The Dio Presents the HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

The Dio - Dining & Entertainment, Livingston County's professional, award winning dinner theatre, is bringing the epic musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, to the stage, music by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast), lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell), and book by Peter Parnell. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is directed by Steve DeBruyne with musical direction by Daniel Bachelis and choreography by Xavier J. Bush.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame will contain theatrical special effects including smoke, fog and loud noises.

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film's Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz. Peter Parnell's new book embraces story theatre and features verbatim passages from Hugo's gothic novel.

The musical begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be "Out There," observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn't the only one captivated by her free spirit, though - the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies - and it's up to Quasimodo to save them all.

A sweeping score and powerful story make The Hunchback of Notre Dame an instant classic. Audiences will be swept away by the magic of this truly unforgettable musical.

Director Steve DeBruyne says, "Hunchback is a show we've wanted to bring to life since seeing the original production at Paper Mill Playhouse back in 2014. We are thrilled to finally welcome these incredible characters to our stage, brought to life by a cast that I feel truly blessed to be working with. The amazing vocals that our actors are bringing to our stage will blow you away, and combined with the beautiful story of Quasimodo, I think this is a show that will stick with our audiences for years to come."

The Hunchback of Notre Dame features performances by Lydia Adams, James Beauregard, Alexis Benson, Tim Brayman, Steve DeBruyne, Quentin Fettig, James Fischer, Mitchell Hardy, Angela Hench, Marlene Inman, Keith Kalinowski, Alaina Kerr, Gayle Martin, Isaac Orr, Hayden Reboulet and Jared Schneider.

Performances take place at The Dio, 177 E. Main Street, Pinckney Michigan, 48169 from April 5 through May 19, Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoons. There will be two Thursday evening performances, April 4 and May 16, both at 6:30pm.

All tickets include dinner, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. The menu for The Hunchback of Notre Dame includes garden salad with choice of dressing, homemade breadsticks with melted butter and garlic, buttery garlic green beans with a hint of lemon pepper and other spices, red "bliss" potatoes, boiled, buttered and seasoned with rosemary and thyme, USDA choice beef, dry rubbed with a blend of spices, pan fried and braised with mushrooms, then hand carved, and The Dio's signature fried boneless chicken, plus a delicious bread pudding for dessert! Our menu is prepared in house by Chef Mark Vukelic.

Performances of The Hunchback of Notre Dame are already filling up quickly. Remaining tickets may be purchased by visiting diotheatre.com or by calling (517) 672-6009. Seating is limited. Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

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