Disney is Remaking Hunchback

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This is the exact reason I still have Google Alerts.

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image
Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney announced today that Hunchback is the next film in their roaster to get a live-action remake.  I have been waiting for this day for a long time.   

Here is what is know so far. Josh Gad is produce the film. Just a quick note back in late 2015 I did a post which discussed a fan casting that appeared in my google alerts and Josh Gad was their pick for Quasimodo
you can read it here

Josh Gad for Quasimodo picture image
Josh Gad

Now I couldn’t see this casting pick at the time but Gad is an actor so if he DOES follow suit like so many men who have played or have aspired to play Quasimodo to showcase their acting prowess and have a hand in the production, he might be fine in the role.
Just a note, he may not play Quasimodo but there is a trend that men spearheading Hunchback versions do so to play the  role, Gad may just want to produce, we will have to wait and see.

Another piece of information we have is they Tony- winning Playwright David Henry Hwang is writing the screenplay and the film will simply be called Hunchback. Like the 1997 version.

Hwang’s work include Chinglish, Yellow Face, Kung Fu, Golden Child, The Dance of the Railroad. He also has worked on Aida, Flower Drum Song, Disney’s Tarzan and M. Butterfly. 

It would seem that the  remake will take its cue from the 1996 movie and the book and not the stage production.    

Also this version will be a musical with Menken and Schwartz heading the music. So that is good.

What do you think? Are you over the Disney live-action remake trend? Are you excited? Are you afraid Disney is going to ruin it?
Thoughts and feelings welcome.

Source – https://www.cnet.com/news/hunchback-of-notre-dame-next-to-get-disney-remake-treatment/
Source – https://deadline.com/2019/01/hunchback-movie-disney-live-action-david-henry-hwang-josh-gad-alan-menken-stephen-schwartz-1202536031/

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Stage Musical

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame The Stage Musical picture image sheet music

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Stage Musical

 

Releasing at the end of the month on October 30th is the The Hunchback of Notre Dame: The Stage Musical. It has arrangements of  17 songs from the stage musical adapted from  stage musical and the Disney movie. This collection includes vocal line arrangements with piano accompaniment. Pre-order it here

 

 

Der Glöckner von Notre Dame Conclusion

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Der Glockner von notre Dame German Musical of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Der Glockner von notre Dame German Musical of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

I think Der Glöckner von Notre Dame did a great job of using the Disney film as a basis for a play while at  the same time trying to make fit the tone of the book. I do like they tried to recognize the book even if some of the plot points really didn’t work as well as they could have.

 

Esmeralda & Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda & Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

It does feel like it’s own story which is hard to do when your a side-product of a Disney film but it’s enjoyable. It’s not perfect but I find myself liking it more than the Disney movie.

Judy Weiss as Esmeralda with Frollo (Norbert Lamla) Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture images

Judy Weiss as Esmeralda with Frollo (Norbert Lamla) Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Before I end my main discussion on Der Glöckner von Notre Dame I just want to mention the upcoming American version, There have been rumors that Der Glöckner von Notre Dame is getting an American version.  Der Glöckner von Notre Dame/Disney Version lyricist Stephen Schwartz has said that the production is more or less in the works. However these rumors have been circulating for a while. But Hopefully it will get done. I for one hope they don’t revert  the musical version to the Disney film. Der Glöckner von Notre Dame has more character development than the film and I like the tragic ending. It makes things more interesting. I do hope they give them better costumes but I hope the stage craft is in the same vein. However the one thing I hope for is that they singer don’t sound to “Broadway” you know that belt-nasal style of singing that you hear a lot in musical theater in American productions. I can’t stand that style. Anyway I think the earliest you can accept to see the show would the 2013-2014 season. If I hear anything regarding the much anticipated American version I’ll be sure to post it.  Though come to thick of it, there actually already was an American Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage show based on the Disney film.

Next Time – A Single Post on the Disney Park Stage Show (Sheepish yay)

Esmeralda from the Stage Show of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame at MGM Studios picture image

Esmeralda from the Stage Show of Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame at MGM Studios

Der Glöckner von Notre Dame Intro

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Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Der Glöckner von Notre Dame is a German musical based on the Disney version. It premiered in Berlin in 1999 and it’s music and lyrics were written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz respectfully. This was the first musical Disney produced that premiered in another country and it was one of Germany’s longest running musicals, it ran for 3 years.

 

What makes the musical great is that it does a great job of mitigating between the Disney version and the original book. The characters are more fleshed out and the childish tone is taken away even with the gargoyles (yup they’re in the musical too).

 

Both Menken and Schwartz have confirmed that there will be Broadway version of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame and it will be called The Hunchback of Notre Dame even though Der Glöckner von Notre Dame doesn’t mean “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” it means “The Bell-ringer of Notre Dame” but whatever, I’m sure it’s a marketing thing. This talk of an American version has been in the works since 2008, so don’t get excited till some casting has been announced. Other question is how much are they going to revamp for the American version. I hope they don’t change the ending.

 

Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast picture image

Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast

Broadway version of The Little Mermaid picture image

Broadway version of The Little Mermaid

Broadway version of The Lion King image picture

Broadway version of The Lion King

 

 

 

 

 

 

With American version on Broadway it will follow in the other Disney musicals like; Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin; Mary Poppins and the upcoming The Jungle Book and Dumbo.

 

Disclaimer- I just wanted to say that for this review keep a few things in mind, #1 I don’t speak German (I can read translations but translation are not always great) and #2 since there is no official performance recording (at least that I know of), pictures will be minimal. I’ll try to find some but can’t promises lots of pictures in every post I do on Der Glöckner von Notre Dame.

 

Next Time- Plot

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Quasimodo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame