A “Hunchback” for The Ages at Broward Center
By Skip Sheffield
Slow Burn Theatre Company has reached a new peak with “The
Hunchback of Notre Dame,” onstage through Nov. 6 in the Amaturo Theatre of
Broward Center for the Arts.
This complicated Swiss watch of a production has Slow Burn’s
largest cast, most beautiful voices, best orchestra intricate set and amazing lighting. Even a major sound glitch in the middle of the aptly-named “Topsy
Turvy” failed to derail the show’s power.
Director-choreographer Patrick Fitzwater simply came onstage
and said “We need to reboot.”
In today’s computer-controlled shows, when a crash occurs it
is best to stop, fix the problem and continue where you left off.
“Hunchback” is based upon the 1996 Disney animated musical
movie, which in turn was based on Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel. This new version
(only one of five in the USA) features new songs by Alan Menkin (“The Little
Mermaid”) and Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked,” “Godspell”).
The year is 1482, but there are eerie parallels to our
current political and sociological climate. Instead of Muslims, the accursed
people are Gypsies. One of them, the elderly Clopin (Trey Whittaker) sets the
tale of two brothers; one wild and one pious. The pious brother grows up to be
Frollo (Matthew Korinko), the head priest of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Frollo is rigid and authoritarian. When he learns his wayward brother had a
deformed son, he grudgingly accepts the boy as his charge and names him
Quasimodo (Bobby Cassell).
Quasimodo is a virtual prisoner in the bell tower of Notre
Dame, but he will have one chance to romp on the “Feast of Fools,” when even
Gypsies are allowed to come out and dance. It does not turn out well for
Quasimodo, but he does meet enchanting Esmeralda (Shenise Nunez), whose allure
also enchants stalwart Capt. Phoebus (Landon Summers) and unfortunately stirs
forbidden thoughts in pious Frollo.
This version hews more closely to the original Victor Hugo
story, so it is much darker (and more realistic) than the sanitized Disney
cartoon. The score is quite sumptuous, combining churchly Latin masses with pop
songs to advance the story. The already rich onstage singing is enhanced by a
choir, housed in boxes stage right and left. The orchestra, led by Caryl
Fantel, is unseen in a pit, hence the emergency when the actors could no longer
hear the music. Shenise Nunez must have had the music in her head, because she
kept on dancing “The Rhythm of the Tambourine” as if nothing were wrong.
Bobby Cassell is the all-around utility player, playing Quasimodo
with a disconcertingly beautiful voice and even serving as fight choreographer
with Landon Summers. One could go on for several more pages lauding the various
players, but my advice is to see it for yourself. This is regional theater at
its very best.
Tickets are $47, $52.50 and $60. Call 954-462-0222 or
800-745-3000 or go to www.browardcenter.org.
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