Review: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at Skycrest United Methodist Church

"Sometimes we are drawn to the very things that repel us..." -Frollo

"What makes a monster and what makes a man?"

-As heard in Finale Ultimo

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a musical inspired by the Victor Hugo novel of 1831, with music primarily from the 1996 Disney film adaptation. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and book by James Lapine and Peter Parnell, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 2.5 hour deep dive that takes pieces from both the film and Hugo's novel to create an amalgamation of the world in which the people in this story reside. With soaring music, and standout songs such as "Out There", and "Made of Stone", this musical is sure to warm the heart and soul of any Stephen Schwartz fanatic.

Originally premiering in 1999 in Berlin, the German musical entitled Der Glöckner von Notre Dame ("The Bellringer of Notre Dame) quickly became one of the city's longest-running musicals, playing for three years. It was produced by Walt Disney World Theatrics and was the company's first fully produced musical outside of the U.S.

After its transfer to the U.S and a revised libretto, the musical opened at the La Jolla Playhouse and ran for a limited run from October 28, 2014, to December 7, 2014. Going through yet another revision, its' third since conception, the musical then transferred to the Paper Mill Playhouse and played from March 4, 2015, to April 5, 2015, where it was announced that the musical would not be transferring to Broadway.

The show had a couple more runs in Germany before being translated into Swedish in 2018 entitled Ringaren i Notre Dame Musikalen and the production ran from September 2018 to April 2019. The very first English adaptation with the new book by Peter Parnell and new songs from Menken and Schwartz premiered in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2013, before its workshop and subsequent U.S premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse. The La Jolla Playhouse and Paper Mill Playhouse workshops featured Broadway standouts Michael Arden, Patrick Page, and Ciara Renee and received 10 Tommy Tune Awards from 15 Nominations.

The folks at Skycrest United Methodist Church in Clearwater have been working on staging Theatrical Productions in their Sanctuary since Godspell, which was pre-Covid. Featuring a cast of twelve, and a Chorus of fifteen, this Disney musical took the stage. Under the direction of Joseph Scarborough and John Bruce, music direction by Scarborough, choreography by Brianna McVaugh, featuring set design by Tony Glass, and stage design by Joseph Stillwell The Hunchback of Notre Dame proves that mounting a large production such as this can be a supreme undertaking.

After 3 subsequent revisions of the libretto, one might wonder where the true problem in The Hunchback of Notre Dame lies. At times the music is soaring with standout numbers such as "Out There" and "Made of Stone", and rousing numbers such as "Rhythm of the Tambourine", but as the show progressed I wondered if the musical itself was trying to say too much.

In recent years we've seen adaptations of literature turned into exceptional works for the stage, such as Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, an adaptation from the lengthy War and Peace. However, no matter how hard it tries, The Hunchback of Notre Dame never quite receives the notoriety of the novel in all its lengthy material. Unlike other Disney-driven musicals it never quite lands.

Did this production achieve what its main goal was set out to be? Yes. Were there exceptional standouts for best in show? Absolutely. Did I find myself troubled after watching this show trying to recollect everything that was laid before me? A resounding yes. Now, I do not mince words, there were things that worked, and things that did not, and for those moments I find myself scratching my head.

The curtain speech at the top of the show was slightly uncomfortable in its delivery, ushering in the world in which we currently reside in this Pandemic era we've come to know, and attempting to relate it back to the world of the show, by the mention of a "plague" and the option of wearing masks missed its mark here.

Quasimodo played by Gabriel Irizarry boasts a strong singing voice, and his moments in Out There and Made of Stone are exceptional at times. One thing I will note was the change in the vocal delivery of his lines. At the top of the show prior to his first interaction with Frollo, his line delivery is clear. Once Frollo enters we see a recoil of his nature, and delivery. He becomes almost Gollum-Esque circa The Lord of the Rings, and I wonder if there could have been a cleaner transition between the two. Outside of this, Gabriel's turn as Quasimodo is compelling at times, and his high notes soar to the rafters. He should be commended here.

As Dom Claude Frollo, Joe Stillwell is menacing at times, as any villain should be, but I personally wanted more. I didn't see the true villain persona, just an angry man who is unsure of his power. He's the Archdeacon and should be feared as such, for at this time his word is considered law.

Another aspect, and one that I overheard from audience discussion on my way to the parking lot, was about the age difference between Frollo and Quasimodo. Quasimodo looked far older than the man who has raised him, shouldn't it be the other way around? There was also a strange moment in which Frollo played himself, and the King, it was played off as a comedic bit and did not work on that level. I didn't know until after the conclusion of the performance, that the person playing the King was not present during the show, so adjustments were made. It might have been a stronger choice to employ one of the Ensemble members to stand in as the King, instead of the confusing one-man/two-person conversation. Joe Stillwell does well here, I just wished for more of a villainous nature in his Frollo.

