm

http://www.thehunchblog.com/2012/01/der-glockner-von-notre-dame-plot/

here's a link to a blog with photos of the German version we should've gotten instead of this mess. With the exception of them cutting the gargoyles, La Jolla is a joke.

[Alessio2]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 12:08am

It's funny how peoples' opinions vary so vastly. What worked for some didn't work for others. For me personally, I love the storytelling aspect of this show. I found it new and refreshing, and overall loved the direction of the show. I absolutly loved this show, and also believe it is quite ready for Broadway with very little changes, if any needed.

[Producer29]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 12:45am

Ring the Bells! Bells! Bells! Bells!

(Standing Ovation)

Hunchback is a Hit! :-p

[gleek4114]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 12:54am

From what the majority are saying, does this production even need the Paper Mill run? It seems like it could just scrap Paper Mill and move to broadway before the Tony cut off. It would undoubtedly shake things up come Tony time if it were to happen that way.

[Nateben2]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 1:10am

i doubt the german production would have worked here - and from my understanding, teh creative team was not always thrilled by that production - and it was eisner's pet project at the time.

i agree its a small show, that oddly requires a lot of voices - this may be one of the best ways to produce.

disney has not announced any plans for this to go to Broadway, but I am interested to see what happens with it next.

[ShakinBaconGirl]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 1:38am

"Based on the already existing thread about this production, seems like you're in the minority in your opinion about the show."

Not really. If the show comes Broadway in the form it's in now..it's going to bomb...badly..

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/16/14 at 1:54am

"Not really. If the show comes Broadway in the form it's in now..it's going to bomb...badly"

Really? I thought the previous thread was mostly a love letter to the show. I didn't get too much of a bomb feeling from it. I did give up reading it after a few pages though.