#76
Posted: 8/29/16 at 3:37pm
Glenn Casale's The Hunchback of Notre Dame — Page 4
#77
Posted: 8/29/16 at 6:58pm
Julian Decker is on YouTube doing Out There and Made of Stone. This kid has an incredible voice.
#79
Posted: 8/30/16 at 1:57am
One thing I forgot to mention in my review is that the Music Circus program didn't mention who the members of the choir were. I really didn't like that.
#80
Posted: 8/30/16 at 3:59am
Hi, Richard -
I saw the show, and I noticed in the Playbill that there was an entire page with a description of the choir as being connected to Sacramento State, with photos and a list of the members. It might've looked a little more like an ad, so maybe you didn't realize it?
#81
Posted: 8/30/16 at 10:38am
The only way this will ever be successful is if they try to capture the magic of the Disney movie and put it onstage somehow. They did a good job with Aladdin and Mary Poppins, but I saw the Papermill production of Hunchback last year and was left unsatisfied.
A big choir and interesting costumes are not enough. It deserves pyrotechnics and more creativity in the staging.
#MoreFire
#82
Posted: 8/30/16 at 10:49am
I'm glad you enjoyed it Richard. I saw it for the 4th time on Sunday and just sobbed through it. So moving.
We're so lucky to have Music Circus in Sacramento. They do such great work, and for us musical fans, having a little Broadway in town every summer is fantastic!!
#83
Posted: 8/30/16 at 10:51am
I disagree. I'm still amazed at how much more I enjoyed the show at Music Circus. La Jolla was just not great in my opinion. I think the addition of a deaf performer, and the staging in the round, made it much more interesting. I don't think it would run for years on Broadway, but I think a limited run would work great.
#84
Posted: 8/30/16 at 11:02am
I admit that I'm yet to watch the entire show (it's all up there on YouTube), but based on what I've seen as well as the cast recording (which I am somewhat obsessed with), the metatheater ("We're putting on a show for you!"
approach has moments where it works beautifully (like when Arden put on the hump in front of the audience and transformed into Quasimodo) and others where it is just painfully pretentious. I hate narration in theatre. Don't TELL us, SHOW us. I have actually been in another musical version of Hunchback myself and the show had the same problem - too much damn narration.
That said, there are some truly amazing songs in the score, and it's a great story. I don't think it would have done well on Broadway, but I'm glad it's getting a healthy regional life.
#85
Posted: 9/1/16 at 7:10am
Did Glenn Casale or Tuachan fix the horrible staging of the finale? Quasimodo swinging, the molten lead, the narration and Frollo's death were all unforgivable.
Also if I was directing I'd cut Thai Mol Piyas. Totally weighs down the show and adds nothing.
#86
Posted: 9/1/16 at 2:45pm
owenblinky said: "Did Glenn Casale or Tuachan fix the horrible staging of the finale? Quasimodo swinging, the molten lead, the narration and Frollo's death were all unforgivable.
"
For Music Circus, they didn't fix it. In order to fix it, they have to revise the book. The scene of molten lead to kill the guards while being narrated slowed the tempo way down. Frollo's death was okay, not great but it was forgivable.
#87
Posted: 9/1/16 at 3:30pm
Anyone know if their is a naughty video of the Music Circus production yet?? I'd love to watch Lesli in the show
#88
Posted: 9/15/16 at 4:14pm
Here's a video Montage from Tuacahn's production
https://www.broadwayworld.com/salt-lake-city/article/STAGE-TUBE-THE-HUNCHBACK-OF-NOTRE-DAME-Comes-to-the-Tuacahn-Amphitheatre-20160912
#89
Posted: 9/19/16 at 7:33pm
La Mirada Theatre's production of "Hunchback" has opened and there are two really GR8 reviews which are spot on with what I saw on Opening Night last Saturday night.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BWW-Review-Musical-HUNCHBACK-On-Top-of-the-World-at-La-Mirada-20160919
"Hunchback is a feast for the eyes, the ears...and the soul. Sticking to the darker emotions of the novel, and keeping plot details to a minimum book writer Peter Parnell relies on intense characterization to keep the story riveting".
