Name: Notre Dame de Paris
Genre: Musical
Released: 2016-11-23
Rating: 9.3
Cast: Richard Charest, Angelo Del Vecchio, Gianluca Falvo

Struggles to live up to its predecessor, but one of the better versions of the show

I've seen most of the notable past versions of NDP, and I can say confidently that no performance, past and present, lives up to the original show. This is no exception.

First off, some of the new costumes are a big downgrade, especially Quasimodo's. What did they do to him? At first glance, he looks like a mime as Angelo Del Vecchio's face is painted white as snow and given lipstick with a shaky hand to represent the sores on Quasimodo's lips. He is also given a fluffy red wig instead of the more bristly, spike one they have had in the past and occasionally have still. With others, they just look so much cheaper, including Gringoire's, but Frollo's I find okay, but the original one was simpler and his here just stands out a bit too much. The costumes outshine the actors that wear them, to put it simply. I can't see anything past them.

As for the singing. We have some veterans here, including Richard Charest and Daniel Lavoie, and rookies Angelo Del Vecchio and Hiba Tawaji. They're just fine as talent, but they don't have a lot of chemistry together, it looks forced. I just see them as Angelo and Hiba, unlike Garou and Helene Segara in the original. Jay as Clopin does a good job. He's not as unpredictable and hard as Luck, but he has his own identity. Lastly, Alyzee is and Martin are just... fine. Martin reminds me of the Las Vegas Phoebus, both in appearance and voice.

While this dvd is hard to find I have seen most of the songs of this cast online. Were it not for Daniel Lavoie sticking with the show after 20 years, this show would be a train wreck. This is a newer, younger cast, unlike the Italian cast, who still retains most of its original cast (Gio, Graziano, Vittorio, etc). As much as I like Angelo Del Vecchio, who plays Quasimodo he seems distracted from the character he is supposed to play. He pairs well with Lavoie, but he appears to focus more on singing the songs rather than playing a believable Quasimodo, although maybe it is just the flashy, cheap costume and makeup. It is also noticeable in his voice he's straining a lot to sound like Garou, and he takes a VERY obvious breath in between every line, which can't be ignored after you hear it. It may just be the way he sings, I don't know. But it distracts me a lot, because he has a great voice and it interrupts that.

The show had a few revisions after 2000, which makes it more show than story in my opinion. In some songs characters interact more with the ensemble (ex. Gringoire in La Fete de Fous) than others. In the original, having no ensemble interaction and being more direct to the audience makes it more engaging, and sometimes when they do interact with ensemble members in the new show it may be even frustrating, as if they're wasting time.

The new cast members seem to focus more on singing rather than playing their parts, and for that, it's mixed for me. Maybe it's because I prefer the original cast first, but when you play a part you need to convince the audience that you are that said part above anything else. I would rather have a mediocre singer with amazing acting skills than an amazing singer who does nothing to show me they are indeed who they are playing the tole of. I am intrigued by the newer cast members, and they have a lot of potential to improve.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The musical genre features stories that combine music, singing, dancing, acting, and often spoken dialogue to tell a story or convey a narrative. Musicals incorporate various elements of drama, music, and choreography to create a cohesive theatrical experience that engages audiences on multiple levels.

Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)

Revival version of the 1998 musical adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

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Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Salma Hayek, Richard Harris, and Mandy Patinkin in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1997)

Lon Chaney and Patsy Ruth Miller in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923)

Riccardo Cocciante, Luc Plamondon, and Hiba Tawaji at an event for Notre Dame de Paris (2016)

Notre Dame de Paris

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