“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” Studio Cast Recording Review

What makes a monster and what makes a man?

Today was a very happy and exciting day for Brandon. “Why,” you may ask? It’s because The Hunchback of Notre Dame studio cast recording was released today! To say I was excited would be a huge understatement. My friend and I kept a countdown to January 22, and I frequently reminded my family that the release date was approaching. So, like any good Broadway enthusiast, I have been listening to the album from dawn to dusk, and this is what I think of it.

With any new recording being released there is anticipation and nervousness because either the recording could completely blow past our expectations or completely miss them. However, I am happy to say that this recording has BLOWN PAST my expectations!

Most of the songs from the 1996 Disney film have made it into the stage production. The exceptionally talented Alan Menken (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid) and Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Wicked) added completely new and fresh songs into the show. This worried me at first because I thought that it had the possibility of sounding “out of place” with the original songs from the movie. But again, my expectations were blown away. Every song added in sound as if they have been in the production forever. My favorite ones added are “Top of the World,” “Esmeralda,” and “Made of Stone.” These songs add depth and dynamic to the plot and characters that were not in the original movie.

The singers and actors in the album are what make the recording so successful. Michael Arden (Big River) plays Quasimodo, and he adds more vulnerability, distress, and strength into the character throughout the recording. This can be heard in “Heart of Stone.” Ciara Renée (Pippin) is the iconic Esmeralda. I can think of no one else who could have played this character as well as Renée does. We get her playfulness and vitality in the song “Rhythm of the Tambourine,” and we hear her sorrow in “God Help the Outcasts.” Lastly, I’d like to point out that Patrick Page (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark) who plays judge Claude Frollo gave me chills throughout the entire recording. From the beginning song “The Bells of Notre Dame” to the “Finale,” Page made Frollo both relatable and more haunting of a character.

Quickly, I’d like to comment on the ensemble in the show. The ensemble helps make the show even better as they help narrate the story. It fills the listener in on what is going on in the story and is the link between the story and the audience. It reminded me a little bit of Sweeney Todd, and this move to add the ensemble even more prevalent throughout the show is genius.

Unfortunately, as of right now, this show is not headed to Broadway, which is such a pity because the show’s recording is really quite incredible. It looks like for us who never saw the show will have to continue to use our imagination while listening to the show, but this necessarily isn’t a bad thing because then we get to imagine it how we’d like. :)

What did you think of the recording? Is there anything you didn’t like? Leave me a comment! :)

Brandon