A Plea Should "Hunchback" Be Headed To Broadway

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:18pm

Spoilers concerning both the film and stage version of the show.

I loved almost everything about Disney's overseas stage production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The score is, by far, the strongest of the Disney musicals. The set design, which consists of dozens of boxes that move and stack onstage to mimic Notre Dame, and costumes might even eclipse "Lion King" in terms of the wow factor and innovation.

But should it head to Broadway I beg and plead for the writers, director and producers to alter the existing ending away from its current, dark finale.

For those of you who don't know (and this is the spoiler part), the adaptation of the Disney film involves Frollo managing to murder Esmeralda during the seige against Notre Dame. When Quasimodo learns of this, he murders Frollo by dropping him off the side of the cathedral.

I'm fine with dark endings if they support the integrity and message of the show. This ending does not. I'm not sure what Disney was going for in creating this ending in the first place, but should it come to Broadway, it NEEDS to be changed.

Anyone agree?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:20pm

This is not me being facetious or a-holey.

There's a HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME stage show that's not the one that (used to be?) at the amusement park?

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:22pm

Yes, Disney mounted a hugely popular German version of "Hunchback" that ran for five years.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:24pm

http://www.amazon.com/Disneys-Gloeckner-Notre-German-Version/dp/B00002DFMR

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:28pm

It ends like that in the book. I'd prefer they stick with the ending in the book and not try and "Disney-fy" it. They did it justice by staying true to the source material even if the parents weren't so thrilled with it. Now, if they'd just get rid of the singing statues they'd really have something.
Updated On: 6/30/09 at 10:28 PM

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:28pm

Huh.

Who knew?

Everyone but me, apparently.

If anyone has the album, send it my way!

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:28pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gsqDEdUaxA

Forward to the ending of the clip for a hint at the excellent production design with the boxes and projections. Just breathtaking.

[BroadwayBrat4lyfe]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:30pm

I think I've had about enough of Disney does Broadway... *yawn*

[Shubert Alley Cat]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:38pm

I really think this could be a show like LION KING . . . please Disney, consider it?

What are some of the other shows that Disney has in its theatrical pipeline?

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:39pm

CATSNYrevival, I understand what you mean, but I disagree.

Up until the finale, the show had been a fairly straightforward adaptation of the film, not the book (though slightly darker and more gothic) and, therefore, had the same questions, morals and ethics as the film, not the book.

The question raised multiple times in the musical as its overall theme is as follows: "Who is the Monster and who is the Man?"

Obviously this is a reference to Frollo being the monster and Quasi being the man. And yet with the darker ending where Quasi murders Frollo in cold blood, Quasi BECOMES the monster, not the man. By doing that he invalidates everything the musical had been about up until that point and ends with Quasi becoming as evil as his Master. No one learns a lesson besides that everyone can be turned to the dark side and happiness will never come.

The dark finale worked in the book because it portrayed Quasimodo and Esmeralda's relationship as a doomed, warped courtship that could only end tragically. In death, they found peace and reunited, or at least that's what I think Hugo meant to imply when he wrote the scene where they found Quasi's skeleton holding Esmeralda's skeleton in the tomb. In the film and musical it was a deep friendship (yes, Quasi had a crush on her, but Pheobus was the romantic hero) and therefore the message is warped and altered by the ending. Quasi doesn't die in the musical, he lives on as the Monster he becomes.

If it were just a question of being more true to the book I would applaud it, but they are two different entities and must be treated as such.

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:41pm

Disney has done several shows on Broadway already. This is true, but it's no more tired than other various things repeatredly represented on Broadway.

For instance, if another show with a title like "Growing Up Gay: My Life In The Closet" or "Boy Meets Boy: A Romance For Today" showed up, it would be applauded and welcomed, despite the fact that musical after musical has addressed the subject of gay identity until it is no longer a hot-button issue. Yet, should Disney try to bring another show to the stage, it is hackneyed.

