Review: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at Leon High School Performing Arts Theatre

As the Leon High School Performing Arts production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame commenced, the room filling with sacred sounds, something changed about the room and I as an audience member could almost FEEL the stone walls of the cathedral.

If I had not known this was a production featuring high school students, I would not have guessed it. Everything about the production, especially the vocal capacity of the cast, belied much more artistic maturity.

These components of the show were of special note:

As the cast members streamed in, entering down both aisles as they approached their "cathedral," a sense of "majestic" took over the room. The counterpoint to this majesty came in the playfulness and passion of the gypsies, who brought light, energy and the effusive tone of rebellion to their turns on the stage.

It's challenging to single out the best of an entire cast characterized by strong, beautiful voices, but several deserve special mention: John Malley as Dom Claude Frollo, Nate Caldwell as Saint Aphrodisius, and Conner Fabrega as Quasimodo.

The energy exhibited by David Mathews as Phoebus De Martin was infectious, as was Jacob Higdon's as Clopin Trouillefou.

As Esmerelda, Grace Lengacher paired stunning vocals with compelling dancing; I could see why she was the object of affection for so many men.

It can't be easy to transform a 1400's cathedral set into the other backgrounds this show necessitates, but Mike Mock (set design/construction) and Katie Redd (lighting) pulled it off beautifully. By rotating the cathedral's jewel-toned rose window, the stoney bell tower's bells, the sunlit town square, and the hanging scarves of the gypsies' lair, with customized lighting treatments, I was transported effortlessly to each "location."

The show's Director took a risk by replacing a stationary choir, which is typically used for this production, with a more dynamic effort spreading the choral component throughout different roles. It worked especially well when the bell tower's gargoyles and saints had the dual function of being stock still statues who came alive as Quasimodo's confidants.

Early in the show, Frollo refers to Quasimodo as "this thing." Frollo's complexity grows throughout the show, and a character who seems benevolent at first ends up being MUCH more self-centered than we first believe.

You'll have to go to the show to know exactly how that evolution occurs, and why Quasimodo is so much more than a "thing." You just might find yourself "at the top of the world."

NOTE: The show is double-cast in a few roles; this review is specific to the July 15 performance, whose casting will be repeated on July 21 and 23, but I feel comfortable recommending all of the performers.

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