A Plea Should "Hunchback" Be Headed To Broadway- Page 2

[Eris0303]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:45am

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

By turning Quasi into a killer they take away the whole moral of acceptance and the audience (especially the kids) walk away with no lesson. The whole purpose of the Disney film is to show that it's not you that needs to change but society.

[BroadwayBound115]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:57am

GIVE STEPHEN SCHWARTZ ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN A TONY!!!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 1:23am

God no. That's the only down side to this. More sh*t by Schwartz. Though, to his credit, I think his lyrics for the Hunchback film are some of the best he's written. It seems he does better when he's not also having to focus on music.

[J'aime GG]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 1:25am

It might scare the hell out of some kids, but I can't imagine this not being a huge hit. The score is just that powerful and the production that impressive. Why this Disney movie has been sort of swept under the rug, when it is clearly one of their best in ages, is beyond me.

[actormcfamous]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 1:41am

Disney had to build its own theatre in Germany to house the production because the design and shifting/raising set pieces (chunks of set, really) were too elaborate to install in any existing theater. I would think that would prohibit them from using the same design in New York should the production transfer - not saying it would kill a transfer, but there'd probably be some redesigning going on.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 5:41am

IMHO the Dennis DeYoung version is SO much better!

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 8:18am

Here is my 3 cents.

I like the dark ending, what I didnt like is at the very end everyone came back on as if no one had died (i dont mean curtain call, I mean just before the end) this gave the impression that the whole show was to be viewed as being told by a bunch of actors, as opposed to trying to represent an event in real time, this is fine, but they do not establish this in the begining, so it just looked odd to me to see all these dead people come back on as if nothing had happened.

I understand the comments about keeping the ending, but honestly I prefer the darker more realistic ending.

as for the design, as groundbreaking as it was, I am 100% sure if they decided to bring it back it would have a totally different creative team. As was said, there isnt a theatre on Broadway that can accomodate that set, asside from the raising platforms, there were ledges to the side, this needed a very wide stage. The New Amsterdam has a rather narrow almost square shaped pros-arch. the only 2 theatres wide enough for that design would be the winter garden and mamma mia isnt going anywhere (although I am not sure if the winter garden would have enough room under and above the stage) and the gershwin.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 9:03am

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.

The costumes were wonderful, but didn't rival Lion King in terms of originality or innovation. The boxes rising out of the stage floor with projections shone on them to create the settings was interesting for a couple of scenes, but I grew bored and weary of that one gimmick for over 2.5 hours. After the first 20 minutes or so, you've seen everything this show has to offer and there was really nothing new to look at after that. Just blocks and projections. The Notre Dame interior during God Help the Outcasts was the one truly stunning visual in the show. But as far as comparing it to The Lion King for wow factor and innovation, Hunchback has some interesting ideas, but doesn't even come close.

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.

That was the biggest improvement on the animated film. It stuck to the roots of the story. Should they ever bring the show to Broadway, I would hope they keep that ending. Honestly, they could keep most everything the same except the set and the choreography. Oh, and end the first act with the Hellfire number.

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 9:26am

I think so.

The show (which was titled Der Glockner von Notre Dame) in Berlin, is incredible. The music is absolutely breathtaking, and the set was brilliant. Simple concepts, but brilliant. (11 cubes that rise and lower to any level, and projections of images that come from every angle making the set look realistic) I think that the cubes is an original idea compared to the elaborate set pieces of The Little Mermaid and Lion King. I personally hated the Hunchback stage costumes, I thought they were weird.

We all know that this was not Disney's happiest piece. And it was their worst grossing movie as well. But I think they should really go out on a limb and at least open it on Broadway for a year. It's not exactly the most "family" piece of theatre out there, as they always aim for, but it's DIFFERENT. With the closing of Little Mermaid, this should definitely take this risk.

Aaaaaand...

Drew Sarich should reprise. Big. Time.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 10:23am

Drew Sarich was fantastic and could be even better with more interesting staging. I never understood why he was directed to sing Draussen (Out There) on his knees for nearly the entire duration of the song.

The costumes for Hunchback were weird? Other than the gargoyles, which were quite beautiful, I seem to recall the costumes rather closely resembling the designs from the film. I'll have to try and dig out my old souvenir program, but I don't remember thinking any of the costumes were particularly odd.

This photo is the interior set for Notre Dame and the one scene I remember being stunningly beautiful. The rest really looked like a slide-show presentation against some blocks. You can sort of see the block pattern on the floor. The fact that the blocks were not used in this scene is what made it so much more visually striking. The rest sort of looked like how-many-things-can-we-make-out-of-cubes over and over and over again. And of course, since we have to revisit the same locations, we get to see the previous designs all over again. I think there might have been maybe two scenes that didn't use the blocks: Topsy Turvy and God Help the Outcasts.

PS - Though I didn't care for the rather simplistic choreography of Topsy Turvy, I was informed by some native Germans that the choreography was intentional and based on well-known traditional German folk dancing, so it's not about "bad" choreography. It really was a cultural thing.

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 10:33am

Mister Matt when you find your program would you mind posting some more pictures?

