I was there tonight for the 2nd preview. The lady who spoke before the show said that there were many new changes that had been made for this evening's performance including a new song, but since I didn't see the 1st preview and it looked like the song list in my program hadn't changed I have no idea which was the new song.
The big news was that Michael Arden was NOT on as Quasimodo. Instead we had a male swing, Julian Decker who was very young. He's a 2014 graduate of the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and only has four professional listings for shows at The Muny. That being said he was good, but I'll admit I was very disappointed that Michael was not on this evening.
Don't know whether it's true, but the man next to me who was friends with someone in the ensemble said that Michael Arden would not be doing shows on Tuesdays because of conflicts with filming of "Anger Management". Just know I'll stay away from going on a Tuesday just in case this is true.
The cast was very good:
For me Patrick Page was the star of this show and his Frollo was on stage much more than Quasimodo.
I wasn't a fan of Andrew Samonsky when I saw him in South Pacific at the Lincoln Center, but I really enjoyed him in his role as Captain Phoebus de Martin.
I have never seen Clara Rene until tonight and she was superb as Esmerelda. As someone else said earlier she was born to play Esmerelda. She had great chemistry with Andrew Samonsky and hopefully it's the same with Michael Arden. I really loved her "God Help the Outcasts" and "The Tavern Song (Thai Mol Piyas)".
Erik Liberman was very good as Clopin Trouillerfou.
The Choral Ensemble: SACRA/PROFANA were superb. It was fun to watch them before the show begin walking two by two with music folders onto the stage and then put on their robes and sit in the choral pews in the Notre Dame Cathedral.
The set is the biggest thing I've ever seen them do at La Jolla Playhouse. Notre Dame is perfect just how I remember it when I visited dark and gloomy and fits the mood of this musical. The Bells of Notre Dame which opens the show was incredible and when they lowered them to chime it was a WOW moment from me and the audience.
There is absolutely no humor in this musical until the 2nd act when Saint Aphrodisius appears in "Flight Into Egypt". The audience loved it and that song got some of the biggest applause in the show.
I liked the use of people as the gargoyles and for me it worked although no humor with them as I guess there was in the movie which I've never seen.
Can't believe how many Wicked musical orchestrations there were in songs. One of them and don't know which one it was could have been right out of "No One Mourns the Wicked". I thought Menken wrote all the music but Stephen Schwartz must be writing some too because there were many Schwartz like Wicked touches in the orchestrations.
Another negative for me was some lyrics were right out of Wicked such as "No Deeds Goes Unpunished" in reference to Frollo. It needs to go.
The death scene and I won't say who was really BaaD. Someone earlier said at their show there wasn't a dry eye in the house. At mine I saw no one crying and I was laughing to myself during that scene; that scene needs to be reworked.
The powers to be in the show: Stephen Schwartz with his brown briefcase that I've seen him carry before; Alan Menken and the book writer, Peter Parnall were in the row right in front of me to my right.
For a show that has only had two performances it's in really good shape and it can only get better. I'm looking forward to seeing it near the end of the run to see what changes they'll make and hopefully to see Michael Arden.
The list of songs from the performance that I saw played by a 13 piece orchestra were:
ACT ONE:
The Bells of Notre Dame (Clopin, Frollo, Jehan, Father Dupin, Congregation)
Sanctuary (Frollo, Quasimodo)
Out There (Quasimodo)
Topsy Turvy (Clopin, Cognregation)
[Rest and Recreation (Phoebus, Frollo)]
[Rhythm of the Tambourine (Esmeralda, Frollo, Phoebus, Quasimodo)]
God Help the Outcasts (Esmeralda, Congregation)
Top of the World (Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Congregation)
The Tavern Song (Thai Mol Piyas) (Gypsies, Esmeralda, Frollo)
Heaven's Light (Quasimodo)
Hellfire (Frollo, Congregation)
Esmeralda (Act One Finale) (Company)
ACT TWO
Entr'acte (Choir)
Flight into Egypt (Saint Aphrodisius, Qusasimodo, Congregation)
Rest and Recreation (Reprise) (Phoebus, Quasimodo, Congregation)
The Court of Miracles (Clopin, Gypsies)
In a Place of Miracles (Phoebus, Esmeralda, Quasimodo, Clopin, Gypsies)
Someday (Esmeralda, Phoebus)
Made of Stone (Quasimodo, Congregation)
Finale Ultimo (Company)
Updated On: 10/29/14 at 04:31 AM