The Carleton Musical Theatre Society’s (CMTS) production of the musical version of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame does not disappoint in adapting the Disney classic, offering a political and thought-provoking performance. The 21-person cast does a great job at connecting with each other, despite minimal technical difficulties with opening night sound during their March 13 show.
The show focuses on the stories of Quasimodo (Zachary Sykes) and his guardian Claude Frollo (Matt Healey), Romani dancer Esmeralda (Claire Borgaonkar), and captain Phoebus (Billy Cohen) in 16th-century Paris.
Healey performs a fantastic Frollo, with their compelling voice and enticing demeanour.
The team cast Isaac Benedikt, the six-month-old who plays Baby Quasimodo. Healey works incredibly on stage with Benedikt and is able to keep him comfortable while maintaining their character.
Hunchback doesn’t shy away from its political themes. Frollo’s plan to rid the city of gypsies reflects the political landscape in the United States at the moment in regards to immigration. When Frollo offers Esmeralda safety, she is sexually assaulted. Quasimodo is bullied and beaten for his deformity. The treatment they experience is all too real and still very relevant. Kindness shines amidst the cruelty and is a poignant message throughout.
Katie Moroz’s choreography is executed very well, utilizing the entire stage and even incorporating handkerchiefs, which create beautiful visuals. Esmeralda carries the show, and Borgaonkar takes that on with confidence. Borgaonkar and Cohen have a truly believable connection and deliver the strongest vocal performances of the production.
Lighting designer Hannah Blucher-Martin uses blends of colours directed onto the cyclorama which reflect the emotions and ongoings on-stage. Lighting is used throughout the performance to help establish setting, as the set is fairly stagnant except for tables and chairs which the actors bring on and off.
The colour purple—shadowing Esmeralda’s first appearance—and the beautiful projection of a stained glass window, seen as a reflection on the floor, help anchor the audience.
Costume designer Nadine Zabib does a great job of ensuring that the actors fit the time period. The physical hunchback that Quasimodo wears does not look like fabric. It appears as a real deformity, helping the story’s believability.
At times, off-stage ensemble singing sounds offbeat and sometimes louder than the lead actors on stage, though this may have been due to the opening night technical difficulties.
With The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, CMTS has produced a production that features several layers of detail, which makes it stand out.
The show is extremely relevant today, touching on immigration, sexual assault, and demonstrating the power of kindness.
The gruesome madness shines through these themes and the story is fun to follow. The cast works incredibly well together, and collectively, they put on a thought-provokingly moving performance.
Image by Tim Austen
