A Plea Should "Hunchback" Be Headed To Broadway- Page 3

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 3:11pm

Wouldn't the projection design also be hard to tour? Isn't that essentially why Sunday in the Park with George didn't do a full fledged national tour? Aside from money, of course.

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 8:28pm

I personally did not like Frollo's costumes. I didn't care for Quasi's bright red wig, either. I know it's supposed to be red, just not THAT red. Nor did I care for Esmeralda's hairstyle. But, however, I LOVE Clopin's costume. I just love that role, period.

One thing I'm glad they did was keep most of the original music. That movie is nothing without the Gregorian-like chants at the beginning!

I've thought about Stokes Mitchell doing that role. He'd do it very well, but sometimes I still cannot get over his Don Quixote when I watch him.

The song "Esmeralda", which is the act one finale, has STUNNING music. I absoulutely agree that Phoebus rolling around the stage going into intermission was a little strange. I think it was a little too...open. They should have had Clopin close the number with a sung narrative (like he does for a large chunk of the show with that same melody).

Question: Does anyone think that the bells in Der Glockner were poor for a Disney musical? It makes sense, because Der Glockner translates to "The Bellringer". It's possible that they should have put on stage actual bells and not ropes. Another thing is that with those ropes is that Quasi seemed to barely use them.

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:34pm

I found this nice publicity video.

Yeah, I couldn't agree anymore with those who said the bridge was dumb.

Oh and Question.
Why did they use tradition German folk dances, when this is in France?
Musical Der glockern von Notre dame (the hunchback)

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:47pm

BTW


Oh My God....YOU'RE SIGNATURE IS HYSTERICAL!!!!!

Anyway, I'm sure they discussed all different things to do with Topsy Turvy. They probably choreographed German folk dances for appeal from the audience, which presumably is mostly a German audience (with the exception of a few Americans who think that Der Glockner is too brilliant of a piece to pass up lol)

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:52pm

Oh, I still think they should stay with the same nationalities through out the show.

It was FindingNamo's response to the Billy Elliot performance at the Tonys when they did the Angry Dance over all the other songs.

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:55pm

What songs take place with the beautiful cathedral window in the background?

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/1/09 at 11:56pm

Yes, I got the joke. Because it was the same exact thing I was thinking when I saw the performance lol.

Make sense. When you go see a musical that takes place in Notre Dame (hence the TITLE) expect French, you know? But who knows their decision behind wanting to do German folk dancing.

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 12:03am

just making sure.

Anyways, there a some pretty great clips of the show on that "one site". The opening is pretty haunting. But I remember thinking that when I saw the movie as a little boy.

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 12:10am

To me, the opening is so haunting that there is a certain power to it. :)

I do not know of any specific songs with it in the background. I know that it comes up randomly in the finale. It comes up sometimes when Frollo is talking to Quasi. It might be somewhere in the scene with Esmeralda and Phoebus in the church, not sure. But it's beautiful, I know that. :)

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 12:14am

BTW Yankeefan (I saw the post on the first page), the cast album is out of print. There are used copies on Amazon for 60 dollars. I can't even afford it, and I love this musical!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 1:49pm

Oh, I still think they should stay with the same nationalities through out the show.

It's not as if the choreography looked so stereotypically German that it took anything away from the piece (I wouldn't have known it was German if some Germans hadn't told me). It wasn't like watching them break out into krumping or hip-hop or anything. Nor was there any specific reason to use French folk dancing in a German-language adaptation of an English-language American animated film adaptation of a fictional French story staged in a German theatre. It was just a few signature steps to which the core audience could immediately relate and identify (I mean, look at Beauty and the Beast). I doubt anyone specifically scoffed, "Dear God in Heaven, they're dancing in GERMAN!"

Updated On: 7/2/09 at 01:49 PM

[Ragtime109]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 2:24pm

I just hope that if they bring the show to Broadway that they do it in French since it is set in FRANCE. It does not make any sense to do it in German....what an odd choice on Disney's part.

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 4:03pm

?

[broadway122]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 4:49pm

JustinD I'm pretty sure Ragtime109 is being snarky to me. If not I apologize for assuming wrong.

From videos I've seen I couldn't tell they were doing anything German. But I'm just wondering what the Germans thought of it. Did some feel as though they were taken out of France and into a German town.

