'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' review: Croswell's ambitious Disney musical finds beauty amid the script's imperfections

Courtesy of The Croswell Opera House/Lad Strayer

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Making the leap from Disney’s 1996 animated adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel to the stage, with some of the same sweeping ambition that made fellow Hugo adaptation “Les Misérables” such a theatrical phenomenon, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is no small undertaking. The story of a misunderstood bell ringer, his longing for acceptance and the religious persecution that consumes medieval Paris demands a delicate balance between spectacle and tragedy. Under the direction of Mark DiPietro, the Croswell Opera House’s latest production finds plenty of beauty in that balancing act, even if a few vocal and technical difficulties kept the Saturday evening performance from reaching its full potential.

After all, Hugo’s source material is much darker than what audiences typically associate with the Disney brand, though anyone who grew up watching the animated film will remember that it was hardly conventional family entertainment. Nearly 30 years later, it’s still remarkable that a film dealing so explicitly with religious hypocrisy, sexual repression and persecution managed to secure a G rating. The stage adaptation, featuring music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Peter Parnell, pushes those themes further, resulting in a musical whose somber undercurrents don’t always coexist comfortably with its more familiar Disney flourishes. It’s a tricky tonal divide, but DiPietro understands that the material requires something more substantial than a colorful retread of the animated film. His production embraces the story’s darker implications without sacrificing the grandeur audiences have come to expect from the Croswell.

There’s an abundance of craftsmanship on display, beginning with Marty Tutt’s expansive scenic design, which captures both the imposing majesty of Notre Dame Cathedral and the bustling streets of Paris. Deidre Reed’s lush costumes help distinguish the various social classes, while Jen Pan’s impressive fight choreography lends a welcome physicality to the larger confrontations. The production also benefits from a stacked ensemble, led by Michael Yuen’s deeply sympathetic Quasimodo and Jared Hoffert’s chilling Dom Claude Frollo.

At the center of the story is Esmeralda (Ziyaan Nuruddin), a Romani woman whose beauty, independence and compassion attract the attention of three very different men. Quasimodo, having spent his life hidden away in the cathedral and subjected to ridicule for his appearance, finds an unlikely connection with someone who sees beyond his physical differences. Captain Phoebus de Martin (Maxwell Lam), meanwhile, brings a dashing, almost Disney-prince swagger to the proceedings, while Frollo, the cathedral’s archdeacon and Quasimodo’s adoptive guardian, becomes increasingly consumed by his forbidden attraction to Esmeralda.

It’s through Frollo that the musical’s themes of prejudice, religious authoritarianism and the corruption of power become especially compelling. His persecution of the Romani population stems from his conviction that they represent everything sinful about the world, yet his own attraction to Esmeralda exposes the hypocrisy beneath his supposed moral righteousness. Rather than confront his contradictions, he weaponizes his authority against the very woman who has unsettled him.

The obvious comparison is Inspector Javert from “Les Misérables,” another Hugo antagonist whose rigid worldview ultimately becomes his undoing. Hoffert is especially effective at exposing the ugliness beneath Frollo’s righteous exterior, delivering a commanding rendition of the lustful “Hellfire” that ranks among the strongest work I’ve seen from him on the Croswell stage. His eventual downfall is also realized through an inventive sequence reminiscent of Javert’s demise in the Croswell’s 2013 production of “Les Misérables,” which, fittingly enough, was also directed by DiPietro.

DiPietro incorporates several other thoughtful flourishes, including Quasimodo’s transformation before the audience’s eyes. Yuen assumes the character’s physical appearance through the simple addition of a hump and darkened facial makeup, allowing the audience to witness how Quasimodo becomes the very figure society has taught itself to fear. It’s a clever choice that reinforces the story’s central idea that appearances tell us very little about the person beneath them.