[Barnaby151]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 10:45am

Give me some Brian Stokes Mitchell as Frollo

[sopranobiz]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:24am

I will only go if everyone wears wheelies!!

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:27am

I really, really want Hunchback on Broadway. I think it is by far the best-written, best-scored and most theatrical Disney musical movie. Drew Sarich's rendition of "Out There" is glorious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=853EkBX78NQ But I personally believe that Terrence Mann would be the best Frollo ever. He even looks a bit like him-- yet another reason why I want this show on Broadawy.

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:31am

Perhaps the original designer can revisit the designs cutting out the cubes and relying more on drops.

although the scene where phoebus falls off the bridge and the large cross when they cry out "sanctuary" was a very nice visual

I actually like the gargoyles, they are not as stupid as in the movie and they really worked as Quasi's sub-conscious.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:36am

I definitely agree about the gargoyles. I felt like the weakness of the movie was that it never really made it clear that the gargoyles are in his imagination, though it's hinted at a few times. For a movie with no real 'magic' in it, having talking gargoyles was just weird.

[SingingCats]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:37am

This'll sound played-out by now, but I agree that Hunchback is one of the best scored Disney movies out there. Why no one ever seems to mention it is deeply upsetting. Someone mentioned Hercules as well, which is not as dark as Hunchback but still has a really fun score.

[Little-Lotte]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:51am

Please don't "Americanize" the ending. I'm so sick of the excuse that kids will be scared and that it should be a family show. I give Steven Schwartz so much credit for refusing to bring it to Broadway with a changed ending. Rumors have been going through the pipeline for nearly a decade now but I still don't think that the ending or any of the other dark qualities should be taken out.

I also don't agree with the fact that Quasi becomes the monster. Granted he didn't hand over Frollo to the authorities or whatever in the end, since Frollo was the authority. He committed justice where Frollo for years and years was a monsterous tyrant. The man killed the woman he loved and his own mother for god sakes, I think Quasi has a legitimate reason for doing what he did!

Anyways I would totally LOVE to see this production finally make it here but in an unaltered state at least as far as the script is concerned. And if Drew Sarich doesn't play Quasi, there's just no point because he was really the heart of that production.

Here's more pics for those who were asking.
Glockner Pics

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:58am

It's not that the ending is going to be "Americanized," it's that it simply is tacked on for no reason other to be dark. It doesn't fit with the rest of the show (entirely available on Youtube for those of you interested). If the show was altered to point to the current ending and make it fit with the character arcs, I would be all for it, but it doesn't, and therein lies my problem.

And how does murdering a man in cold blood not make you a monster? Quasi wasn't avenging those deaths, he was taking revenge.

[Justin D]

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

I could never understand why they were all those tiny lines in the faces of the cubes. Is that from the projection? some thing to help the projection? were the projections projected from the house or from within the cubes?

Updated On: 7/1/09 at 12:00 PM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:06pm

That is stunning...

[Hest882]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:20pm

Okay, this discussion now makes me want to see a Disney Broadway production for the first time. I loved the score to the movie and remember marveling at how adult some of the scenes were. If they keep something closer to the orginal Victor Hugo ending as opposed to the saccharine animated ending I'd be all over this.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:39pm

although the scene where phoebus falls off the bridge and the large cross when they cry out "sanctuary" was a very nice visual

I remember the large cross being nice, but the bridge scene? Was that the first act finale? What I remember was the bridge being a couple of rows of blocks with a projection on them (of course) and the river being a moving projection on the floor to look like a rushing river. Phoebus was lying on the floor sort of writhing around, holding onto the blocks and then he lets go and rolls around waving his arms about a la Javert in the moving water projection. There may have been a harness involved, but I don't really remember that well. The only time I saw it was ten years ago. I do specifically remember at the time thinking it looked kinda goofy and was a very awkward spot to put an intermission. I know they were going for a cliffhanger effect, but as most people who are interested in seeing this particular show on stage, they probably have seen the film which would eliminate tha majority of the suspense. Plus, it just didn't have the dramatic punch that Frollo's terrifying song has.

[ulkis]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 12:57pm

I get the original poster's point that Quasimodo shouldn't throw Frollo over the ledge, but what I'm most concerned about is Esmeralda staying dead. Because she should die at the end, because imho, Esmeralda and Pheobus walking away to live happily ever after while poor Quasimodo stays behind is in a way, even more horrible. (The 1939 film got that; the Disney film in an attempt at tricking kids I guess tries to make it seem happy.)

But if it meant getting the show on Broadway, I'm almost ready to accept the Disneyfied ending, because at least the rest of the show would be awesome.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 1:33pm

rosscoe(au) - What makes that image stunning is how it looks in the publicity photo. On stage you could see the projection on the actors in that scene and while the giant stained glass thing is cool, the silhouettes didn't really look like that photo when viewed live.

The projections definitely did not come from the blocks as you could see the blocks moving behind the projections at times. Projections visible on the set pieces came from the house while projections on the backdrops came from behind the stage. I don't know what the little black lines were for, but I absolutely remember seeing them from the audience. It looked almost as if everything was projected onto venetian blinds. But it was only the projections from the house. The backdrop projections didn't have the lines and were much more steady.