The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Paper Mill Playhouse

Disclaimer: I hope you have a few minutes to sit down and actually read, because this one is quite long. Just a friendly warning to bookmark the page and come back if you're interested but don't have time!

Sunday night was my first time at Paper Mill Playhouse. I will definitely go back.

First, I have to say that I did not pay for my ticket. New Jersey Theater Alliance has a reciprocal ticket program, where if you work at a theater that is part of the organization, you can call the box office and get free tickets when available. I truly believe that seeing a show for free can alter (in a good or bad way) how I feel walking out the theater. A comp ticket is always exciting, but it was especially exciting because I've heard a rumor that Disney and Paper Mill pulled the plug on reciprocal tickets just a few days after I got mine.

Needless to say, I would've been happy sitting anywhere, so we -- two other interns, Jenny and Kim, took the trek to Millburn with me -- were shocked to be seated in Orchestra Row O. The usher sat us in row Q and about ten minutes before the show started we had one of those awkward "you're in our seats!" run ins and had to be moved. In the end we were closer to the stage, but the guy in front of me was tall and I didn't have a clear view of the stage at all. But again, I paid nothing for the seat, so I was able to enjoy myself even though I was constantly shifting to get a better view.

Now on to the good stuff . . .

I cannot remember when I last watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Honestly, I probably saw it once in my youth and was so terrified I repressed all memories of that viewing. So I kind of felt like I was walking into the theater not knowing anything, which was nice. Usually when you walk into the theater to see a Disney show, you know everything about the plot and the characters and the overall feel. That was not the case for me with Hunchback. I didn't know any of the music and I only knew a few basics about the story.

I've read a lot of the reviews, and there are parts of each that I definitely agree with. No review has been stellar and I understand why. There are several inconsistencies with the show. The biggest, most jarring one, in my opinion, is that the show doesn't know if it's a dark tragedy or a Disney musical with some dark themes. The musical has not been marketed by kids. It's really Hugo's novel onstage with the Disney name attached to the project. But Disney's name attached means parents will bring children. The show is incredibly dark. The girl in front of Jenny was gasping and covering her eyes quite often. There's a whole lot of death in Hunchback. There's also heavy themes such as rape and prostitution. In the car on the ride home I told my peers I wish the creators had stayed to one side. For example, when Frollo propositions Esmeralda, telling her that he will let her free if she just gives herself to him. This scene was unnecessarily long and they were just jumping around certain themes -- instead of outright telling her that she could have sex with him or die (not really, but basically), Frollo kept talking and talking about how he was going to set her free and she just had to give herself over. I truly don't know if kids understand the underlying themes of what's going on here. To them maybe Frollo is just a bad guy that doesn't like Esmeralda because she's a gypsy. Right? Like, what kid under the age of twelve can understand that he is propositioning her for sex to save the man she loves?

Putting Disney onstage has definite perks, money and success, for one. But, the successful Disney musicals are very obviously Disney-fied. This production takes the Disney out of Hunchback, bringing out more of the adult themes in Victor Hugo's novel. The most Disney-esque element of the whole production was the ensemble narrating the story -- certain plot points were narrated in a simple story-telling manner, such as "And then Quasimodo rang the bells..." (That's not a real moment of narration, but you know what I mean.)

I liked this narration, at least I liked it a lot more than most of the reviewers. Because to me, yeah it was helping kids understand the story, but it was engaging the ensemble in different ways. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but the ensemble is a huge part of this show -- the portrayal of the gargoyles especially. The narration didn't take away anything for me, and it just added a little here and there. It wasn't a deal breaker, but it wasn't the most inventive story-telling technique either.

The production elements were on point. I am in love with the set. I don't have a whole lot more to say about it other than it was breathtaking and everything space of the stage was used quite a bit. Lighting design was gorgeous. The lights really captured the feeling of every moment, and I was impressed at how perfectly many of the light changes fit with sound q's.

For me, the draw was Michael Arden. I'd never seen him onstage before, but his voice has always been like a knee to the solar plexus. It's so stunningly beautiful that I want to catch it and put it in a jar like Ursula did with Ariel's voice. Arden is very involved in the deaf community, having directed a production of Spring Awakening with Deaf West Theatre last year. Arden's Quasimodo was hard of hearing, using bursts of sign language to communicate and express himself. When he sang his voice was unaffected and strong. Arden's Quasimodo had two sides -- he was one person when he was alone in the bell tower singing out to the audience, and another when around other humans. He brought a real youthful humanity to the character, and Quasimodo felt real.

I have no qualms about the casting. All the voices were perfect. I would've liked more intense choreography -- Esmeralda is supposed to be a dancer, right? Patrick Page's Frollo was just as spine chilling as expected, bordering on flat out disgusting in his advances of Esmeralda and his treatment of Quasimodo.

For me, the music was the most important aspect of this musical (shouldn't it always be?), and did not disappoint. I was mesmerized by the music, and to me that means the show was successful.

Many wonderful choices were made -- most notably having Quasimodo walk out for the first time without any deformity and transforming into the hunchback before our eyes. I really don't want to give too much away, so if you're absolutely intent on knowing what was done, feel free to reach out to me and I'll go into detail. Otherwise, just know that the transformation was simple, effective, and important.

The show was lovely. I truly enjoyed my evening at Paper Mill. I hope the show has a future, but I do think it still needs some tightening and tweaking. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.