Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure

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Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure

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Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical Disney MGM Studios

This show premiered at the Backlot Theater on June 21, 1996 to coincide with the release of the animated film. It featured a center runway so that the cast could go out into the audience. The show was originally supposed to only run for a year, after which it was to be replaced by a Hercules show. This never came to pass and the Hercules Zero to Hero Victory Parade debuted instead. Matt Conover was the producer of the Florida version of the show. Performances of this 30-minute musical started being cut back at the end of 2001. Quasimodo and his friends were seen for the last time on September 28, 2002.

"The Bells of Notre Dame" / "Out There"

The show began with a peal of bells as the gypsies entered the stage. As Clopin sings and the gypsies use their capes as a makeshift puppet stage, they act out how Quasimodo's mother was killed by Judge Claude Frollo. He is about to kill the baby Quasimodo until the archbishop of the Notre Dame Cathedral intervenes. Frollo is told to take care of the baby to atone for the murder. The scene moves forward 20 years and Quasimodo appears with the gargoyles Victor, Hugo and Laverne. From the spires of Notre Dame, Quasimodo sees everyone gathering for the Festival of Fools. As he perches on a gargoyle and swings around a spire, he sings of his desire to belong during "Out There".

"Topsy Turvy"

Hunchback of Notre Dame A Musical Adventure concept art Disney MGM Studios

As confetti is showered on the audience, Clopin hosts the Festival of Fools and explains how it's the one day of the year where everything is reversed. Captain Phoebus arrives during the song and meets Judge Frollo, who wants him to hunt down all of the gypsies. Esmeralda is introduced by Clopin, and is joined by her goat Djali, who is a marionette operated by one of the gypsies. Quasimodo has joined the throng and he is crowned the King of Fools. As he is paraded around, he gets frightened and begs Frollo to save him, but Frollo refuses, saying he needs to "learn a lesson". Esmeralda rescues him and then tells Frollo he is mistreating both Quasimodo and her people. Frollo orders Phoebus to arrest her but she uses a trick to disappear.

"God Help the Outcasts" / "Heaven's Light"

Esmeralda has escaped into the cathedral. Phoebus meets her and Frollo orders him to capture her. He tells her to claim sanctuary. Frollo wants her dragged outside but the archbishop stops him. Esmeralda asks the archbishop what Frollo has against people who are different and says there's no one outside the church who is going to do anything about it. The archbishop points to a statue of the Virgin Mary and tells her "perhaps there is someone in here who can." She then sings "God Help the Outcasts" as Quasimodo watches. She sees him but he runs away. She follows him up to the tower, where she assures him gypsies are not evil and that he is not the monster Frollo told him he was. Quasimodo helps her escape and she gives him her necklace, which is a map to the Court of Miracles where the gypsies live. Quasimodo is smitten with Esmeralda and sings about his hope for love to the gargoyles during "Heaven's Light".

"A Guy Like You"

Frollo orders a search for Esmeralda. The gypsies uses puppets to act out Frollo offering rewards for her captures and burning innocent people in their homes. During the melee, Phoebus is shot with an arrow. From the bell tower, Quasimodo tells the gargoyles he is worried about Esmeralda but they tell him she'll come back because she likes him. Hugo gives him a card with the Ace of Hearts, telling him he is the "aces". The three gargoyles try to build up his confidence by singing "A Guy Like You". Esmeralda then arrives with an injured Phoebus, asking Quasimodo to shelter him. It is apparent to him that Phoebus and Esmeralda are in love and he sadly puts down the card with the heart.

Hunchback of Notre Dame Musical Adventure cast

"Bells of Notre Dame" (Reprise)

Wanting to hunt down Esmeralda, Frollo tells Quasimodo he is going to attack the gypsies. Quasimodo uses the necklace and finds the Court of Miracles with Phoebus but it is a trap. Phoebus is arrested and Esmeralda is found guilty of witchcraft. Frollo is about to burn her at the stake until Quasimodo breaks free from the chains Frollo has put him in and rescues Esmeralda. He ushers her to safety, then throws a beam at Frollo's men. They then use it as a battering ram until Quasimodo pours a cauldron of molten lead on them. He finds Esmeralda injured and confronts Frollo about how is dark and cruel he is. Frollo then tries to kill him. The two struggle and Frollo falls from the bell tower. Quasimodo then joins the hands of Phoebus and Esmeralda together and they exit.

Disneyland's Festival of Fools

Hunchback of Notre Dame musical adventure Disney MGM Studios

Disneyland had a version of the show called The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools and it was completely different. It was presented in Frontierland in a reverse theater in the round with the audience in the center. The stage set was reminiscent of a Renaissance Fair and was so encompassing that the performers had to wave flags to direct audience members where to see the action. The show was not a straight retelling of the movie like at Walt Disney World and focused more on the gypsies acting out parts of the story. The gargoyles weren't in this show and there was no Djali marionette. Quasimodo was a costumed character in this production and didn't say anything although he did lip-sync to "Out There". The picture above was used for publicity at Walt Disney World and does appear to feature the Florida cast, even though it shows a masked Quasimodo.

Disney/MGM Studios Shows

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