"Marvelously staged by Casale with vibrant choreography from Dana Solimando, Hunchback's outstanding ensemble of McGinty, Jacoby and Simone make these legendary tragic characters come to exhilarating life."
"I saw the original production of Hunchback in La Jolla two years ago, which later played the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. It was big, bold and wonderful. This somewhat smaller rendering with a deaf actor in the title role reminded me of those great productions at Deaf West Theatre in LA with their terrific sense of intimacy, and with two actors in one role, a real sense of community. Marcy Froelich is to be lauded for her beautiful costumes, especially the dress in purple for Esmeralda, and let's not forget musical director Dennis Castellano whose orchestra brings the gorgeous score to life." (I wholeheartedly agree with these comments)
https://www.stagescenela.com/2016/09/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-2/ gives it a WOW!
My favorite comment is
"Impressed as I was by The Hunchback Of Notre Dame’s musical theater debut two years back, that original incarnation pales in comparison to the miracles Casale, McGinty, and the La Mirada/McCoy Rigby creative team have performed. If they can get Act Two in a bit better shape, it won’t take a gypsy fortune teller’s crystal ball to see Broadway beckoning."
Things I noticed:
In La Jolla there was no curtain, but there is in La Mirada. When it rises it reveals the Notre Dame Cathedral which although as stated in the review is much smaller; I liked it more than what was used in La Jolla just proving that bigger is not always better.
All the staging, costumes (SO MUCH BETTER THAN LA JOLLA’S) and props were brought from Sacramento to La Mirada.
The dancing is much better especially in the gypsy scenes such as “Topsy Turvy” and were choreographed by So Cal’s BEST choreographer, Dana Solimando who originated the role of Tiger Lily in ‘Peter Pan’ with Cathy Rigby.
La Jolla had a very impressive choir!! The 1st time I saw it there the choir members walked on stage before the performance to take their seats, but then on Closing Night they were already on stage sitting in the back. In this production they’ve moved them upstairs on the right and the left. There were also more of them, a total of 31, in La Mirada, more than in the cast which is a total of 21. By putting them upstairs it allows them to use the back of the stage for other scenes. ??
For those of you that saw it at La Jolla remember the Act 2 number, “Flight Into Egypt”--Big in the movie-- sung by St. Aphrodisius which was done in a comical manner with a face singing the song at the top of a Pyramid set. Although enjoyable it didn’t fit and was out of place in what is a dark musical. It’s been transformed and as mentioned in the first review works much better now.
It still has some bummer moments that were in La Jolla:
· The bucket of fire poured from above turning into a red scarf is still there ? and laughable.
· Frollo’s death scene, but it’s 100% better than what was done in La Jolla.
Casting at La Mirada is mostly the same that was at the Sacramento Music Circus with the exceptions of:
Lesli Margherita who was suppose to be in La Mirada as Esmerelda but returned to Broadway to close out ‘Matilda”. She was replaced with Cassie Simone who I’ve seen before there as Mimi in ‘Rent’. She was wonderful and her two songs, “God Bless the Outcasts” and “Someday” were GR8!
The Singing Voice of Quasimodo in this video was replaced with Dino Nicandros who was in Sacramento as one of the Gargoyles. He was fantastic and the dual singing/signing aspect which didn’t fully work in the La Jolla production really worked well here. Their "Out There" brought the house down! They were the stars of the night!
Keith Bearden, a long time Wicked swing star played Clopin and the head of the gypsies in the La Mirada production. Clopin’s role which was as the narrator in the movie was much bigger in the La Jolla production, but now it’s smaller. They should just remove Clopin from the show and give it to the Gargoyles. I loved the Gargoyles here who signed with Quasimodo and in La Jolla they did not!
I just bought another ticket to see it again on September 28th and then I'll be seeing it with my season seats for the closing performance on October 9th.
Anyone in SoCal who missed this when it was at the La Jolla Playhouse this is MUST SEE musical theatre.
#90
Posted: 9/19/16 at 8:20pm
Here's a pod cast where they reviewed the show.
https://soundcloud.com/user-127218348
Sounds pretty good.
#91
Posted: 9/19/16 at 8:39pm
Heard a great review of this production on KFI radio while driving to work this (early) morning. I first saw the production in Berlin years ago and am excited to see this new iteration!
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