By Barb Dorn
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Nebraska Communities Playhouse, Hickman, NE, March 15, 2024
If you had the good fortune to see Young Frankenstein last fall at NCP, you will understand my overuse of superlatives for Hunchback. Great facility and accommodations, seating, refreshments, and ease of interacting with cast and crew. Same director, same choreographer, same visually delicious staging techniques; and a few very welcome, very talented and familiar faces, along with several excellent NCP debuts.
Of course, the similarities end at one that leaves you shedding tears of laughter and one that leaves you in tears. The casting. The costumes. The dancing. The near flawless execution of staging and script. The VOCALS! (Okay, those are still similar.).
But the sheer intensity! Wow. Remember, this is the stage version and definitely not Disney. (Not suitable for kids as indicated by NCP.) Be sure to read the director’s notes in the program as JD Madsen provides a masterful explanation of the adaptation and relevance of this timeless work.
Armed with the powerful (again, the set and the vocals!) pre-scene that explains how Quasi came to be, we are carried into his current life and relationships. All of the actors take us well beyond the basic story and right into their angst. The audience is left with no doubt as to the inner turmoil and external trials of living in Victor Hugo’s Paris, yet they translate the message so easily for all of us for today.
Both the ensemble and the main cast were simply stellar, so I hesitate to focus on one. But the portrayal of Quasi demands a few remarks. Christian Cardona’s seamless transition between his inner voice and his physical limitations, and interaction with the inanimate and animate is just plain marvelous.
Now I’m thinking I should also discuss Frollo. And Esmeralda. And Phoebus… Where to stop?!
Despite reveling in – being completely immersed in – the (reader, insert your own superlative here if you can think of one I haven’t yet used*) production aspects of Hunchback, I was left uncomfortable and thoughtful. Which is precisely the goal.
Well done, NCP. I am still musing on my own inner notions and my role in society hours later.
*better yet, just go! Don’t wait for “someday”!
If you go: The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs March 15-24, 2024 at the Nebraska Communities Playhouse in Hickman. Ticket information can be found at https://neplayhouse.com
Barb Dorn, Storm spotter, sometime writer, but no French accent.
As always, if you like this content and want to see more, please join our email list and like us on Facebook!