Differences Between the King’s Academy Production and Der Glockner von Notre Dame

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Frollo, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing Esmeralda King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing Esmeralda King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

The King’s Academy version of the Hunchback exist as step between Der Glockner von Notre Dame and the official American musical version of La Jolla and Papermills. The King’s version has some core differences of Glockner and even the Disney movie. Also Please note, I’m working off of memory, I had hope to re-watch it and make a list but I couldn’t do that so I probably will miss things.

So the big difference and something that I find a unforgivable is Phoebus or rather not Phoebus. This version calls him Edgrick, I’m not sure why they changed his name. The did change the gargoyle names back to there original Disney name of Victor, Hugo and Laverne instead of the Glockner names Charles, Loni and Antoine. Also in this production Phoebus does not sing. This Phoebus’ signature song of Ein bißchen Freude or Rest and Recreation does not occur. Also Out of Love is cut which is also cut from the La Jolla version. He also doesn’t sing in Esmeralda instead Frollo sings Phoebus’s part which doesn’t make that much sense as the Frollo asks why he hears her words inside his head I have no idea what he would be referring to, though the lyrics have been changed somewhat.

King’s version
Frollo:
Why do I long for Esmeralda?
Why do I hear her words inside my head?
Why do I think of Esmeralda?
With all the Gypsies Beggars left for Dead

Yes my Duty calls for
Paris is Burning
Lit to expose that furtive pair
Sneaking about
Out There

Glockner
Phoebus:
What have I done for Esmeralda?
Why do I hear her voice inside my head?
Why do I think of Esmeralda?
With my career and prospects left for dead?

Frollo:
Once more my Duty calls
Paris is Burning
Lit to expose that furtive pair
Sneaking about
Out There
http://www.shipperland.de/miracles/

I wish Phoebus or Edgrick had sung in Esmeralda be it harkens to the basis of the book three guys and how they hearts are made different with regard to one woman. Plus it adds rich to the big act ending song.

Another cut song from the Glockner version is Tanz auf dem Seil or Dance on the Rope which served as Esmeralda’s introduction. Instead she appears dancing before a crowd like in the movie. The La Jolla version also cut Dance of the Rope and opted for keeping the dance angle but added the song Rhythm of the Tambourine.

The King’s Academy also cut Tanz der Zigeuner, Dance of the Gypsies and reintroduced The Court of Miracle from the original. Minor change really.

Clopin doesn’t narrate the tale as a beggar which he does in Glockner. In the King’s versions he is in his jester costume at the start. Minor change.

However the big change is at the end, no one dies and I mean no one, well except Quasimodo’s mother. But Frollo lies, he is about to attack Quasimodo and Esmeralda but he just walks off. This could be because he said care for the child.

A curious addition and not really a change but it needs to be mention is Djali isn’t in this version but one of Hugo’s lines mention Djali not by name but he does say “the one in the dress ain’t bad either” referencing to the nonexistent Djali.

Again I’m probably missing other difference between the shows but those are the one I remember and can find

Next Time -Direction and Staging

Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing God help the Outcast King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing God help the Outcast King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

Tanz auf dem Seil, Ein bißchen Freude”, Drunter drüber“ Music of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame – Part 2

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This is the second part of the music review of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Tanz auf dem Seil

Esmeralda and Clopin Tanz auf dem Seil Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Clopin Tanz auf dem Seil Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Tanz auf dem Seil (Dance on the Rope) is first new song of the show. It introduces Clopin as the Leader of the Gypsies and  to Esmeralda. Clopin starts the song by telling the  audience and the new members of the Court of Miracles what roles they play in Paris as Travelers. Those roles are beggars, artist, and the scapegoats and they must understand them in order to survive. One of the newcomers catches Clopin’s attention and that is Esmeralda, a dancer. Esmeralda had to move to Paris as she can’t keep her opinions to herself and it gets her into trouble but she is determine to try and make Paris her home.

Musically this song is fun. Clopin sings a bit of the from the final number of act one Esmeralda (which is one of my favorite from the show {it got the 8th position in my top ten best hunchback songs list ). But more than that  Tanz auf dem Seil shows the audience how the Court of Miracles functions and what it means to be a Gypsy in Paris under Frollo’s control. It also gives Esmeralda a back story and ironically it seems to take it a bit from the 1939 version where Esmeralda was new in Paris and the Court of Miracles. Plus it’s nice to know that the map amulets were standard issue as you see Clopin give it to Esmeralda.

This song is the first big number of the show so I’m sure the staging was full of dancing. I enjoy this song, it’s interesting, informative, and fun.

To watch a clip of Tanz auf dem Seil performed on stage click here

Ein bißchen Freude

Fredrik Lycke as Phoebus in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Fredrik Lycke as Phoebus in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Ein bißchen Freude (A Bit of Joy) introduces us to Phoebus. Like the movie, Phoebus has been relieved of military duty and has been promoted to Captain of the Guard. Unlike the Disney movie, Phoebus here acts more like he does in the book. He just wants to indulge in vices and have lots of “wine, women and song” you know A bit of Joy. He also flirts with a random girl during the course of the song. It also gives us some basis for character development with Phoebus seeing him start out as more of a member of the “common, weak, licentious” crowd to becoming a more righteous person later at the end of act one.

