A special version of Belle sung for Helene Segara. It was sung by her friends, family, fans and former cast members of Notre Dame de Paris. There are some very cute and silly lines that even my meager french skills picked up though subtitles helped ^_~.
It’s a very sweet video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7GwN8YVUuc

 

(on a way side note the person who posted this video has Little My from Moomins
as a avatar and that made me so happy ^^)

Two new products by the Hunchstore. (remember you can change the style on any Zazzle product to suit you taste and wallet)

This one is inspired by disney’s Esmeralda. My thought behind this is that it’s the perfect bag for people cosplaying Esmeralda to incorporate into their costumes and it’s not too out there for everyday use for those who want Esmeralda’s style infused into their wardrobe.

Gypsy Inspired Bag Wristlet Purses
Gypsy Inspired Bag Wristlet Purses by Hunchstore
Check out other Bohomenian Bagettes Bags at zazzle.com

This one is just a fun little mug for those who like Quasimodo

Team Quaismodo Mug
Team Quaismodo Mug by Hunchstore
Look at Quasimodo Mugs online at Zazzle.com

This was made by me using a picture of Candice Parise who played Esmeralda in the 2011-2012 Asian Tour of Notre Dame de Paris. It’s a parody of  iPod commercials.

Esmeralda dancing to music of her ipod, Notre Dame de Paris

Esmeralda dancing to music of her ipod, Notre Dame de Paris

Roger Ebert picture image

Roger Ebert

On April 4th 2013, Roger Ebert passed away. He was the one of the most famous movie critics in world. And whether you agreed or disagree with him, people always wanted to know his opinions on a movie. So What did Roger Ebert think of Disney’s Hunchback? He really liked it. He gave it four stars. He liked it better than Aladdin and Pocahontas. He thought it was Disney’s best since Beauty and the Beast.  He said “It blends Menken’s songs, glorious animation, boundless energy and the real substance of the story into a movie of heart and joy.

I, for my part am jaded. When I look at a hunchback movie I judge it on how it compares to the novel and the Disney version falls short as it’s not like the novel at all but from someone who is looking at the movie as stand alone story, I agree with him. It’s an enjoyable movie  that does have heart and substance and most of animation still looks really good after 17 years.

You can read this review  here; http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19960621/REVIEWS/606210302/1023

Or you can watch his review with Gene Siskel;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv31cvSsJ_E

Warning – This is an off-the-Cuff Rant

Elicia MacKenzie as Fleur de Lys, Matt Laurent as Quasimodo & Alessandra Ferrari as Esmeralda, Notre Dame de Paris World Tour Cast picture image

Elicia MacKenzie as Fleur de Lys, Matt Laurent as Quasimodo & Alessandra Ferrari as Esmeralda, Notre Dame de Paris World Tour Cast

Have you been looking forward to World Tour cast of Notre Dame de Paris coming to location relatively close to you? Too bad, it’s over. Their last performance was April 7th in Japan.  Apparently the “World” is Asia. And not even all of Asia only Moscow, China, Taipei and Japan. Now had I read this,

29 septembre 2012
Matt will be on the new Notre-Dame de Paris Tour!

Matt will join the new 2012-2013 tour of Notre-Dame de Paris and will go to Moscow, China, Taiwan and Japan. It’s gonna he english version just like last year.
After more than 550 shows playing Quasimodo, the Huntchback and since 1999, Matt is always very excited to be part of this great musical and is ready to rock it again!
The tour will be held from end of october 2012 until early april 2013.http://www.mattlaurent.ca/nouvelles.php

back in September I would have been angry sooner and would have ranted about it then. I just thought this Tour was just a little disorganized since there was no website or even announcement of dates except for Elicia MacKenzie’s site. I thought tour dates were being delayed as her site because it only went up  to the Japan perfomance dates (of which was wrong on the length the production was in Tokyo). I was wrong in my assumption but then again I thought this tour WAS TOURING THE WORLD, not a portion of a Continent.

The fact is after the Asian Tour they turned around and went to more or less the same places. How can they call it a World Tour when they pretty much only went 4645.96 miles/7476.74 KM?  Why did they bother  at all when they only really  added was Moscow and Japan to the mix? And Russia has been getting the Original troupe concerts since 2010, so they are not hurting to Notre Dame de Paris attention.

I find it odd that for both the Asian Tour and the World Tour rehearsed  in Paris but no performances occurred or even was planned there. But I also find it insulting that most of the principle cast is Canadian and yet there hasn’t been a performance in Canada (or North American) since 2005.

Quite honestly why would you have two Tour Casts less than a year apart tour in same relative locations and one under a name that denotes more places? I mean, did they try for performances in more locations and fail?  I admit, I have no idea how musical tours operate.

