Review: Theatre Raleigh's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

Based on Victor Hugo's 1831 novel of the same name and (to a lesser extent) Disney’s 1996 Academy Award nominated animated film musical. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is set in 15th century Paris. The story follows Quasimodo, a deformed bell-ringer who is held captive in the famed cathedral by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo. One day, he escapes to attend the annual Feast of Fools. There, he’s treated cruelly by everyone except a beautiful Romani woman named Esmeralda. Yet as Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the Romani, it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all.

Initially, the Berlin Theatre (now Theater am Potsdamer Platz) in Germany wanted to stage The Lion King. Yet when those negotiations fell through, Disney offered them The Hunchback of Notre Dame instead, marking the first time the Mouse House debuted one of their productions outside of the United States. The stage show ran in Berlin from 1999-2002. An English-languaged version later premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2014. While Disney ultimately decided not to take it to Broadway, an album featuring the original American cast was at least made and released. The stage show has gone on to be produced by various theatre companies.

I’ve never read the original novel, but I am a fan of the animated film. It was made during an era of the Disney renaissance where after scoring big with adapting classic fairy tales, they started taking on bolder ideas. From doing Hamlet in an African safari to retelling the story of Pocahontas to diving into Greek mythology and a Chinese folk tale. With Hunchback in particular, it’s for the most part darker and more mature than any cartoon the Mouse House has ever done before and since. Yet as that one took countless liberties from the source material to make it more family friendly, this iteration is thematically much closer to the novel.

Having now seen the show myself, it’s easy to see why Disney didn’t take it to Broadway. If you look at all the promotional materials, it’s simply titled “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” excluding “Disney’s” from above. Not to mention that from the source material’s listing, it says “Based on the Victor Hugo Novel and Songs from the Disney Film.” That’s enough to let audiences know that this isn’t a straightforward adaptation of the cartoon. This version is much darker and more violent. Thus, it would’ve been a tough sell on Broadway as it’s certainly not for little kids (nor more conservative theatergoers).

With that being said, I was still very much enthralled by the whole thing. Peter Parnell’s book is unique in how the story is told. It’s presented as a congregation where a group of people meet up for a religious worship. In this particular show, everyone in the group are storytellers using descriptive passages lifted directly from the novel and playing multiple roles. All of that is done very effectively. The score consists of most of the songs from the cartoon as well as a bunch of new ones, all penned by composer Alan Menken (who did most of the Disney renaissance films) and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (yes, the songwriter behind Wicked). Together, they’ve crafted some of the strongest work they’ve ever done in their respective careers. Menken in particular is mainly known for his more tuneful melodies, but he really gets to show a different side of himself by tackling much more complex subject matter like this. It’s kind of similar to how we sometimes see actors mainly known for comedies take on dramatic roles. If/when they pull it off, it leaves audiences going “Who knew they had that in them?.”

Theatre Raleigh’s production is actually a site-specific one presented at Vintage Church in Downtown Raleigh. Which makes perfect sense for various reasons. The cast size for this musical gets pretty big when you take the onstage choir into account. Although for a story set in and around a church, it helps make the audience feel even more immersed in the story. Director Eric Woodall’s staging is imaginative in how everything is depicted in a more suggested manner while still having his cast enter and exit throughout different corners of the space. Thus, it still pulls off the best of what Theatre Raleigh does very well, which is immersive productions. On top of that, you also have such lively choreography from Eamon Foley, amazing lighting designed by Jeremy Diamond, and a neatly built set designed by David McQuillen Robertson.

Aside from the onstage choir, there’s about 16 actors in the cast. All of whom take turns providing narrations in addition to providing such rich vocals. Yet at the center of everyone is Julian R. Decker as Quasimodo, who’s actually had a long history with this character. He understudied future Tony-winning director Michael Arden in the role at both La Jolla and Paper Mill Playhouse and went on to play it regionally. Unlike most live action films where the actor wears prosthetic makeup (like Charles Laughton in the 1939 iteration), this stage show has the actor rely more on their facial expressions. A similar tactic used for the title character in Bernard Pomerance’s The Elephant Man. Decker gives quite a mesmerizing portrayal overall. On the outside, he may appear to be a monster, but on the inside, he just wants happiness. Not to mention that he also delivers such soaring renditions of ‘Out There’ and one of the show’s most haunting new songs, ‘Made of Stone.’

Claude Frollo is arguably the trickiest role to pull off. Similar to another character in a classic Victor Hugo novel turned musical, Javert in Les Misérables, he appears to be an antagonist on the surface, but underneath, is very sympathetic. You may not always agree with where he stands, but you at least get where he’s coming from. Graham Rowat is excellent as Frollo, even offering up a powerhouse rendition of ‘Hellfire.’ As the one true friend Quasimodo makes in the story, Calli Brielle’s Esmeralda truly brings a good deal of heart to the proceedings. She also sings such a stunning rendition of ‘God Help the Outcasts.’ As the new head of Notre Dame’s Cathedral Guard, Matt Shingledecker’s Captain Phoebus appears dashing, but he also brings a great amount of humanity to the role. As of the gypsy king, Sai Graham makes for a devilishly charismatic Clopin. He also gets to lead quite a lively rendition of ‘Topsy Turvy.’

If you have tickets to see Theatre Raleigh’s production of Hunchback this week, please be aware it can be hard to keep up with where to look depending on where you sit. Specifically when it comes to focusing on which character is speaking or singing. Other than that, this is still such an emotionally enriching experience from start to finish! To hear such an operatic score performed live by a cast of 16 actors, an onstage choir courtesy of North Carolina Master Chorale, and a 12-piece orchestra is so surreal. Yet above all, the timeless themes of this classic tale still resonate today.

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This production is currently running at Vintage Church in Downtown Raleigh through August 15th. For more information, please click here.

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