Jake Veit as Phoebus De Martin takes on the suave, debonaire role. He has several instances in the show in which he is seen pining after Esmeralda's heart. His delivery is strong at times, but other times I felt like he was pushing too far for the hero card. I wanted to see the subtlety that makes Phoebus who he is. He came across as arrogant a few times, which was almost comical, and I just wish I had seen more depth or more character arc. Jake's turn as Phoebus helped move the plight of the story along, and he should be commended for his efforts here.

Stand out and best in show goes to Taylor Hatfield as the beautiful Esmeralda. Her vocals on every solo moment were exceptional. Her rousing rendition of Rhythm of the Tambourine was a great moment in Act 1. She stood out in the crowd here, and at times, it made me wonder if she was holding back. On the solo moments, she was wonderful, but the group numbers should have the same gusto, or if anything the ensemble should match her energy in these moments. You feel for Esmeralda and her plight, and Taylor swings for the fences and scores every home run. She is a performer which I will have on my radar for some time to come, and she should be extremely proud of the fine work she accomplished here.

Kaitlyn Dino as Clopin Trouillefou was a good addition. At times she felt a little out of place. I wanted to see more storytelling from her. I wanted to see Leading Player magic like in Pippin. She should be commended for her efforts, and as a fine addition to the world of the show.

As an audience, we want to see the world of the show lifted up around the principal characters, and supported by the ensemble. The ensemble should be thoroughly engaged from start to finish. At times it felt like they were just standing and singing, and meandering from place to place. Each character on stage should have a purpose and move with such. The idea of the Gargoyles surrounding the bell tower was a good concept, but I needed more animation. We should see it in their faces, and feel it in their movements. We get that they are stone, but at times with Quasimodo, they need to come alive. All in all, Dwayne Carte, Priscilla Joel, Ella North, Kyndall Small, Polly Croucher, Zach Lofflin, Danny Riley, and Raisa Zaman helped push the story through to the end and should be congratulated on their efforts.

Technically The Hunchback of Notre Dame should be as soaring as the score. From vast bell towers to brilliant colors and jarring sound. I'll admit that not everyone operates on a Disney-esque budget but there are ways to make us feel the power of the show and experience the vastness even if we have to suspend our disbelief slightly. The bell tower should be vast in height and stature. Quasimodo should feel like he truly is looking down on the town below him, this, in turn, would also help in believability. Tony Glass could have brought more in terms of height to the space, you are working with a large area and height is not an issue, allow us to feel the difference between where Quasimodo resides the people below go about their day-to-day. The set lends itself to being more functional but in this instance is not believable for the world in which the story resides. I would absolutely use the height of the bell tower to masque the crosses in the Sanctuary and to hide the orchestra, and choir, lending to more of an ethereal feel.

The choreography is simplistic, nothing terribly complicated but the Ensemble and cast members still moved through the musical numbers slightly confused. It took the audience out of the moment. The follow-through on the fight choreography was not executed properly. It felt as if I was watching a fight sequence from The Matrix.

The sound used in this production was not jarring enough. A bell the size of the one displayed should be used so loudly that we are almost startled. The bell is rung at specific times to signify different periods of the day, and, in doing so, should reflect that jarring notion. The orchestra was wonderful here, and such a welcomed relief as opposed to tracks. If there's one thing I loathe, it is the use of canned music. The orchestra should be lauded for the sweeping score- they sounded beautiful, heartbreaking, and rousing in all the right moments.

The costumes by Deb Lastinger lend beautiful colors to the world of the show. Her costumes are always top-notch and expertly thought out. My only wish is that Quasimodo's hump was more pronounced, as it took me a while to even notice it. From a technical standpoint, the show does its best to provide a through-line of our characters' plight, I just wish in certain instances the execution was conceived slightly different.

Joseph Scarborough and John Bruce take a show with a soaring score, and troublesome storyline and do their best with what they are given. At times, though, it felt as if two people were painting the same wall, as it came across as two different perspectives with little cohesion. I wanted to see more transitional moments that could help carry us through the story.

Maybe having one director and one music director in this instance would lend the potential to have a stronger execution. Sometimes wearing too many hats can cause execution to falter, but I commend them for their efforts. At the end of the day, the question remains, "How do you solve a problem, like The Hunchback of Notre Dame?"

The Hunchback of Notre Dame closes March 13 following their 2 pm performance. Two more chances remain to catch this tale, which is more French Gothic novel in its conception with Disney influence. If it's Disney you seek, then The Hunchback of Notre Dame will entertain, but it's the score and beautiful music that make up the heart of this show. Visit https://skycrestumc.square.site/ for tickets to tonight's 8 pm performance, or tomorrow's 2 pm closing performance. Masks are optional, and refreshments are available on site.

Photo Credit: Skycrest United Methodist Church

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