Oh well, its not a big deal.

But, Mister Matt what if in fact they did start crumping and break dancing? I know many others, myself included would immediately feel as though they were on a crowded city street in America rather than France.

[darquegk]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 10:26pm

If Drew Sarich declines to take on the role, I can hear Aaron Tveit singing it well, although I'm not sure if he'd want to go from pretty-boy straight to hideous, mentally challenged mutant.

Which is another change for the stage show... The stage script and score for the English workshop of Glockner have passed before my eyes a few times. Quasi is played as borderline-retarded in this adaptation, barely able to speak, despite having been relatively articulate in the film.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 11:05pm

But when he's talking to the gargoyles, he's perfectly articulate.

But hot damn, do I love this score!!!

[breakfree303]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 11:31pm

I'd LOVE to see Hunchback play on broadway!

But with the problems concerning the ending, I feel that changing the ending would please the mass audiences that attend Disney shows (tourists and children), but piss off the more savvy theatre audience.

But if they wind up keeping the ending, audiences would throw out that notion that all Disney shows must end in an upbeat and happy way.

I'm so torn!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/2/09 at 11:48pm

They should have Hyperion produce it instead of Disney like they did with Aida. That way it's not Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame and no one has to worry about the ending.

[Tsao5]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 1:03am

A few randoms:

1. Show ran for 3 years, not 5. Originally the producer, Stella (now long gone) was hoping it would go for 10. But, that being said, it was the longest musical to ever run in Berlin and was James Lapine's longest running, and by far, biggest musical to date.

Quasi was NEVER allowed to stand straight up except in the "epilogue". Draussen (Out There) and ALL his songs and scenes were done with the actor hunched over. Not an easy thing for any of the actors who went on for Quasi as they all had to sing at a disadvantage, meaning in positions that all voice teachers would freak out over. All of them had regular physiotherapy for their back and knee's.

Bringing it in under the Hyperian Banner would cause confusion about whose version of the show it was............thus losing many of the young ones.

It was always a little confusing what exactly Esmaralda died OF. A bump to the head? Smoke inhalation? It was not so clear (at least to me) She is rescued by Quasi off the burning pyre........later dying in his arms with the 3 gargoyles around her. Did she bump her head as he brings her up to his bell tower? Anyway, he is sad then pissed. Frollo enters and basically sings how "now we can go back to how things used to be in our sactuary without her" Quasi attacks Frollo. They wrestle.......Frollo takes out a knife..........they wrestle a bit more.............they KISS........kidding..........they wrestle a bit more, and Frollo falls off the ledge hanging on by one hand to Quasi. Quasi now has the knife. Frollo says : You do not want to hurt me do you? Then, the Jason Alexander gargoyle says, OH YES YOU DO!!!! Quasi then says (yells) You have been a very good teacher Master Frollo! A very good teacherrrrrrrrrrr!!!! Then with the knife, cuts the cloth (or Frollo's hand) and Frollo falls to his death. From where I was sitting..........the whole fight looked REALLY scary (especially for the actor playing Frollo) Quasi then sings how, YES, the world is bad out there but I still have to experience it......the bad with the good. The gargoyles hand Esmaralda to Quasi, who then leaves the belltower with her in his arms........he walks with her through the town folk...............Phoebus meets up with them and joins them then they walk with her dead body "into the sunset" as it were.

No German actor ever played Quasi ( 4 Americans, 2 Swedes, 2 Hungarians)

The score was written around the vocal talents of Drew Sarich, Freddy Lycke (Phoebus) and the international ensemble.

More than likely the show will not come to Broadway in any way resembling the Berlin production.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:02am

"More than likely the show will not come to Broadway in any way resembling the Berlin production."

And that would be a major shame, if Disney can't produce it due to the ending. Hand it over to someone who can.

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 3:26am

Disney wouldn't want to put it on Broadway because of an ending that was changed from the original? Can't they change it back if that's what it takes to get it on Broadway?

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 9:35am

If changing the ending is what it takes to get Drew Sarich back to New York, so be it.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/3/09 at 9:41am

I REALLY want Drew Sarich to be Quasi, but I don't know if he's too old now. To me, he IS Quasimodo, much as I love Tom Hulce-- and I don't normally love Drew in any other role.