Wait I’m going to find out……………one sec……….  Ok, so whoever the tour manger and the booking agents were are to blame. I have to guess that in utter laziness they just went to same places in China and Taipei. Moscow is easy since they already love the show the only risk was Japan.

The time between the Asian Tour and “World Tour” was so on top of each other that I didn’t even know they were separate tours.  Originally, I thought the Asian Tour was the World Tour, and it confused me. And now I know I  was not really  wrong the World Tour was just the Asian Tour 2.0.

I just wish they had called a spade a spade and didn’t call it a “World Tour” when they never left a continent. Perhaps there will be another tour cast that will leave the Asian Continent. Or maybe I should start my own tour cast of the show with sock puppets.

Sock Puppet Frollo from Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Sock Puppet Frollo from Notre Dame de Paris

Esmeralda from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda from Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame

Last Month Disney had a vote for people to vote for which characters the would like to see at the Disney land park. One of the options was Esmeralda, Clopin and Frollo and I’m happy to say that they won.

The other winners were;
-From “Pocahontas” – Pocahontas, John Smith, Meeko and Governor Ratcliffe
-From “Robin Hood” – Robin Hood, Friar Tuck, Prince John and Sheriff of Nottingham
– And Scrooge McDuck and Ludwig Von Drake

 

They will only be there til April 14th so if you go see them,

Source; http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/04/long-lost-disney-friends-coming-to-disneyland-park-for-limited-time-magic-april-8-14/

Quasimodo (Anthony Quinn) with a cat, 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo (Anthony Quinn) with a cat, 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo – One of the Hallmarks of any good Hunchback of Notre Dame version is how Quasimodo’s look. It’s important to his character. The 1956 version tried to humanize his looks and it didn’t work, at all.

He hardly has any deformity and he’s not a hunchback, Quinn just slouches, so he’s a slouch-back.  Did they forget his hunch? Anyway.  His over-all costume is tan and green. It fits in with scope of the other designs of the movie but it’s too neat and clean for a recluse bell-ringer.

Frollo (Alain Cuny), 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture iamge

Frollo (Alain Cuny), 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo – Frollo’s costume from a design stand point is simple, he wears black, the end. Mess that up and you have an very incompetent costume designer.Of course ideally he wears a back hooded robe.

And this version got all those elements. There is some more design inserted into the costume but it doesn’t distract. He has wide sleeves typically called “poet sleeves.”  He also has seams that give his robe a padded look. He also sports a cape which gives a dramatic flair.

Robert Hirsch as Gringoire & Gina Lollobrigida as Esmeralda, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Robert Hirsch as Gringoire & Gina Lollobrigida as Esmeralda, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Gringoire – Gringoire, like Quasimodo wears green and tan. His doublet has puffed sleeves that  extend into a false sleeve which gives of top-heaviness which was fashionable at the time. He also has the same padding like seams that Frollo has on his costume.

jean Danet as Phoebus,1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture imge

Jean Danet as Phoebus,1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Phoebus– Since Phoebus is rich and a soldier he get a few costume changes. He gets soldier suit and two civilian looks. However these looks are quite similar. All of his looks have sparkles which I’m sure is an anachronism. His costume also use richer fabrics than the other characters but the cut is identical to Gringoire’s costume.

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Fleur de Lys–  Fleur wears a light blue gown with a veiled hennin (the princess  pointy hat), which was the fashion in the 15th century.  Her style of dress is very on point with what women wore then, it has a high waistline and a v-neckline. Her gown is detailed with fur and appliques. Though appliques are yet an anachronism.

Philippe Clay as Clopin, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Philippe Clay as Clopin, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Clopin –  Being as he poses a beggar, Clopin wears tan and rougher fabrics. Unlike Quasimodo and Gringoire, his clothing are ragged. He also is typically seen wearing a cloth cap that matches his tan tunic.

Quasimodo (Anthony Quinn) giving flowers to Esmeralda (Gina Lollobrigida) 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo (Anthony Quinn) giving flowers to Esmeralda (Gina Lollobrigida) 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Overall, while the costumes in this movie are not to exciting they more or less work within the scope of a medieval movie. However they don’t stand out as being amazing. The worse thing about the costumes in this movie is the lack of effort on Quasimodo’s make-up. Even if you are going to humanize Quasimodo’s looks, he still NEEDS A HUNCH!

Next 1956 Article – The Sets

Set of Notre Dame from the 1956 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Set of Notre Dame from the 1956 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

Quasimodo Sunday is the  Sunday after Easter, transnational called “Low Sunday.” In The Hunchback of Notre Dame this is the day in which Frollo finds Quasimodo as a baby and adopts. He calls him Quasimodo because of the day and his deformities.  So to celebrate Quasimodo’s name day  this;

Frollo names Quasimodo (dr evil and mini-me parody))

Frollo names Quasimodo

Image parodies Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me