Stéphanie Schlesser played Fleur de Lys in 2014-2015 French Language Asian Tour. She does play and sing the role very well. She also played Juliette in the South Korean Tour in 2015 of Romeo & Juliette which is one of France other reloading musicals.
I went to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem Ma a few weeks ago and at the Wear Art exhibit I saw THIS;
Gothic Habit by Lynn Christiansen 2014
This is a wearable garment made by Lynn Christiansen. It’s entitled Gothic Habit. That is a perfect name for this piece. Christiansen made it in 2014 and it’s made from felt that was laser etch. Christiansen
Christiansen was inspired by the shapes, rising arches, stone and the raw beauty of cathedrals. Christiansen felt that entering a can be a religious experience and then she wondered if the reversal was true. If where the structure produce the same religious feeling.
https://www.mindfood.com/article/lynn-christiansens-world-of-wearableart/
These are Notre Dame de Paris Style Dolls made using Divine Dolls Dark Mage Creator.
Esmeralda
Notre Dame de Paris Style Esmeralda composed using Divine Doll Dark Mage Creator
Fleur de Lys
Notre Dame de Paris Style Fleur de Lys composed using Divine Doll Dark Mage Creator
Personally I liked the idea of the costume concept more than the show’s actually costumes. I do like that the newest version updated the costumes but I think they could be tweaked and reimagined a bit more. Notre Dame de Paris was never Phantom, I don’t think people are going to feel betrayed if the costumes are not the some from production to production.
I do wonder how different the show would be with different more time-appropriate costumes. Like Fleur de Lys in ornate gowns and the like. Or Esmeralda in maybe brightly colored pattern fabrics that have a hint of belly dancing to them.
Sorry for yet another video, personal life and stuff.
Just a few reactions of this video;
– I really do want to analyze Fleur-de-Lys’ costume. I haven’t sat down and REALLY thought about but I’m not sure how to feel about. Of course the costume I REALLY want to discuss is Frollo’s, I have some words for that one.
– I really like this Fleur-de-Lys, she has a lovely clear voice that is the perfect tonal foil to Tawaji’s voice, Alyzée Lalande gets a solid A from me.
– Not sold on Martin Giroux as Phoebus. Granted I haven’t gone through this cast with a fine tooth comb to really assess their performances but he just seems from this vid to be on the generic side. To be fair few Phoebus performer stand out so it could be the role.
You may not believe this but I didn’t want to post another youtube video today as it’s a content crutch. However this is technically news. As you can see by the video there will be a Notre Dame de Paris concert in Poland. At first I wondered if this meant the songs would be translated to Polish but according to this site http://www.icekrakow.pl/aktualnosci/koncert-notre-dame-de-paris-w-ice-krakow,26756,3 the song will be in French.
HOWEVER turns out there is a Polish version of Notre Dame de Paris.
It seems to be very fairly new. It also looks like they took their visually style from the Italian version. First time I have seen that.
Esmeralda – Maja GadziÅ„ska/Ewa KÅ‚osowicz
Quasimodo – MichaÅ‚ Grobelny/Janusz KruciÅ„ski
Frollo – Artur Guza/Piotr PÅ‚uska
Phoebus – PrzemysÅ‚aw Zubowicz/Maciej Podgórzak
Fleur de Lys – Weronika Walenciak/Kaja Mianowana
Gringoire – Jan Traczyk/Maciej Podgórzak
Clopin – Åukasz Zagrobelny/Krzysztof Wojciechowski
Now sure who of the performers are in the concert though.
I feel bad posting another Notre Dame de Paris video off of youtube but life hasn’t been too great this past week. Though, I have been wanting to hear Tawaji’s rendition of Bohemienne, so this pretty off the cuff.
#1- I think I really do like the changes to the costume. Indeed it’s way pretty in motion. I also like the slits up on those overlays on the back of the costume, it offer yet more movement. Future versions don’t mess it up too much, I still haven’t forgiven the evolution of the damn slit Esmeralda had for like a decade.
#2 – Tawaji is really perfectly cast. Someday I do want to a list the top 10 or so Esmeralda from Notre Dame de Paris. I won’t pretend that I have seen videos or MP3s or all them BUT I have heard/seen bunches . Maybe 80% but that is probably a high guess.
#3- While YES, Tawaji is a great Esmeralda, I do find her arm movement a little stiff/awkward. It’s like she isn’t quite sold of the motions or is super unsure what to with her arms. Which is a little weird because she is a great dancer otherwise. Pesky arms.
#4 – While I do appreciate this recording, I really do, I did laugh when Tawaji runs up stage on the First Bohemienne to do that arm thing you see ALL Esmeralda do, which I find to be the most mechanical of her motions and due to the angle of the video Esmeralda is TOTALLY blocked by Clopin. I can’t if Tawaji falls prey to mechanicalness that plagues all Esmeraldas or somehow makes it work for her. Just funny, not complaining.
But if the production wants to send me a recording of the show to review, please do! I will review it with all the praising as you want. I know they won’t.
I do admit I prefer the original way this song was done in the original French version opposed to manipulation of the way La Monture is performed now. I do like Alyzée Lalande as Fleur de Lys. Her voice is very similar to Julie Zenatti in quality and tone. She has just the right amount of allure and venom to her voice which a singer needs for La Monture.
I’m sure I’ll discuss the new Fleur’s costume someday I will just say I do like the way it moves. It’s very pretty to look at.