Musically the song uses the Phoebus’ Lemotif from Disney (you know that march music you hear when Phoebus is first introduced). It’s a good introduction to Phoebus as a combination with Disney and the book. The song has good energy and a  bit of fun and it’s nice to hear Phoebus get a song to himself (spoiler- this is Phoebus’ only solo song).

Drunter drüber

Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Clopin Drunter drüber Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Clopin Drunter drüber Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Drunter drüber (Topsy Turvy) is similar to the Disney version but there are a lot of big little differences.   A quick staccato introduces the song and seems like people running to get there in time for the start. Then it follows the songs  with the crowds and Clopin. Quasimodo get some lines here to the tune of Out There (Draußen {His Leitmotif}).  Also the music of Esmeralda’s dance is different. It’s slower and sounds more like what is typically considered “Travelers Music.” So you can imagine her dance is  not the pole dance of the Disney movie, but you couldn’t really have a stage actress performing the moves Esmeralda did in the movie plus in book I don’t think Esmeralda would have done the those moves either. So the slow tempo dance music is a nice mitigation

Drunter drüber is akin to the Disney version but the difference make it fun and interesting and fun in its own right.

To watch a video of Drunter drüber performed on stage Click here

Next Time –
Hilf den Verstoß’nen (God Help the Outcast)
Hoch über der Weltt (High above the World)

Esmeralda and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame image picture

Esmeralda and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Die Glocken Notre Dames, Zuflucht, Draußen- Music of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame -Part 1

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For the Music of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame I have decided to do a few songs at a time (with the two exceptions).  I’m also going to try to not compare the singers between the Disney Cast and the Original Berlin Cast and I’m going to try not to discusss staging too much.

Die Glocken Notre Dames

Frollo (Norbert Lamla) with Baby Quasimodo and the Archdeacon Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Frollo (Norbert Lamla) with Baby Quasimodo and the Archdeacon Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Die Glocken Notre Dames (The Bells of Notre Dame) is the show’s opening number and it is pretty much exactly the same as it is in the movie but there are some differences. First off, no Puppet. Yeah, I know tragic. Clopin appears as a beggar and not as a performer, so any humor that the Disney version had is gone. Giving us a a clear tone. Also Clopin is not telling the story of Quasimodo and Frollo to children he instead tells it to  the audience which makes him more clearly a narrator.

Another difference is Quasimodo’s mother talks back to Frollo. Now, I don’t speak much German and I don’t have access to a script (I looked and couldn’t find one so if you know what she saying or know of a script let me know) so I have no idea what she is saying, I could guess. Probably goes along the lines of something like this:

Frollo- Hey, you there what are you hiding?
Quasimodo’s Mother – Who me? It’s just my Baby 
Frollo – You Lie, give me what you are concealing, I wants it! 
Or something like that or I’m way off.

Another difference is there is some instruments. The difference can really be heard when the Archdeacon is singing. There is a Piano and a lower brass opposed to the original which seems to be woodwinds, bells and a high brass. Also the usage of bells at the end is different whereas the movie uses what sounds like low octave bells that play a few notes the musical opts for scales of higher octave bells and I swear I hear a xylophone in there.

Also the attitude of Frollo and Archdeacon are different. In the movie Frollo is cool  and calm and the Archdeacon has a sad yet kind of soft tone till he get firm about the eyes. In the stage show Frollo is flustered and Archdeacon is forceful from the get go.

Also a staging difference, there are videos that you can be see on youtube (if Youtube isn’t killed by SOPA and PIPA) that shows this number performed on stage and when Quasimodo’s Mother is push by Frollo she doesn’t die right away. As she is dying she reaches for Quasimodo. So I guess she died of blood loss and not of head trauma or a broken neck like the movie but I’m no doctor. Watch Video Here

Zuflucht

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Zuflucht  or Refuge is a song  that is extended from Frollo’s part of the movie  version of Out There. This song is where you learn that Frollo was a Priest  but he thought that Paris was sick and needed to be save and so he changed his career to a judge. Quasimodo still sings in it with the addition of the Gargoyles Antoine (Hugo), Charles (Victor) and Loni (Laverne). The Gargoyles here sing against Frollo and encourage Quasimodo to go out side to see the world for himself.

Musically the first part is the same as the movie, so where Out There starts properly (Quasimodo’s part) the music changes and the last part with Gargoyles is like a composite of the new movement and the old one and it works well. I actually like the gargoyles here, their harmony together and with Frollo is nice. The harmony is like the Angel and Devil on each shoulder troupe. And having the Gargoyle sing with Frollo solidifies the gargoyles as imaginary. The Gargoyles part makes it clear that they are not as cheerful or upbeat as their movie counterparts. There is a combination of hope and confusion in their lines, because as they sing about what the outside world is like they can’t complete their thoughts because as aspects of Quasimodo they too have no idea what the outside world is like.

Draußen

Quasimodo with the Gargoyles Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo with the Gargoyles Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Draußen or Outside is exactly the same as the movie version of Out There with one wonderful difference; there is no more wobbly vibrato. Another than that there are no further differences I can ascertain.

Watch Video clip here

Next Time – Part 2 of the Music of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame with;

Tanz auf dem Seil (Dance on the Rope)
Ein bißchen Freude (A Bit of Joy)
Drunter drüber (Topsy Turvy)

Esmeralda and Clopin during Drunter Drüber" (Topsy Turvy) Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Clopin during Drunter drübe” (Topsy Turvy) Der Glöckner von Notre Dame