Alan Menken Interview - HUNCHBACK CONFIRMED!- Page 3

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 7:17pm

The show should have a Beauty meets LesMis meets Phantom feeling.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 7:26pm

^Absolutely.

I've always said:

NEWSIES is Disney's WEST SIDE STORY.
HUNCHBACK is Disney's LES MIS.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 7:30pm

Beauty is Disney's Phantom, IMO.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 7:39pm

Hunchback is Disney's Phantom.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 8:55pm

Patina Miller for Esmeralda!!!! Christopher Fitzgerald for The Hunchback!!!!

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:00pm

Terrence Mann or Michael Cerveris for Frollo.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:04pm

Totally just my two cents:

This should be a Hyperion show, not unlike Aida. The Lapine book should be retained, with the only serious changes being new sets and costumes, reinstating "The Court of Miracles" (the instrumental ballet "Gypsy Dance" being more of a trope of German productions), and Quasimodo as "looks aren't everything Quasi" rather than "mentally challenged Quasi," possibly requiring some reinsertion of film dialogue to help it.

The casting suggestions I'm seeing are fantastic. If they followed even a few of those and handled the show like I'm suggesting, they would easily have their next Beauty and the Beast.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:06pm

I have said this on the Prinecss and the Frog thread but I will say that Hunchback has more stronger theatrical aspects to make a film like this work on stage.

Quasimodo: Santino Fontana (with very good disfiguring makeup).
Frollo: either Ron Raines or Terrance Mann.
Esmerlda: anyone really.

Hey it's only my casing opinion.

[all that jazz]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:09pm

Ramin as Quasimodo.

[kurt.perry41]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:10pm

I've heard (and Sing from) the Berlin production and there are some crazy vocals in this show. I honestly don;t think most of the guys mentioned to could handle the vocals if they retain the final ultimo, Made of Stone and some other stuff. I hope Drew Sarich (Who did it in Berlin) comes back to do it.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:36pm

Ramin, yes!

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 9:56pm

I, for one, thought the idea of making Quasi's character more like that seen in Hugo's original novel was a beautiful expression of theatricality. The idea that Quasi is this reviled, rough and ugly character who is not only deformed physically but also mentally set against the juxtaposition of his inner artist/virtuoso is so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It gives the character so much more depth, in my opinion.

[onedaymore]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 10:12pm

I wonder what they are imagining for the role of Clopin? Obvs in the movie he's a jester-type, but in the German musical he was a tattered leper (which looked really cool, actually.)

Also, even though she may be a little too old for the part....Mandy Gonzalez for Esmeralda.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 10:17pm

Been waiting for this one for years. Great news.

[Tsao5]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 10:19pm

One of the problems.....one of many........one of the problems when deciding if the Berlin production was going to transfer was in fact how to market it. Does it come in under the Hyperion Banner or does it come in under the Disney banner. The problem was that if the production came in without the Disney name on it, many might not know that it was the version based on the Disney movie. IF it came in under the Disney banner in the form it was in in Berlin with it's very dark mood, no humor and having the female lead die at the end, many parents who brought their children might not be so happy happy. Theater people would have loved it for it's darkness (and of course the music), but families, maybe not.

Drew Sarich is a beast on stage (said as a compliment). When he did the show in Berlin he was 23. By the time the show opens on Broadway, he will be pushing 40. Could he do it, sure. He is currently playing Rocky and has a young sounding voice. So, he would be a great choice.

Made of Stone (the Quasi breakdown number in act 2) was written for Drew (which meant all actors who played the part would have to sing it in the original key). To be able to do that AND be physically fit enough to do the role will not be easy for any actor as, unlike Valjean or Phantom or most roles, the actor is hunched over or on his knees or in some unnatural position that makes breathing/singing much more of a challenge.

The Berlin score was written around the voices of the original cast (both the principals and the ensemble). Michael Kosarin, who does the vocal arrangements of most Alan Menken scores likes to place all the vocal ranges at the very top of their ranges (for example all the tenors had to have strong C's, and a couple high D's.). Finding voices that can do that with the blocking and 8 times a week is not easy, but possible.

One of the casting problems in Germany was actors who were considered to understudy principals could sing the songs for the roles they were considered to understudy but could NOT sing the ensemble music they would have to learn and so were not cast.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 7/16/13 at 10:21pm

"Hunchback is Disney's Phantom."

Hunchback COULD be Disney's Phantom. Lets hope you are right.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 3:57pm

That grand mega-musical style is definitely what they need to shoot for.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 4:42pm

You realize it wouldn't be hard to lower some of Quasimodo's music a little, especially if they are overhauling the show?

[Jamminman]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 9:12pm

Frollo: Brian Stokes
Quasi: Jeremy Jordan
Esmeralda: Lea Michele
Clopin: Billy Porter

[all that jazz]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 9:51pm

I pretty sure Esmeralda has to be black...

Could Alan Cumming sing Frollo? Raul Esparza and Michael Crawford would be interesting choices as well.

Nicole Scherzinger and Naya Rivera could work for Esmeralda.

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 11:02pm

Anika Noni Rose for Esmerelda?

[kurt.perry41]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 11:12pm

Not really, the 11 o'clock number Made of Stone spans over two octaves. Lowering it would put it too low for a tenor and still too high for a baritone. Not to mention the insane tessitura of the whole role in general.

[Tsao5]

Posted: 7/21/13 at 11:43pm

They are not going to lower any of Quasimodo's music. He will be a tenor. Pheobus will be a bari-tenor or baritone and Frollo will be a baritone or bass.

However, the ending of Made of Stone MIGHT be reworked, because the way it ended in Berlin, it did not bring the house down or anything like that. As it ends with, I believe a high C that starts very quiet and is supposed to grow grow to a mix/full with the help of the sound board but with the orchestration that is had, it did not have the punch perhaps needed. It is a cool song but perhaps, they will end it on a B flat full voice. Just a guess. What the hell do I know.

The female lead should have her own song, which she did not have in
Berlin. Some kind of song like It's All the Same from Man of La Mancha or something along those lines that gives the character a bit more heft.

Also, I think she will be Latino rather than black.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 12:45am

"I pretty sure Esmeralda has to be black.."

Joking?

[all that jazz]

Posted: 7/22/13 at 11:07am

"Joking"?"

Not really, I think she should at least be Latino, like Tsao mentioned. It would be kind of odd if they were to cast a white Esmeralda.