Stirring solos, captivating duets and soaring ensemble numbers are the hallmarks of a stunning world premiere concert production of an age-old story. The work, which is based around the tale of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, has been a labour of love for composer and librettist Samuel Kristy. With original orchestrations by Hamish Ander, under the musical direction of Andrew Wailes, Quasimodo is a triumph of artistry that stirs the soul.
With the backing of the supreme talents of dozens of members of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra, the piece features nine soloists. They include some of Australia’s most lauded musical theatre performers. I speak of Joshua Robson (Phantom of the Opera) as Quasimodo and Des Flanagan (Moulin Rouge) as Archdeacon Frollo. They are joined by the sweet-voiced Enya Angel as the gypsy Esmerelda and Ben Clarke (Phantom of the Opera) as Captain Phoebus, among his dual roles. Fem Belling is passion personified as Sister Gradule (one of her three characters).
The music is a combination of styles, from cheeky and cheery, to songs of despair, yearning and hope. Many build to a melodic crescendo that invariably moved me, time and again. In toto, I found Quasimodo an emotion-charged, uplifting experience. There is so much to appreciate and savour. It all starts with the glorious first number (one of 15 in Act I and 16 in Act II), titled Celebrate, which is a symphony of sound.
As a concert production, the soloists perform in costume, with a series of projections as the backdrop, largely based around Notre Dame imagery. A mainstay and undoubted feature of the production is the extraordinary light show that is such an integral part of it. Lighting designer Jason Bovaird has provided us with a cavalcade of colour and movement that champions Quasimodo as a grand spectacle. His palate is a cross section of shades across the spectrum. They not only spotlight and envelope the leads, but dance across the architectural masterpiece that is the roof of the Capitol Theatre. Quasimodo is playing there until Sunday, 22nd September and richly deserves a return season.
My only qualm is that it isn’t easy to follow the storyline, which is based around the French gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. To me, there is a simple fix. Include a surtitle to accompany each song, which will help position the “action” in the mind’s eye. The words are already in the excellent program, which provides a rundown of each number. That aside, Quasimodo provides a powerful and poignant song cycle around the much-maligned Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
