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re: My thoughts on Hunchback

Posted by: BillEadie 05:23 pm EST 11/17/14
In reply to: My thoughts on Hunchback - Kaoru 04:10 pm EST 11/17/14

I, too, agree with the problems you noted. Obviously, they're stuck with the songs they've used from tha animated feature, and I presume the Parnell book is better than the one by Lapine. But, it's very inconsistent, and perhaps some of that can be smoothed out.

Much as I enjoyed Michael Arlen's singing in particular, I'll bet that he will be gone before the production debuts at Paper Mill. I suspect he'll be seen as not being charismatic enough to carry the show. Since there are a number of local and UCSD MFA student actors in this version, I'd guess that the plan all along was to do a fair amount of recasting prior to the New Jersey opening. And if the stars align there might be a chance of moving that version across the river in time to open for Tony consideration, so they'll be careful about who is cast from here on.

Bill, in San Diego


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re: My thoughts on Hunchback

Posted by: bicoastal 07:14 pm EST 11/17/14
In reply to: re: My thoughts on Hunchback - BillEadie 05:23 pm EST 11/17/14

Overall I liked the production in Berlin much more than I liked this one. The narrative device is new to this production. I can't be more specific because the Berlin production was in German, which I don't speak, but the ending was closer to novel and the songs didn't seem so relentlessly jammed in.


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re: My thoughts on Hunchback

Posted by: Kaoru 06:09 pm EST 11/17/14
In reply to: re: My thoughts on Hunchback - BillEadie 05:23 pm EST 11/17/14

If they recast Quasimodo that'll be unfortunate and it's not Michael's fault as he can exhibit the vulnerability and sensitivity really well. Besides, Quasimodo isn't a role to be charismatic to begin with, don't you think? To me, Quasimodo wasn't given much presence on the stage because the focus was more shifted to Frollo. I think he is still appearing in Anger Management, but I'm sure he can manage the shooting even if he is in the Paper Mill production.

I counted in the program how many local actors were in this show and there were only two. Many of the cast credit say "LJP debut" so I assume most of them came from NY, which means when they go to Paper Mill, the cast remains relatively the same.

There are only three weeks in between Paper Mill production closes and the Tony consideration deadline. So unless they only have one week of preview on Broadway, it seems impossible to open the show for 2014/15 season, plus do they have a suitable theatre at that time? It's not a large theatre show.


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