Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame on Stage

Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

• About The Hunchback for Stage
• Recording
• New Songs
• Review

Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame for Stage

Notes by Carol de Giere

Update September, 2012

From Stephen Schwartz's update for The Schwartz Scene newsletter

"...The other writing project I am currently involved in is a possible re-working of the stage version of the Disney animated feature THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, for which I wrote lyrics to music by Alan Menken. This is also in early development, but if we go forward, it looks as if Alan and I will be writing some new songs for it. As I've said before, I very much enjoyed working on both the movie and the German stage production from 1999, and I love Alan's music for it and have always thought it his best score, so if this moves ahead, I think it could be fulfilling...."

PHOTOS: Disney composer and lyricist team, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. (Photos by Daniel Lam)

Updated March 15, 2011

Along with a host of other projects lined up for Disney Theatrical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is finally moving towards an English language stage production. The soaring Alan Menken score with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz reaches well beyond the animated movie version in terms of scope of the story and number of songs. A German language version of the show was already a hit, running for three years in Berlin, beginning in 1999. The forthcoming American production will, according to reports, be helmed by Schwartz's son, Scott Schwartz (Golda's Balcony)

ABOUT THE SHOW

The hunch that Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame story would make a great musical proved more successful and enduring than Disney even expected. Although their animated feature film released worldwide in 1996 faired less well than other animated films, it attracted a fan following and rose again in altered form as an adult-oriented stage production in Berlin, Germany. Der Glockner Von Notre Dame became the longest running musical in that city (1999-2002).

U.S. fans begged for stage production to be translated back into English and run in America, but Disney had its commitments to Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and others shows. Plans were then made for a made-for-TV movie.

Show lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, has previously expressed hopes for an English version that can be produced in regional theatres, colleges, etc. "I would indeed be disappointed if the show were never done again, as it has always been one of my favorites musically."

STAY INFORMED: The Schwartz Scene newsletter - Subscribe to The Schwartz Scene to stay up-to-date with the activities of Stephen Schwartz. If the English version of this show is developed, we'll let you know.

Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame score - Recordings

To hear the original songs MP3s adn CD: The Hunchback Of Notre Dame: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack . Check back later for English Language recordings of the forthcoming stage production.

Songs include

• The Bells of Notre Dame--Stephen Schwartz's lyrics cover the backstory for the film.
• Out There--Quasimodo's song of longing
• Topsy Turvy--festival song
• God Help the Outcasts--Esmeralda's ballad
• Heaven's Light/Hellfire--Quasimodos brief song of hope; Frollo's song of longing.
• A Guy Like You--a comic number for the gargoyles
• Others

Music CD - In German

Hear Alan Menken's most lush score.

Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame -- Berlin stage production of Hunchback of Notre Dame

Buy Disney's Der Gloeckner Von Notre Dame - Amazon (May not be available)

New Songs added to the stage production

Stephen Schwartz has described songs added for the Berlin production as:

• "Balancing Act" (a song for Clopin, Esmeralda and the Gypsies);
• "Rest and Recreation" (introducing Phoebus);
• "Top of the World" (a song for Esmeralda to Quasimodo, with the Gargoyles also giving Quasimodo contrapuntal advice);
• "Esmeralda" (end of act one);
• "City Unde Siege" (opening of act two);
• "Out of Love" (a song for Phoebus to Quasimodo, which becomes a duet between them as they search for Esmeralda);
  and
• "Made of Stone" (a song Quasimodo sings to the Gargoyles).

Song Development for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Read Carol de Giere's Defying Gravity: the Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz, from Godspell to Wicked for the story of Hunchback's development for film. Learn about the Schwartz/ Menken collaboration. See www.DefyingGravityTheBook.com

Der Glockner CD - A Review

See an elaborate review by Edward Cox of the German cast recording for rich details about the songs for the staged version of this show.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame animated film

Visit our page for the movie: The Hunchback of Notre Dame animated feature film