Playhouse Square 56th Season to Include THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) will commence its 2017-18 season at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square with a Fall Repertory that features the soaring musical epic in its Midwest premiere, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Shakespeare's magical comic masterpiece, A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The productions will be performed in rotating repertory September 29 - November 5, 2017. Victoria Bussert will direct The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Joseph Hanreddy will direct A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Music by Alan Menken / Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz / Book by Peter Parnell. Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film) is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.MTIShows.com.

Generous support for The Hunchback of Notre Dame was provided by the Kulas Foundation. The production is part of the Kulas Musical Theater Series at Great Lakes Theater. Media Sponsorship support for the production is provided by R43. GLT's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream is presented with generous support from The Great Lakes Theater Business Alliance. Great Lakes Theater is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. Season support is also provided by the Ohio Arts Council. Media sponsors for GLT's 56th season are FORM Group and Ideastream (WCLV 104.9 FM, WCPN 90.3 FM & WVIZ).

The Fall Repertory begins with the soaring musical epic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. As the bells of Notre Dame's cathedral sound in fifteenth-century Paris, Quasimodo - a deformed, captive bell-ringer - observes the city's Feast of Fools from afar. Escaping his captor Frollo to join the festivities, Quasimodo is rejected by every reveler except the beautiful Gypsy, Esmeralda - with whom he is immediately smitten. However, a handsome Captain and Frollo are equally enthralled by her. As they vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a malevolent mission to destroy the Gypsies and steal her love. It's up to an unlikely hero to ring true and save the day in this transformative musical celebration of love and acceptance.

Shakespeare's magical comic masterpiece, A Midsummer Night's Dream completes GLT's Fall Repertory pairing. An exhilarating tale of midsummer madness, this memorable comedy brims with mistaken identity, mismatched lovers and mischief-making fairies. Shakespeare's charming comedy ensnares myriad lovers and a rustic troupe of would-be actors in a joyful celebration of love lost, transformed and restored - casting a powerfully pleasing spell on audiences of all ages. Great Lakes Theater's award-winning...