Sounds like I enjoyed the show better than BillEadie and Karou, but agree with them about the faults and weaknesses they discussed. But overall, I enjoyed the experience and it was well worth the trip.
Whose Story Is This: I had the same feeling Karou expressed about whether this is Frollo’s or Quasi’s show. The first ten minutes was all about Frollo. While I do cheer for underdog types like Quasi, I was more interested in Frollo and the torment that Esmarelda puts him through. I’ve never seen Patrick Page before on stage, but he is really wonderful with a superb voice. He’s always in the moment: When he first sees Esmarelda dancing I was looking at him, standing nearly in the wings, and his expressions told volumes about the conflicting thoughts he was experiencing. I prefer this characterization over the film’s Frollo who seemed a bit more one-note (because I assume Disney didn’t want to be so bold about showing an old adult lusting over a buxom young gypsy).
Quasimodo: Michael Arden is wonderful as Quasi, alternating between a hunched submissive creature barely able to talk when Frollo is around, to more upright and a bit self-assured other times, particularly when alone in the bell tower. Quasi in the film was played more like a kid who’d been bullied a few times. Arden’s Quasi though, expresses his weaknesses and disabilities. His deafness and the accompanying speech issues are there, as are the tics that show he has been severely abused by Frollo.
Narration: Yes there is a lot of it, often with actors saying one line each in a long story. Maybe since I knew the film and story I didn’t need all the talk.
Choir: The choir sits in four choir lofts along the back wall. The combination of the singing with the wonderful orchestra is quite a pleasure to the ears.
New Songs: My least favorite songs are the new ones which come across as very “pop” and seem out of place with the original more operatic songs.
Set: There is no curtain so you have lots of time to scan the set, a gigantic skeleton of wood beams, balconies and pews. Very cool and fun to look at. Not a bit of concrete aside from a few statues and gargoyles. And then there are the bells, six huge ones that fly in and out from above. The look impressively real and ring but I can’t tell if it is really them or a sound effect. Smaller set pieces are brought in and all is very minimalist which worked fine for me.
St. Aphrodisius: This headless saint comes to life in Quasi’s imagination. Based on what I’d read I was expecting to be underwhelmed by this scene. Well, it was ok, but does seem out of place. But I suppose a character like Quasi could have in his imagination a body that does that magic head-dropping routine you can see on YouTube.
Frollo’s Death: This needs some work. It starts off fine, with Frollo hoisted by a few cast members who carry him toward the rear of the stage while Frollo screams. It’s a simple solution to creating a death drop that works effectively with the other cast-driven elements during the production. Where the sequence fails is that a dummy dressed as Frollo is dropped from the rafters and lands with a thud behind Frollo and the cast. The dummy is not needed. We get that Frollo has been thrown over the railing by Quasimodo. Drop the dummy (pun intended) and let the falling image stand on its own.
Enter’Acte and Exit Music: The enter’acte was lovely, with the choir singing in Latin a compilation of the show’s main songs. I love “Out There” and was happy to hear the song used for the exit music, rich and nicely orchestrated.
Standing Ovation: Talk about an obligatory SO. The audience began standing when the cast (all lined up by the footlights) ended the final note and the house went dark. Didn’t even wait for the bows.
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