‘Hunchback’ proves a ringing success for Calabasas High

PLAY REVIEW ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’



IN OLD FRANCE—Dom Claude Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame, raises his nephew Quasimodo after Frollo’s brother dies in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” performed last week at Calabasas High School. Courtesy of Patrick Garrett

IN OLD FRANCE—Dom Claude Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame, raises his nephew Quasimodo after Frollo’s brother dies in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” performed last week at Calabasas High School. Courtesy of Patrick Garrett

The theater arts department at Calabasas High School, which never fails to impress, has done it again. Under the direction of Bill Garrett, the students have put together a bold, professional quality production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which played March 20 through 24 at the school’s performing arts education center.

The musical got its start in Berlin in 1999, where it became one of Germany’s most successful shows. The English language version, with a book by Peter Parnell, made its debut in the United States in 2014 but has not yet made it to Broadway.

Based on Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel about Quasimodo, a deformed bell ringer in Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral and his unrequited love for a beautiful gypsy girl, the musical was adapted from Disney’s 1996 animated film, with songs written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

The 2014 version emphasizes the darker elements of the story, which is dominated by Dom Claude Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame, who raises his nephew Quasimodo after Frollo’s brother dies. Frollo protects Quasimodo from the outside world by sequestering him within the walls of the cathedral. There, Quasimodo confides in the gargoyles and statues as he yearns for a chance to see what is “Out There” in the world.

Garrett double-cast the major roles in the show. On opening night, Blake Ferris turned in a sympathetic, passionate performance as Quasimodo, who has given up hope of ever finding love until he is treated with empathy by Esmeralda, a kindhearted gypsy who he sees dancing during the annual Feast of Fools.

Ferris, who is a ninth-grader, showcases a heroic tenor and exhibits a thorough understanding of the tortured character he is portraying.

Sami Staitman is magnificent as Esmeralda. Staitman, a senior, is a triple-threat performer (acting, singing and dancing) with a rapid, birdlike vibrato that is, like her character, captivating, especially on the passionately delivered showpiece, “God Help the Outcasts,” which serves as Esmeralda’s leitmotif.

The song reinforces the show’s theme of tolerance toward those who are different, linking the persecuted gypsies with physically deformed unfortunates like Quasimodo.

Eleventh-grader Augie Isaac turned in a spectacular performance as the fraudulently pious Frollo, who views gypsies as a pestilence to be exterminated like so many rats. Isaac’s darkly rich baritone far outdistances his youthfulness and his presence looms like a demonic shadow, especially in his first act solo, “Hellfire,” in which Frollo condemns Esmeralda to be burned at the stake if she does not give in to his lustful advances.

Mateo Gonzales is excellent as Phoebus de Martin, Captain of the Paris Guard, who is also irresistibly attracted to Esmeralda, while Ian Bowers shows a lean physical dexterity as Clopin, the malevolently leering, jester-like leader of the gypsies, bringing to mind the Emcee in “Cabaret.”

The production is enhanced by Lex Gernon’s stunning, deceptively sparse set design, centering on two movable scaffolds that represent the walls and staircases of the cathedral. The ensemble, hooded in robes, remains on stage for the entire show in rows of pews on either side of the stage.

The enthralling conclusion to Act 1 (“Esmeralda”), in which Quasimodo, flanked by Frollo and Phoebus, rises dramatically on a hydraulically powered platform, packs a theatrical wallop comparable to “One Day More” from “Les Miserables,” another dramatization of a Hugo novel.

Music director Aaron Kohen led the superb 24-piece pit orchestra with often thrilling choreography by Rachel Kay. The costumer (Terry Simons), lighting director (James Smith III) and technical director (Art Riddle) helped give the production a visual grandeur uncommon in a high school production.