THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Will Come to Theatre Raleigh in August
Broadway veterans Julian R. Decker and Graham Rowat lead the cast at Vintage Church on Moore Square.
Theatre Raleigh will bring "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" musical to life in a site-specific production at the stunning Vintage Church on Moore Square from Aug. 12-15, 2026.
Tickets are almost sold out so theatre-goers are encouraged to purchase tickets soon for the two remaining matinees with availability. This is Theatre Raleigh's third Main Stage production of the 2026 season. For the season's first two productions, "Come From Away," and "Dear Evan Hansen," Theatre Raleigh added extra shows to those three-week runs and still they either sold out or came very close.
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is based on Victor Hugo's timeless tale and the beloved Disney film and features a soaring score by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Theatre Raleigh will create the expansive choir needed for this majestic theatrical experience thanks to a partnership with the North Carolina Master Chorale.
"Directing a site-specific production of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' inside Vintage Church is the realization of a dream I've carried for over a decade," said Eric Woodall, the show's director and Theatre Raleigh's artistic director. "I first fell in love with this extraordinary material as casting director on the original La Jolla/Papermill production, and from that moment, I always imagined what it would feel like to experience this story inside an actual church — to let the architecture itself become Notre Dame. Through what can only be described as kismet, Lauren Kennedy Brady and I reached out to Vintage Church and the NC Master Chorale, who embraced that vision wholeheartedly. These partnerships have elevated it beyond anything I could have imagined. This has been over a year in the making, and I cannot wait for audiences to step inside this world we've created together."
The cast includes Broadway veterans and local favorites:
- Julian R. Decker (Quasimodo) performed in "Sunset Boulevard" and "Les Misérables" on Broadway. He also served as Quasimodo understudy in the U.S. premiere of the show at La Jolla Playhouse and starred in the title role at Tuacahn Amphitheatre.
- Graham Rowat (Claude Frollo) brings an extensive Broadway resume — eight shows in all — including "Sunset Boulevard" (the 2014 revival with Glenn Close), "Dear Evan Hansen," "Mamma Mia" and "Guys and Dolls."
- Introducing North Carolina's own Calli Brielle as “Esmerelda." A BFA graduate of Point Park University, Calli has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and at Walt Disney World. She was featured in "Beautiful" at The North Carolina Theatre and most recently starred in Theatre Raleigh's immersive productions of "The Great Gatsby" and "A Starry Affair."
- Matt Shingledecker (Phoebus) portrayed Fiyero in "Wicked" and "West Side Story" on Broadway.
- Sai Graham (Clopin), a Theatre Raleigh favorite, was most recently seen in "Come From Away" and in last season's "Once on This Island" and "Peter and the Starcatcher."
