The Hunchback of Notre Dame (musical)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Artwork from the 2017 Berlin production
MusicAlan Menken
LyricsStephen Schwartz
Book
Basis
Productions

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a musical with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. It is adapted from Walt Disney Animation Studios' 1996 film of the same name, which in turn was based on the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. The musical premiered in 1999 in Berlin as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame, with a book by James Lapine. It was produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, being the company's first musical to premiere outside the United States. It ran for three years, becoming one of Berlin's longest-running musicals.

The English-language version, with a revised book by Peter Parnell, had its debut at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California on October 28, 2014, and ran until December 7, 2014.[1] Subsequently, the show went on to open on March 4, 2015, at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, with more changes in the libretto.[2] The show closed on April 5, 2015, after it was announced that it would not move to Broadway.[3]

The musical is notably darker and thematically closer to the source material than the animated film, with composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz repurposing and rewriting several songs to match the original tone of the Hugo novel.[4]

  1. ^ Gilbert, Ryan (January 24, 2014). "Into the California Sunlight! Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame Will Have Its U.S. Premiere at La Jolla". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  2. ^ "Full Cast Announced for the U.S. Premiere of The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Paper Mill Playhouse. Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  3. ^ Purcell, Casey (April 6, 2015). "The Hunchback of Notre Dame Will Not Move to Broadway; Fans Sign Petition for Transfer". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  4. ^ Peitzman, Louis (March 13, 2015). ""The Hunchback Of Notre Dame" Musical Is Not Your Average Disney Production". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved January 4, 2024.