By Tanner Tate
St. George, Utah in July isn’t exactly an ideal climate to see an outdoor production, but that’s exactly what my friends and I took on when we took the trip down to Southern Utah to see the opening night for Tuacahn’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Situated in a picturesque red rock canyon in Ivins, Utah, a suburb of popular vacation spot St. George, Tuacahn is a multi-level, multi-faceted entertainment complex first opened in 1995 and has experienced unprecedented expansion since then. Their largest stage, the famous Tuacahn Amphitheater, is where Hunchback is mounting several days a week until October 2023. We entered the open-air venue to witness a massive cathedral facade flanked by sun-blasted stone and time-period wooden scaffolding housing large brass bells, designed by Adam Koch. Gargoyle heads leered at us from various points on the set, giving a hint as to the storytelling that would take place once the show began. Opening-night excitement buzzed through the sold-out crowd as the house lights dimmed, leaving only the ambient glow of sunlight reflecting off the warm rocks around us to illuminate the area. After several opening night acknowledgements from Kevin Smith, Tuacahn CEO, and director Tim Threlfall, the stage was set for the opening of the show.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a Gothic musical based on the 1831 novel by Victor Hugo and the much-later animated film produced by Disney in 1996.The stage musical blends elements from both of these renditions, staying a bit more true to the source material than the animated film, while taking some of the notable songs from the movie, written by Alan Menken, and adding a number of new musical treasures. While the stage musical has taken the English-speaking world by storm in the last decade, a lesser-known rendition of the musical was premiered in Berlin, Germany in 1999, which became massively successful; however, it was not until 2014 that the English-language version was premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, before being moved to the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey in 2015. It was then announced that the musical would notattempt a Broadway run, instead opting to embark on a number of runs at regional theatres nationwide. It is here that we see Hunchback make its way to the Tuacahn stage.
Hunchback tells the story of Quasimodo (Justin Luciano), the deformed bell-ringer locked away in the towers of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France in the 1400s. Quasimodo is looked after by the imposing Archdeacon of Notre Dame, Claude Frollo (Randal Keith), who warns him that the world outside the towers is cruel and dangerous. Despite Frollo’s warnings, Quasimodo yearns to experience the wider world, and sneaks away to live with the rest of humanity for at least a single day, the day of the Feast of Fools. At the festival, he is discovered and ridiculed by the populace, only being saved by the gypsy dancer Esmeralda (Sophia Marie Guerrero), who Frollo has an infatuation with, against his better judgement. Frollo, fighting his lust for Esmeralda, his disdain for the Romani people, and the disobedience of his ward, embarks on a quest to destroy the Romani people and rid the streets of Esmeralda forever, catching Quasimodo in a crossfire between worlds that threatens the lives of everyone involved, as well as the very fabric of Parisian society.
Luciano fulfills the challenging role of Quasimodo with poise, bringing a level of skill and understanding to the character necessary to achieve an effective performance. The character of Quasimodo is known for having a specific “voice” while speaking, and Luciano presents a fresh and believable take on such a “voice.” His voice is a strong baritone, exhibiting an elegant vibrato and earthiness in his lower tones. His movements as Quasimodo are consistent and calculated. Overall, his presence in the show is well-cast.
Guerrero takes the stage as the beautiful gypsy dancer Esmeralda, and her skill as a dancer shines in her movements. With fierce, dark eyes and a radiant smile, Guerrero sings with brightness that caught my attention from her first entrance. Her chemistry with the loyal soldier Phoebus, (Sean Thompson,) sent gasps through the audience. Thompson is an excellent actor in his own right, his portrayal of the caped crusader Phoebus able to hold up to even the most ardent critic. With vocal prowess and demonstrable masculinity necessary to convince an audience of a high-ranking Medieval guard, Thompson also brings a touch of softness to his character in his interactions with Esmeralda.
Through the show, many of Quasimodo’s scenes are dotted with appearances of an army of gargoyles, portrayed by members of the ensemble holding large puppeted gargoyle heads mounted on long sticks. These ensemble members are playful, honest, and veryenjoyable to watch, without mentioning that each member of the ensemble carries proficient vocal ability. Hunchback is a show that cannot be performed well without a strong ensemble, and Tuacahn’s production brings that ensemble into the spotlight.
With all this already onstage, Tuacahn’s production of Hunchback is an achievement in the theatrical arts; however, the highlights are brought with Randal Keith’s performance as Claude Frollo and Stephen Diaz’s portrayal of the gypsy leader Clopin.
Diaz shines as Clopin, with an extraordinary ability to cause the audience to expect the unexpected. His physicality is somehow jarring and sudden while always remaining calculated and fluid. Diaz is consistently entertaining and mysterious throughout the entire production, with a voice that resounds off the red rocks surrounding the stage.
As Claude Frollo, Keith creates the most dynamic character in the production. As Frollo is written to easily be portrayed as a static character, Keith presents a different flavor of the character, bringing a varied approach to the emotion presented in Frollo’s descent into rage and madness. It is without a single doubt that “Hellfire” was the most powerful number of the night, as Keith’s vocal ability could be witnessed in its entirety and his portrayal of Frollo’s psychological struggle is bared for all to see.
Tuacahn’s Hunchback is accompanied by a live orchestra, to the audience’s delight, overseen by Christopher Babbage, Daniel Mollett, and Benjamin Stayner. Also backstage were designers Nick Van Houten, who created the stunning lighting schemes of the production, (another shout out to the musical number “Hellfire,” in particular,) Josh Liebert, who handles the sound effects and music levels of the show with ease, Ryan Muller, who handles the costuming of the production, and a number of other designers who helped tell the story.
Hunchback is a story for the ages that so many are familiar with, and the musical will do well in bringing the tale to a new generation. With music that rises through the canyon, sets that transport us to Paris, and even a number of live animals onstage, Tuacahn’s production is a triumph. It is hot, and it will stay that way for several months, so dress light.
Tuacahn Center for the Arts presents The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, and James Lapine.
Tuacahn Amphitheater, 1100 Tuacahn Drive, Ivins, Utah 84738
July 15 – October 20, 2023, Performance dates and times vary
Tickets: $35-$100
Contact: 800-746-9882
Tuacahn Facebook Page
Hunchback of Notre Dame promotional video
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