Notre Dame de Paris in Vegas

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 1/17/04 at 7:09pm

Does anyone know if this production was non-equity while in Vegas? How long did it run? Did it survive to tour? I heard horrible things about the London production. Did they alter it (beyond shortening and removing intermission)? I mean did they alter the book in any advantageous way?

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/17/04 at 7:11pm

It was Equity..
the ubber fabulours Jessica Grove was Fleur de Lys and the alternate for Esmeralda

[BroadwayGal]

Posted: 1/17/04 at 7:30pm

I knew Jess Grove was in it but I don't know much else about the production.. if anyone has any info on it, would they mind posting it here? I'm just curious about it =)

[bob8rich]

Posted: 1/17/04 at 8:22pm

I saw NDDP in Vegas in 2000 and I have to say that, despite some major flaws in its structure and staging, I enjoyed it. The music was beautiful. Unfortunately the lyrics were dreadful.

I did not get to see it in London as it closed before I had a chance - so I do not know what, if anything, they changed in the show. The reviews in London were very negative but I remember thinking when I read them that, unless the show was greatly different to the one I saw in Vegas, it was not as awful as the critics painted it. Basically it needed a better book and new lyrics by someone who understands musical theater.

Posted: 1/17/04 at 9:15pm

I Love Notre Dame De Paris
I have the vhs performance of the French Cast which is phenomenal! I also have the Studio French, Live 2 Disc French, Italian and London Cast cds. I also happen to have the Vegas Cast on CD too.

Yes Jessica Grove and Devon May were in this prodction which only ran for a short run. The lyrics do sound a bit weak. But listen to it and French and your heart melts, not to mention being sung by Patrick Fiori (my FAVORITE male singer), Garou, and Bruno Pelletier and others. It's drool inducing.

Posted: 1/18/04 at 10:18am

Which is better, in your opinion, the London cast or the French cast? I saw it while I was in Moscow (in French).... I think I enjoyed it.... One of the problems with seeing theatre there was that I was still holding onto some jet lag and between that and not getting enough sleep, I was incredibly (and unfortunately) drowsy during most of the performances I saw there.

Posted: 1/18/04 at 2:45pm

I enjoy the French Version although I like Esmeralda's vocals in London because her voice is thicker and she belts some amazing notes in "Live For the One I Love" or "Vivre" in French.

The Cast is almost the same but my favorite Phoebus is Patrick Fiori, you have't heard "Dechire/Torn Apart" until you've seen him belt the hell outta it on the dvd/vhs,even the 2 disc live recording of the show was recorded on a different night than the dvd so the vocals on the dvd are better!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/18/04 at 10:31pm

I saw the London production. It is the only musical during which I literally fell asleep. There was some nice music (despite the awful lyrics). I liked it much better with my eyes closed. I think the show would be much better if it were advertised as a concert than a musical (like Wildhorn's Civil War). It was simply a parade of pop songs with nothing to link the scenes together. The spinning and swinging dead Esmereldas were pretty funny, though. I like the Italian cast recording best. Probably because Quasimodo doesn't sound so gravelly and I can't understand the lyrics.

[Peter]

Posted: 1/19/04 at 12:07am

I saw it in Vegas. One of the worst shows I've ever seen. I almost had to leave the theatre during the song "Torn Apart." This is a blaring disco song, where three beefcakes wearing only flimsy shorts are doing pushups to the beat of the music, while being spotlit in turn. Absolutely hysterical. I literally couldnt stop laughing..it was so tacky, I thought I was in a West Hollywood bathhouse. Pure Europop...not unlike Dance of the Vampires, which I thought shared the same type of Europop aesthetic, where every movement and gesture is exaggerated to the max, bringing new meaning to the term over-the-top histrionics. Even DOTV wasn't quite this bad.

[Phantom05]

Posted: 1/19/04 at 5:07pm

I found Notre Dame de Paris to be quite boring! Every song seemed to be a long drawn out ballad! Now if you are really looking for an amazing musical, try "Der Glockner Von Notre Dame"...This is the German musical based on the Disney movie...Absolutely Phenominal!!!

Later!

Phantom05

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/19/04 at 5:56pm

I didn't think Glöckner was great, but it was much better than Notre Dame de Paris. Glöckner made sense, at least. Acrobats on a steel girder? What was that all about? Esmerelda is kidnapped and is then seen sharing a windowsill with Quasimodo with absolutely nothing to connect the scenes. And Quasi's Tracy Chapman 'do was quite stylish.