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by Brooke Syme
Staff Reporter
The auditorium was filled with quiet spectators, wide-eyed as the house lights dimmed to nothing. Monks in hooded robes, carrying candles, walked slowly down the aisles to the stage. The audience is inevitably pulled into the atmosphere, and to their edge of their seats. Then the curtain rises to tell the story of the Hunchback that lives in the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Most can say that they know the story of the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” but the version that NS performed wasn’t the standard Disney version. It had a couple more songs and was a bit darker than other versions, it was also more closely related to the book that Victor Hugo wrote.
It was an overall great performance by all of the cast. The main parts were Quasimodo played by Thayne Smith, Esmeralda played by Emily Wheeler, Phoebus by Kason Ericksen, and Frollo by Rory Anderson.
The way that the actors portrayed emotions was impressive, especially in the songs “Top of the World,” “Hellfire” and “Someday.” The way they put their heart and soul into each line and action made the play more professional.
One noticed that Quasimodo has nearly lost his hearing from ringing the bells, and the drama department thought of adding sign language to go along with this storyline. This was a great addition to the play, and it was done in the NS production.
Adding to the fantastic acting was the musical’s set. The set was an elaborate work of art that many students and other volunteers created. Using another level to complete the look of the rafters of the cathedral helped pull the show together and show how Quasimodo was always looking from above. Also, the use of lights and fog machines added special effects to the different scenes, especially the second scene of act two, where Quasimodo and Phoebus were going through the dark streets of Paris in the fog and near-darkness.
Along with the set, there were great props and lighting. Although they may be small and not as noticed, they were still well done. Things like the scarves in the second scene of act one or the candles spread out around the set all added to the scene. The lighting also made it seem completely different even though they were on the same stage and not going anywhere.
Although the play was great, there were a few problems. Some mics weren’t working as well as others. Part of the problem was that not all mics are as good as others, and some would keep cutting out. There was even a time when the main characters weren’t working great. But this is caused mainly by mics not being on the correct frequencies or having too many to get lost in. Also, there was a song where the music cut out a little earlier than it should have, which threw some people off for a split second.
One important aspect of the musical is the gypsies, who are a representation of the historically oppressed Roma people. Those who choreographed the dances of the gypsies drew heavily from traditional Roma dances, adding to both the authenticity and respectability of the production.
NS did an excellent job, with all the technical and acting and having a play with a heavy theme. The Hunchback of Notre Dame has some more serious topics that can be harder to handle and perform, including man versus monster and social status. My biggest takeaway is the fact that peoples’ pasts, no matter how tragic, don’t matter compared to who they presently are.
