I have a bright idea...tell me what you think...

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 7:53pm

In my humble opinion, I think that if they can pull off The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, Disney should do Hunchback of Notre Dame. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I seriously think it could happen. What do you guys think?

[Rob]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 7:57pm

It was workshopped a while back...

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 7:57pm

Disney has already adapted their 'Hunchback' for the stage in Germany and are preparing, I believe, a TV movie treatment of the piece for American audiences. Like other Disney adaptations there is no material by the creative team behind the movie. There is a cast recording in German, I think.

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 7:58pm

How far did that go? How long ago was it?

[Cadriel]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:00pm

I'd rather see the English-language translation of the French version on stage than the Disney blight on the name of the novel. And I hate that translation.

I'm a wee bit touchy about bad adaptations of French Romantic novels, y'see.

-Wayne

[singnyc]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:03pm

I do remember there being a The US premiere of Notre Dame de Paris in Las Vegas a few yeas ago. Doug Storm played Quaismodo. Updated On: 12/16/03 at 08:03 PM

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:04pm

The Stratford (Ontario) theater festival did it in repitoire this past summer to bland reviews. While their productions are usually excellent and often stellar, this one laid an egg. They tried to sell it as "Family Entertainment", but with all the violence, there was nothing family about it.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:08pm

disney's stage version is VERY different from that horrid film they did.. it uses the same score, yes, but the stage version is MUCh darker, deeper, and a LOT more faithful to the novel.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:12pm

Just clarifying that Notre Dame De Paris has nothing to do with the Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame.

[Bway_Mill_Fan]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:13pm

They should do ALice!

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:16pm

Alice? The 70's sitcom starring Linda Lavin?

HELL YES!!

But who would play Mel?

[Bway_Mill_Fan]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 8:19pm

no, Alice in Wonderland! i never saw that show. what was it about?

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 9:33pm

Wow, I never knew anyone did anything with Hunchback. I was half-expecting to have tomatoes thrown at my head for bringing up this concept... HaHaHa

[InspectorJavert]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 9:37pm

i think that an english adaptation would be good for broadway. it would expand disney's empire

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 9:38pm

The only reason I ask is becasue I recently watched the Disney movie and had forgotten how beautiful the music was. I really believe they can pull it off. It's not like they could do The Little Mermaid. Oy... maybe on ice...

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 9:44pm

Does anyone remember the musical parody in WHEN PIGS FLY: "I've Got A Hunch I'm In Love!"

"This is NOT some cheesy cartoon!"

[Bway_Mill_Fan]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 9:49pm

well they were planning on doing Little Mermaid. there was a reading if i remember, Kerry Butler -Ariel, Gavin Creel-Eric

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 9:57pm

As much as I love Little Mermaid, how would they go about staging that?

[Musetta1957]

Posted: 12/16/03 at 10:38pm

More info on "Der Glöckner"...

http://www.drewsarich-page.net/gloeckner.html

http://www.kulturfreak.de/Musical___Show/Gloeckner/gloeckner.html

http://home.hetnet.nl/~markokoning/Musicals/glockner.htm

http://www.alphalink.com.au/~paga/hunchback/odyssey.html

http://www.dresscircle.co.uk/product.asp?StockID=17883

http://www.mkv-ev.de/notredam.htm

(Most links in German, of course.)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/17/03 at 10:37am

I saw Disney's Hunchback in Berlin in '99. JohnPopa - Schwartz wrote a couple of additional songs for the stage adaptation, so at least one member of the original creative team was a part of it.

The show is darker and more faithful to the text of the novel (especially the ending). When I saw the film, I instantly thought it would serve well as a stage production. Unfortunately, the staging was very dull. They tried an innovative new method of a grid of blocks that made up the stage floor that would rise up and down at different levels. Then they would shine projections on the blocks to create the scene. After about 10 minutes, it became incredibly dull. The costumes were wonderful, but the choreography was uninspired and lifeless. The direction also had some very basic blocking and movement mistakes. 90% of Out There was staged with the actor simply standing still on his knees. Static and painful to watch.

I think the show has great potential, but needs to be reworked to impress American audiences.

Does anyone know the fun bit of trivia about the German Esmerelda?

[QueenS]

Posted: 12/17/03 at 1:06pm

Jason Alexander made a couple of public bids for playing Quasimoto if the Disney version ever went to stage. Don't know if anything ever came of it.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/17/03 at 1:18pm

"Does anyone know the fun bit of trivia about the German Esmerelda?"

I hope this involves her doing porn. That's always the best trivia!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/17/03 at 1:51pm

Nope. The original Esmerelda (forget her name, I have to dig out my program) was a famous German pop star. After opening night, she received scathing reviews. That evening, she was nowhere to be found and her understudy went on. She never returned to the show. I was studying at a German university that summer and it was a big scandal.

[JohnPopa]

Posted: 12/17/03 at 1:54pm

Maybe she's run off to do porn.

Posted: 12/17/03 at 2:01pm

Don't forget to add to the Vegas Cast was Doug Storm as Quasi, Devon May as Gringoire the Narrator, and Jessica Grove as Fleur De Leys Pheobus' finance.

The Hunchback Disney version in Germany was quite good, I have the cd. It features all the songs from the movie plus many new ones, inlcuding a trio for Quasi, Emseralda and Pheobus. and a duet for Esme and Quasi.