VIDEO: First Look at Rehearsals of 5th Avenue Theatre's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

This summer The 5th Avenue Theatre is staging an exciting new production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Joshua Castille as Quasimodo. A Deaf actor, Castille is celebrated for his performances in Tribes at ACT Theatre in Seattle and in Spring Awakening with Deaf West on Broadway.

Quasimodo, who is deaf in Victor Hugo's literary masterpiece, is a character that Castille and The 5th are excited to elevate and delve more deeply into with the real-life experiences and stories of a deaf actor leading the way. Castille, who makes his 5th Avenue Theatre debut, will use American Sign Language (ASL) throughout his performance. E.J. Cardona will portray one of the cathedral's gargoyles and Quasimodo's "voice" in song.

Playing June 1-24, 2018 (press opening Friday, June 8, 2018), tickets for The Hunchback of Notre Dame start at $29 and are on sale now. They can be purchased at www.5thavenue.org, by phone at 206-625-1900 or at the Box Office at 1308 5th Avenue in Downtown Seattle.

The 5th is working closely with Deaf Spotlight, a Seattle-based organization that inspires, encourages and showcases creative works of, by and for Deaf people in the Pacific Northwest, to provide access, educational resources and more for Deaf and hard of hearing audiences. There will be eight ASL interpreted performances of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in addition to one open captioned performance and one audio-described performance. Accessible performance dates are listed below.

"Ask anyone who's ever been a part of a musical production and they'll tell you that theater is meant for everyone," said The 5th Avenue Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry. "It's this very fact that makes it so exciting to be able to celebrate inclusivity in such an impactful way and welcome the Deaf and hard of hearing community with open arms. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Joshua Castille on The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

A glorious retelling of Victor Hugo's epic masterpiece, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a powerful tale of love, faith and prejudice that will leave audiences utterly spellbound. Its lush, beautiful score, which is complete with a 30-person choir at every performance, is unlike anything in musical theater today, featuring songs from the Disney animated feature and new music from legendary composers Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Newsies) and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell and Pippin).

ASL PERFORMANCES

Saturday, June 2 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 9 at 2:00 PM
Saturday, June 9 at 8:00 PM
Friday, June 15 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 17 at 7:00 PM
Friday, June 22 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 23 at 8:00 PM

OPEN CAPTIONED PERFORMANCE

Thursday, June 21 at 7:30 PM

AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE

Saturday, June 23 at 2:00 PM

The 5th Avenue Theatre is one of America's leading musical theater companies. We enrich the community we love with the art form we love-giving the Pacific Northwest a front-row seat to original powerhouse productions that go on to light up marquees and audiences all the way to Broadway. From the page to the stage, we bring passion and epic scale to every musical we create. With big talent. Bigger-than-life productions. And did we mention dazzle? As a nonprofit theater company and our region's largest performing arts employer, we spread the joy of great musicals with people of all ages across our region and state. Each year, we reach more than 75,000 young people through our nationally acclaimed education programs. Programs designed to develop new musicals ensure that the next generation of great musicals will be there to tell the stories that captivate tomorrow's audiences. On the national stage, we are a leading voice for the power of this American art form to lift the human spirit.

For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org.