I was equally taken with the cathedral’s gargoyles, brought to life by ensemble members draped in dark cloaks. Their interactions with Quasimodo provide moments of levity and imagination without undermining the loneliness at the heart of his character. These are the kinds of touches that remind you how effectively the Croswell can use a large company to create something visually engaging without relying on elaborate effects at every turn and the way DiPetro manifests beautiful pictures. 

Unfortunately, the Saturday evening performance I attended, the second of a two-show day, wasn’t without its hiccups. There were occasional staging miscues, and some of the principal performers appeared to be struggling with the score’s demanding vocal requirements. I later learned that a few had experienced vocal difficulties earlier in the day, which certainly helps explain some of the strain. Live theater is an unpredictable beast, and it’s difficult not to sympathize with performers who find themselves having to push through those circumstances, particularly with a musical as vocally challenging as this one.

There were also moments when the sound mixing made dialogue and lyrics difficult to distinguish, even from my seat in the third row. Given how much of the storytelling rests on Menken and Schwartz’s score, a more consistent balance between the orchestra and performers would have helped some of the quieter moments land with greater clarity. Still, these issues rarely brought the production’s momentum to a halt, and the audience certainly didn’t seem deterred, rising to its feet before the final performers had even taken their bows.

And for all the challenges of that particular performance, the principal cast still delivered plenty worth celebrating.

Yuen is a terrific Quasimodo, bringing a wounded vulnerability to a character whose physical differences and speech difficulties have made him an outcast. Rather than leaning too heavily into the character’s outward mannerisms, Yuen finds the emotional truth beneath them, giving his performance a sincerity that makes Quasimodo’s longing for companionship genuinely heartbreaking. It’s a remarkably assured turn, with the kind of emotional precision you’d expect from a professional stage.

Hoffert, meanwhile, clearly relishes the opportunity to inhabit Frollo’s villainy without reducing him to a cartoonish monster. The tension between his religious convictions and increasingly uncontrollable desires gives the character an unsettling dimension, and Hoffert makes the most of it.

Nuruddin is another major asset as Esmeralda, bringing a beautiful singing voice, confidence and a spirited independence to a character who refuses to surrender her dignity in the face of persecution. She captures Esmeralda’s defiance without losing sight of the ache beneath it, particularly as the consequences of the men’s competing desires become increasingly dire. Lam is an appealing presence as Phoebus, while Aaron Treadway brings an infectious theatricality to Clopin Trouillefou, the charismatic leader of the Romani community who seems to energize the stage whenever he appears.

The larger ensemble numbers are another highlight, with choreographer Dom Glover once again demonstrating his knack for filling the Croswell stage with movement and personality. An early sequence in the town square practically pulses with activity, making terrific use of the company and Tutt’s scenic design. Glover is especially effective when given the freedom to orchestrate these large-scale numbers, finding ways to make the stage feel bustling without allowing the choreography to become visually cluttered.

Music director Ray Novak and vocal director Mandy Kruse also deserve recognition for the scope of the undertaking, with the orchestra providing much of the dramatic sweep that makes the material so affecting. Even with the occasional vocal strain, the musical’s more stirring passages still manage to leave an impression.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is hardly the cheerful Disney escapism of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” or the Croswell’s forthcoming “Frozen.” Its exploration of intolerance, religious extremism and the cruelty inflicted upon those deemed different makes for a heavier evening, but also one with more emotional weight than audiences might anticipate.

And while Saturday’s performance was a little uneven, there’s plenty to admire in the ambition and imagination DiPietro and his company have poured into this production. Between the strong principal performances, inventive staging and impressive visual craftsmanship, the Croswell has assembled a show that finds its footing despite those minor shortcomings. 

Like its central character, this “Hunchback” may be imperfect, but there’s plenty of beauty beneath the surface. Even with a few bumps along the way, the Croswell has delivered a production with plenty worth ringing the bells about.

IF YOU GO: 

The Croswell Opera House’s production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” continues through Sunday, October 25. Tickets are available through the Croswell Opera House by clicking here.