Review: Dazzling 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' Not Just Kid Stuff

The thing that surprised me most about Rhode Island Stage Ensemble's production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was how mature it is. This is not a typical Disney stage adaptation featuring Cinderella or Snow White and the dashing princes who sweep them off their feet.

This is a musical about adults, for adults. The story, about a deformed bell ringer named Quasimodo, is based on the novel of the same title by Victor Hugo. In 1996, Disney's animated version of the story was released and became a huge success.

This stage adaptation, with a book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken ("Beauty and the Beast"), and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked") is a superior entertainment in every way. Director Chris O'Neill ("Saint Joan") has a clear understanding of how musicals should have the power to stir the soul.

Tyler Rebello ("Young Frankenstein") plays Quasimodo, the hunchback taken in by Dom Claude Frollo, a mercurial Archdeacon in late 15th-century Paris. Quasimodo is the son of Frollo's wayward brother, Jehan (Stephen Grivers).

Treated as a pariah by the Parisians he encounters on the streets, Quasimodo lives an isolated existence in the Notre Dame Cathedral's bell tower, watching life pass him by through the Gothic windows.

Into his life comes Esmerelda (Alexa-Rei Leclerc), part of a group of travelers roaming from place to place. She, too, is an outcast due to her uncertain ancestry; she forms a bond with Quasimodo.

Frollo (Luca Ialongo) is threatened by Esmerelda's growing influence over Quasimodo, and orders the military, led by Captain Phoebus De Martin, to hunt her down and bring her to justice. Phoebus, however, is mesmerized by Esmerelda's beauty and passion for life. Esmerelda, in turn, becomes smitten with the handsome soldier.

The performances are all first-rate, beginning with Rebello. He brings heartfelt emotion and psychological depth to Quasimodo as he struggles with a deformity. After seeing his work here and in other RISE productions, I am convinced Rebello is a major talent. His vocals are put to good use on the ballads "Out There" and "Heaven's Light."

Ialongo excels at portraying the villainous Frollo, a man with a need to control everything and everyone around him. There's an eerie parallel to the ongoing immigration raids in the United States when Frollo demonizes Esmerelda by saying she is in the country illegally.

As Esmerelda, Leclerc is an appealing heroine, an independent-minded woman with a lot of courage and fortitude. At one point, Esmerelda has to defend herself from an attempted assault. It's a chilling act, and one of the most dramatic moments in the show.
Leclerc exhibits powerful vocals on "God Help the Outcasts" and "Top of the World," which is performed in the bell tower. Esmerelda and Quasimodo have a found a place of their own, safe from the madness of the world.

James Laurent, as Phoebus, is also an engaging performer. Laurent and Leclerc are dazzling in their Act Two duet, "Someday."

Brittney Simard, a veteran of several RISE shows, is charismatic as the mysterious Clopin.

The elegant set design, by O'Neill and Tom Viall, along with the lush orchestral accompaniment (the music director is E. Justin Simone), accents the adult themes in the show.

What "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" does effectively is allow an audience to see this group of exuberant performers working at the top of their craft. For me, it made the whole experience a tremendous joy. This is how musical theater should be done.

Rhode Island Stage Ensemble's production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" runs through June 28 at the Assembly Theater, 26 East Avenue, Burrillville, RI. Runtime is 2 hours 40 minutes with intermission. For tickets, visit ristage.org.