I don't mean that in a homophobic or bigoted way at all- it's just that the only two stock plots on the Broadway stage are "movie" and "gay identity." It's equivalent to "terrorist plot thwartable by ONE MAN" or "wacky romance when boy meets girl with issues" in cinema, or "girl and sexy vampires" in books.

[EganFan2]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:45pm

I like dark musicals, for some reason, and I think they should keep the ending, as tragic as it is.

[singtopher]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:47pm

Can someone refresh my memory on two things: 1) How did Frollo die in the film? I just can't remember, and 2) What musical(s) is darquegk referring to?

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:49pm

I'm not at all familiar with the European production, but if they're going to go dark, then they should go dark. My chief complaint with Mary Poppins is that they tried to keep the cute aspects of the movie with the dark aspects of the books.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:50pm

1) Frollo wrestled with Quasimodo and he fell of Notre Dame. Quasi caught his robe and tried to save him, but the fabric broke and he fell to his death.

2) No idea.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:51pm

I would love is Disney brought this to Broadway. It's one of the strongest Disney scores and films but is always overlooked. It's much darker and I think it would be a tough sell, but could do well with critics and award-wise. The design looks absolutely stunning.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:52pm

I think if they're going to adapt the film for Broadway they have to keep the Disney ending. Or it'll no longer be a "family" show.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:52pm

madbrian,I'm fine with dark, I really am.

But the ending seemed to be dark just for the sake of being dark, not because it added to the story or carried a message for the viewer. That's why I have a problem with it. Had the creators altered the entire show to lead to the ending they used, I would have applauded it, but they didn't.

[singtopher]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 10:52pm

1) Thanks. Reading your post I thought "But doesn't kill him in the movie?" I was confused.

2) Great. Glad i'm not the only one confused.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 11:05pm

I think I've had about enough of Disney does Broadway... *yawn*

You signed up today to post that? Are you a disgruntled former Disney employee? You can complain about "big bad Disney" but they helped revitalize 42nd Street with Beauty and the Beast, employees hundreds of talented people, brought people into the theatres, jump started theatre fans, and countless other things.

Most of Disney's films are beautiful and could translate well to the stage. Isn't there a book for Aladdin in the works?

[Scott Briefer]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 11:19pm

I got to see Der Gloeckner von Notre Dame while living in Germany several years ago. It was good, but needed a lot of work before it would have worked on Broadway. What I found so interesting at the time was that the entire design team and a large number of cast members were American despite it being performed in German.

The designs were mostly very good - as mentioned earlier - but their was room for improvement. And, the show definitely needed new choreography. The dancing was sub-Broadway standard. There was also lots of obvious opportunities for improvement. I remember thinking how this could be worked for Broadway.

I too would love to see it revised for New York.

[bubbleblonde]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 11:47pm

Frollo's death was actually a little darker than that. Quasimodo does try and pull him up but instead Frollo swings over to one of the gargoyle gutter things and goes to strike Quasimodo and Esmerelda with a sword. He slips and hangs on to the gargoyle which "comes to life" (symbolising his imminent journey to hell I assume) and breaks so he falls into some lava. It's pretty dramatic stuff even for the typical Disney villain death: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH5toJXxrcE
I guess they altered the ending in the stage musical because it's easier to pull off. Updated On: 6/30/09 at 11:47 PM

[matineeidol2013]

Posted: 6/30/09 at 11:57pm

I might get attacked for this, but I am all for Hercules to become a stage show. It has, in my opinion, the most catchy and memorable score of any Disney film. I also think it is the most funny and entertaining. Right down to the Greek Chorus! Its a great movie that I think would translate well onto stage. (PS Cheyenne Jackson for the lead!)

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:00am

I would love for "Hunchback" to be on Broadway. It is one of my all time favorite Disney movies. And the music wonderful. "Out There" has got to be one of my favorite songs.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:42am

Leave the ending as it is and just bring this to Broadway.