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After placing first in their recent state Shakespeare competition, the NS drama department is in full swing, preparing for this year’s musical with continued vigor. They will be putting on “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” a Disney musical based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo.
The cast for the musical was released after a week of audition processes, in which 55 students auditioned for the production. Thayne Smith will be featured as Quasimodo, with Rory Anderson as Frollo, Kason Ericksen as Phoebus, and Emily Wheeler as Esmeralda.
“It’s one of those things where it feels really surreal, like ‘Woah! You’re playing Esmeralda!’ and it feels like there’s no way!” Wheeler said. “But, at the same time, I’ve worked really hard and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”
Uniquely, there was some uncertainty this year as to what musical the school would actually put on. For a few months, it was assumed that NS would produce “Annie.”
“[Choosing the musical] is one of the most stressful parts of the year for me, and for the choreographer, and for the music director,” said Alex Barlow, drama department head and director of the show. “I consistently read a lot of different scripts and listen to a lot of different tracks, and take some input also from the students, and it’s just a really stressful process.”
Barlow and the other department leaders had decided on “Annie” under the assumption that Dr. Laura Billings, the music director who helped with both Tarzan and Newsies, would not be returning this year.
“Hunchback had been a contender before,” said Barlow, “but with the music as challenging as it is—and it is very hard music—we didn’t want to have a first-year music director to do Hunchback, because it’s very, very hard music. Annie’s music was much less challenging.”
After Billings’ return was guaranteed, the decision was made to switch to Hunchback.
“Dr. Billings is a very talented music director, and I’m very excited,” Wheeler said. “The music in this show is extremely challenging, and having a good music director like that will help us be able to sound our best.”
While the musical utilizes music from the 1996 Disney animated cartoon, it pulls much more of its story from the original book’s darker plot line.
“I think people are going to be surprised at how different it is from the Disney movie,” Barlow said. “I love the music, it’s really powerful and really intense. And overall, even though it is a heavier and more mature musical than any musical we’ve ever done before, it has a really great message.”
The individual students of the drama department are collectively looking forward to the rigorous process of putting a show like Hunchback together.
“We have a lot of new people, which is exciting, but it’ll be kind of a different process than what we’re used to,” said Wheeler.
Kason Ericksen, cast as Phoebus, is in a special circumstance as he has never acted or participated in a musical before. He auditioned with the help and encouragement of his friends in drama, and benefited from a four-year vocal career in NS’s choir.
“I’ve really enjoyed choir throughout high school,” Ericksen said. “I like the unity of everyone singing the songs. It just sounds amazing, and feels good to accomplish our collective goal… the other students in the drama department have also been very helpful and kind. I’ve never acted before and they knew that, but they supported me.”
This collective accomplishment and acceptance is not only present in the choir. NS’s drama department is famously inclusive and united in all of their productions.
“A lot of times when we’re in a cast, everybody bonds, and you create a family within the cast,” Wheeler said. “That’s why I love theater so much, is people that don’t necessarily have good home lives or family lives will find that within the cast.”
As preparations for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” begin, dozens of committed individuals are committing to de- vote all of themselves to the cause.
“My first thoughts [after being cast] were that Phoebus is a minor role,” said Ericksen, “and I was happy with that! However, after getting the part I soon found out how important the character is and how often he appears in the musical. At first I was really stressed out, not knowing how it would affect my swim schedule and practices. Thankfully, Barlow was very considerate and willing to plan around my swim season. That lessened the stress of it all. It will be very tough to do both, but as long as I work hard, I should be able to do it.”
The adults managing and directing this production have intense emotions surrounding it. Their resolve does not change, but their attitudes fluctuate regularly to match what they must do to move forward.
“Some days, I’m really excited,” Bar- low said. “Other days, I’m really nervous and really overwhelmed. I’m very excited to see it all come together, but I’m nervous to see how our general audiences are going to respond to it. It’s not an offensive show, by any means, but it is just heavy and deals with some heavy things.”
Regardless, the students of the NS drama department, both old and new, are ready to work for what they want to attain. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is to be shown for four nights sometime in the first half of third quarter.
“I think we’ve got some really great dramatic actors,” Barlow said, “and they’re really excited about it. If we can conquer the music, then we can conquer the show.”
