Today's Riedel: Disney planning to bring THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME to the U.S.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 11:47pm

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/ghost_stuck_on_the_roof_dt56nTFPYfc9LixVPOGGCK

Menken and Schwartz are working on it with Pete Parnell.

FINALLY.

Updated On: 1/8/13 at 11:47 PM

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 1/8/13 at 11:52pm

Now this has flop written all over it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:04am

Ugh

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:21am

YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. YES. I really do think this could be the show that wins Disney its next Tony Award for Best Musical. It could seriously be their "Les Mis," in my opinion.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:25am

Yes, it's the kind of lighthearted fare parents will line up to spend $130 a ticket on for themselves and their children since it's one of Disney's most well loved and successful films with characters and songs that children have loved for years!

Oh, wait. It's none of those things.



Updated On: 1/9/13 at 12:25 AM

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:28am

That doesn't matter. Disney can do shows outside of their HIT canon and still produce great works. Just look at AIDA. If the show is good enough, it will find its audience. Not to mention the music is some of Alan Menken's best work and one of the most beautiful scores of any Disney film.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:30am

Yes, but that wasn't aimed at children. A musical based on their animated films will be targeted to children and families. Like TARZAN.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:35am

I still can't wrap my head around on why Tarzan was produced over Mulan, Hunchback, Hercules, and even Aladdin. Was it a vanity project for Collins?

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:35am

SWEET BABY JESUS. FINALLY!
I am beyond excited to see this finally happen.
I agree that this is Menken's strongest score as well. Truly haunting and moving.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:38am

Disney needs something like SNOW WHITE, CINDERELLA, SLEEPING BEAUTY, a completely revamped ALADDIN etc. They need something "magical" like BEAUTY & THE BEAST again and this one ain't gonna do it. When people go to a Disney musical they want something big, colorful, "magical" and Disney seems to be doing everything in their power to keep from giving that to audiences.

There's a lot of theater lovers that would love to see this HUNCHBACK on stage and I guess I'd be curious about it but I swear I can't even begin to imagine what a huge financial flop this would be, for soooo many different reasons.

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:44am

Honestly, I understand where you're coming from Jordan. That said, this could be the show that saves Disney after Tarzan and Mermaid. Hunchback has such potential to be a real piece of art. Massive scale, lush orchestra, beautiful story. I would give anything to hear that score played live.

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 12:54am

But... Hercules would be so much better! (but also would probably be a financial disaster...)

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 1:26am

Jordan, I agree Sleeping Beauty needs to be done. So much potential for the movie if it were to become a Broadway musical.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 1:28am

Visually it's the most intriguing one and also has every element needed to make a truly spectacular BROADWAY show. The fact that they've never even mentioned it being done is mind boggling.

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 3:02am

Best Disney score ever, bar none.

And you know I mean it. I think Howard Ashman was their greatest talent, and he wasn't even involved.

[rhdery]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 6:07am

Given the success of Newsies it's pretty obvious the box office done by the film doesn't much matter. But the marketing needs to be about the female protagonist more so than bell boy. It might be just the time for some Francophilia with Les Mis doing so well in theaters.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 6:35am

Yes, yes , yes.

Best news ever.

[ILOHTFAHA (Aida Man)]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 6:47am

YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's about time! Hunchback should totally be on Broadway

Dream Cast:
Quasimodo-AN UNKNOWN
Frollo-Brian Stokes Mitchell
Esmeralda-Jackie Burns
Pheobus-Ryan Silverman
Colpin-Francis Jue

AND..
Besides Hunchback if a Disney movie were to become a Broadway show, I would love see "Sleeping Beauty" onstage with a few story changes.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 8:27am

FINALLY! This movie has an amazing score and music! Hope this pans out!

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 8:55am

This news makes me as happy as the closing of MARY POPPINS made me sad

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 8:58am

Does anyone else picture Jeremy Jordan starring in Hercules or is it just me?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 10:00am

More children's theater for Broadway.

The best I can manage is a mild goo-goo and one suck on my pacifier.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 10:27am

I was just watching some clips on youtube. Frollo looks like Maleficent in male drag, and Quasimodo holds Esmeralda up over his head like baby Simba after she gets burned at the stake.

As a stage musical though, I think that the themes of racism and sexual abuse by the catholic clergy are some of the most challenging and important topics to tackle. I wonder if they'll be able to do so without coming across "trying too hard."

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 10:51am

There are several issues in staging the Original Disney Classics (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White). First and foremost is that unlike the Disney Renaissance films (Mermaid, Beast, Lion King) they have maybe one or two songs, basically meaning a completely new score must be written. Second is that the films were not as theatrical as the Reinasance films, which we're written for the most part as if they were stage musicals. Third is there is way too much deus ex machina in them to leave a modern theatrical audience happy. Adding off that point the characters are extremely dated and one dimensional. The only Disney classics that would make sense to stage is Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. Peter Pan is already a well known Broadway classic so Disney's Peter Pan would basically be a slap in the face of Broadway History. Disney is staging Alice, but Tim Burton's version, likly due to as scene from Wildhorn's Wonderland, there are way too many charters to include, so focusing on just Alice, the Queen of Hearts, The White Queen, and the Mad Hatter makes a ton more sense.

[little_sally]

Posted: 1/9/13 at 11:16am

I can see them completely sugarcoating this show, which I think will probably cause it to suffer in the long run. No way Disney will put something that dark on Broadway.

On a personal note, I was actually pretty frightened by Hunchback when I was younger, which caused me to always kind of hate it. I do not want to see it on Broadway.