With the new production in Paris of Notre Dame de Paris there has been updates to the costumes. These changes range from fairly minor to a near complete overall, though still in the spirit of the original designs. This also marks the first time the costumes have really been altered aside from minor variations in Esmeralda’s and Fleur-de-Lys’ costumes and of course the Italian version. So let’s start with Esmeralda’s main costume in the 2016/2017 production.
Helene Segara as Esmeralda from Notre Dame de Paris
It seems like the evolution of the costume has some full-circle in some ways. As you had the first generation of the green dress, which if you recall was made from a patterned velvet that was sewn to give it a patchworked look and sported asymmetrical sleeves. The caveat with costume is it didn’t move to showcase Esmeralda as a dancer. Though to be fair, the original production didn’t have Esmeralda dancing as much as subsequent versions.
Lola Ponce as Esmeralda Notre Dame de Paris
Italian version has been the only version to really deviate from the original style. The Italian version uses a lighter fabric and the pattern is made from lace though it it keeps the patchwork like pattern. The silhouette was the same of the original.
Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda
Now in 2016, the production seems to have gotten the movement memo and has created an Esmeralda costume that has the basic elements of the original and the movement of the Italian version but it’s all together very different.
Just a bit of background, I first saw this dress at like 2am one night after a few too many weird videos on youtube (more on that next week) and my powers of critical thinking were out. I had no idea how to feel about this new design and to be honest I still don’t. Parts of it I like and other parts I’m confused by.
To be clear this dress is lovely to watch. It’s prettier in motion and I do applaud the production the innovation in changing things up. I for one was getting tired of the newer versions of the costume, with the higher hems and less embellishments. They just didn’t look visually pleasing.
Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda & Jay as Clopin
Ok, so the actual dress, there is A LOT going on with this costume. First it does hit all the basic components of the original with the color, neckline, basic silhouette, sleeves and slit. Thank you for getting the slit right, looks way better on an actual seam. Honestly, I’m not sure what the first you notice about this costume is but for me it was the pattern or lack of one. They just nixed the pattern or any attempt at mimicking one. There is a little ombre as it’s a darker green on the bodice and a lighter green on the bottom. The patchwork pattern is now done with seams along the bodice and speaking of these seams they do an interesting asymmetrical overlay over one breast. This fabric overlay starts over the breast on one side goes around the back and ends under the breast on the other side of the bodice. This overlay is where a lot of the costume’s movement comes from and where the sparkly embellishments live. Instead of having sequins or beads sewn on the dress this version has them in the overlay. I can’t really tell if it’s an insert or a lining. It also matches very closely do it’s harder to see. There also COULD be some sparkle elements on the dress itself but it hard to really tell. There is also ANOTHER overlay at the seam at her waist.
But wait, there is more. All the edges of the costume are very much ragged. This is of course done on purpose to make Esmeralda look more like she lives on the streets. Most of the other versions did this element to an extent but the 2016/2017 version has the edges look more frayed and distressed.
Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda singing Vivre
Then there are the sleeves. There HAS to be two different versions of the costume because one has shorter, more distressed sleeves and the other has longer less distressed sleeves. The shorter one reaches, at the longest, mid upper arm, just above the elbow. The shorter version also has three layer of fabric. The longer one reaches just past her elbows with no layering. Another theory is that the sleeves were hemmed after the preview of the show as in the picture Esmeralda shouldn’t be wearing the green dress during Vivre.
Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda
That really should bring us to the prisoner costume but I found so very little pictures of it so I will have to hold off on complaining about it but I what I can make out is it seems to have an A-line silhouette and looks to made of a lacey burlap.
Hiba Tawaji as Esmeralda
I just find that bodice overlay really baffling from a design stand-point. It took me a while to figure it out and while in motion I understand it, in pictures it just looks weird and somewhat awkward. I guess it was a good compromise in adding movement while holding true to the original but it just a weird mix-bag for me. I don’t hate, I’m just not sure I like it. I really don’t know how to feel.
But what do you guys think of this costume? Like it? Hate it? No opinion? Like the disney costume better?
I have not been keeping up with the new production of Notre Dame de Paris, bad me. So far, I think Tawaji is great Esmeralda and I will have to look more into the other comments of this production.
Also shameless plug since it’s Christmas time,
Terrance Zdunich
Let’s just say we live in a Fantasy world where they’re making a movie version of Notre Dame de Paris and it’s a better English translation of the musical. Who could we get to play Pierre Gringoire? One possibility I could see is Terrance Zdunich.
Terrance Zdunich
Zdunich isn’t a widely known actor but he was in a weird horror musical called Repo! The Genetic Opera which came out in 2008. I knew about it at the time since in 2008 I was a huge Sarah Brightman fan but I couldn’t bring myself to see because Paris Hilton was in the movie. Fast-Forward to 2016, I finally watched it because I was working on a list of seven horror musicals. It was really one those movies that I found to confusing to hate but is probably not a great movie I also was wrong about Paris Hilton, she was perfectly cast as a spoiled rich girl who addicted to surgery, needs drugs and isn’t a great performer, it’s a meta role. However what struck me was Zdunich as the Graverobber.
Terrance Zdunich as The Graverobber from Repo! The Genetic Opera
I mean just look at him in this movie and tell you can’t see him as Gringoire? There something about the styling of The Graverobber that is very reminiscent of Notre Dame de Paris. Zdunich’s mannerism are on par with a lot of Gringoire’s actors. Even the Zydrate Anatomy number is very similar in feeling to Val d’Amour.
But if you need more convincing just watch the Zydrate Anatomy part, which also features Paris Hilton.
Terrance Zdunich
But what do you think? Do you think Terrance Zdunich would make a good Gringoire à la Notre Dame de Paris?