Legendary Cast X European-Standard Stage: The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Musical’s 20th Anniversary Debut – A First Look

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots / Photos by MOOK Scenic Spots, Liao Weiren
 
Guinness World Record holder for the best-selling musical of all time—this iconic French classic has been performed over 5,000 times worldwide, captivating more than 12 million audiences. After five sold-out runs in Taiwan, it returns for its sixth visit this year, making its world tour debut with a powerful comeback on June 1st as the opening stop.

The classic French musical "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" is adapted from the masterpiece of French literary giant Victor Hugo, set against the backdrop of Notre-Dame Cathedral in late 15th-century Paris. It depicts the love and hatred among a Gypsy girl and four characters from different social classes. The characters live in a turbulent feudal society, where their conflicts and contrasts vividly highlight both the goodness and darkness of human nature.

For its 20th-anniversary world tour, the Taipei premiere will feature a dome-level stage specification in sync with Europe, along with an upgraded, luxurious production. The massive stage, twice the size of those used in previous Taiwan performances, allows for unrestricted presentation of the full choreography and sets. It also enables the actors to deliver more dynamic and complete performances, greatly enhancing the audience’s theatrical experience.

In the past, the scene “Valley of Love,” which depicted social class divides, only used curtains and lighting to suggest a scene of revelry. The new version upgrades it to a live performance scene. Meanwhile, “Bird in a Cage” and “The Capture” bring the full set design and choreography to the stage, allowing audiences to more deeply feel the stunning live impact of the musical.

The cast for this world tour is being hailed as an unprecedented golden lineup. The male lead Quasimodo is portrayed by Angelo Del Vecchio, the only singer in history who can perform the role in English, French, and Italian, while the female lead Esmeralda is brought to life by Lebanese-Lebanese beauty Hiba Tawaji, who wowed audiences on France’s The Voice.