Cast and crew of Carleton’s Musical Theatre Society (CMTS) are preparing for their production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Last year, the society put on a performance of Chicago and this year, members said they are thrilled to be presenting another classic.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame tells a story of love, acceptance, and what it means to be a hero, based on the Victor Hugo novel and the Disney animated feature.
The show follows Quasimodo (Zachary Sykes) and his guardian Claude Frollo (Matt Healey), the courageous Esmeralda (Claire Borgaonkar), and captain Phoebus (Billy Cohen) as their paths cross in 16th-century Paris.
This marks artistic director Mary Sword’s first production with the CMTS. She said she is thrilled to be working alongside the society, with a cast of 21 people. Sword has a long history of involvement with Sock ’n’ Buskin, having just finished her role in The Mousetrap.
“Everyone who is in the production is absolutely perfect in their role . . . I can’t imagine anyone else in any other role than they are playing,” she said.
Healey has been involved with the society for quite some time.
“I’m in my fourth year now, so my first-year at Carleton was also CMTS’ first year as a company,” they recall. Healey was cast in the company’s first production Cabaret, so things have come full circle to be back doing Hunchback in their final year at Carleton.
The production team began working on the show in late October last year, with casting in mid-November. The cast started rehearsals in December, committing to about three weekly rehearsals.
“Watching it all come together is absolutely amazing, from not knowing where it was going to go, to now,” Sword said.
“It’s been a challenge trying to fit it all in with school, work and trying to have a social life as well, but it’s all about scheduling,” second-year student Claire Borgaonkar, who plays Esmeralda, said.
Borgaonkar said she has had the time of her life exploring the soft Romani street dancer, Esmeralda.
“It’s been so much fun. I really admire her fierceness, courageousness, and bravery,” she said. Borgaonkar added that these are qualities she has been trying to pick up in her personal life while working on the role.
Esmeralda and Frollo have an interesting connection, which has been exciting for the pair to explore.
“Frollo is my first villain,” said Healey. “It’s been very outside the kind of roles that I’ve usually played in the past.”
“It’s not just a stage show based on a Disney film,” Healey said. The cast hopes audiences will make connections from the show to today’s political landscape, as they have throughout the process.
“Everyone will take something different from it. I just want people to have a good time, maybe cry, laugh a lot and be kind of horrified at points,” said Sword.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is being performed on March 13-16 in Kailash Mital Theatre.
Image by Kyle Leonard
