Photo Flash: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Comes to Garden Theatre

Garden Theatre will continue its 2017-2018 season with the soaring musical epic, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Victor Hugo's classic tale of hope, love and passion, with a book by Peter Parnell (On A Clear Day You Can See Forever - Broadway revival) and music by composer Alan Menken (Newsies) and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), soars to life in this emotionally charged retelling of the celebrated classic. Directed and choreographed by Rob Winn Anderson, performances begin Friday, April 27 at 8:00 p.m. with a limited run through Sunday, May 27, 2018.

The love story of the fiery gypsy girl Esmeralda, the scorned bell-ringer Quasimodo and the dashing Captain Phoebus comes to life in this powerful rendition of the timeless tale. Bold theatrics combined with the music's power and choral beauty promise to transport audiences back to fifteenth-century Paris and inside the cathedral walls made famous by Victor Hugo's novel.

The stellar cast is led by Matt Rothenberg as Quasimodo. He was last seen at the Garden as Apostle Peter in Jesus Christ Superstar and recently performed in Madagascar: A Musical Adventure for the Orlando Repertory Theatre.

The kind-hearted gypsy girl Esmeralda is played by Adia J. Seckel who is making her debut with the Garden Theatre. She recently received her BFA in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah Conservatory and University. Benjamin Ludwig makes his Garden Theatre debut as Captain Phoebus. He recently graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Vocal Performance.

E. Mani Cadet joins the cast as Dom Claude Frollo. Cadet is making his Garden Theatre debut and has previously appeared at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Bob Carr Center For Performing Arts, Mad Cow Theatre, as well as multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway tours.

Rounding out the cast of revelers, gargoyles, and gypsies are Esteban Vilchez, Bradley Mack, Michael Cleary, Marissa Volpe, Christopher Loyd, Darryl Pickett, Marla Gideos, Ben Lamoureux, Tamir Navarro, Christina Disla, and Amanda Decker.

The production team includes music direction by Chris Endsley, set design by Joe Klug, costume design by A.J. Garcia, lighting design by Erin Miner, Puppet / Prosthetic Designer: Tom Blasco, sound design by Anthony Narciso, properties design by C. J. Sikorski, and wig design by Megan Szloboda. The stage manager is Christine Kindred.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, www.MTIShows.com.

Proudly presented by Florida Hospital, The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be performed April 27 through May 27, 2018. The performance schedule is Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday at 8:00 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m., plus select Mondays at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now for $34 with discounts available for students, seniors, and educators. Tickets may be purchased by calling 407-877-4736, at the Garden Theatre Box Office at 160 West Plant Street in Winter Garden, or online at gardentheatre.org. Groups of 10 or more can receive a discount on tickets and should call 407-877-4736 x208 or email groupsales@gardentheatre.org.

Additional support provided by Dr. Phillips Charities and Toole's Ace Hardware. This project is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts and Cultural Affairs Program. This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida. This project is funded in part by United Arts of Central Florida, home of OrlandoAtPlay.com and UAArtsEd.com.

Photos by Steven Miller Photography.