By VERONIQUE DUPREY
A Seat on the Aisle
I had the opportunity to see Agape Theater Company’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame on their opening night at Lutheran High School. The beautiful adaptation by Menkel and Schwartz of Victor Hugo’s classic novel is something everyone should see at least once in their life.
The story, set in the late 15th century, depicts the tragic life of a deformed young man living hidden from the world within the walls of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a ward of the Archdeacon. Major themes include fear of “the other,” whether physically or ethnically different, and love, unrequited and shared. The violence is tempered for a family audience.
The score and book are beautiful but demanding, with a choir in addition to the cast, and multiple songs with overlapping melodies, some in Latin, some in English. The ensemble does not always rise to the level needed; however, the leads perform exceptional work vocally.
Rebekah Barajas as Esmeralda, Caleb Wilson as Captain Phoebus de Martin, and Ben Frederick as Quasimodo are particularly enchanting. Ms. Barajas and Wilson, excellent throughout individually, truly shine in the phenomenal duet “Someday” in Act 2. Frederick gives a heart-wrenching performance through discovery, hope, love, and despair. Also notable, among the generally simple choreography, Brynn Dunlap stands out as a featured dancer.
Rebekah Barajas as Esmeralda and Ben Frederick as Quasimodo. (Photos provided)
This is mostly a young adult production, which works well for all but one of the characters, whom I would have preferred to see aged up. College student Brynn Hensley has taken the helm as director and overall, the vision was well-executed. A few characters could have benefited from further work on enunciation and pacing, and I look forward to seeing them grow as actors in the years to come.
As in all Agape productions, the set design (by Kathy Phipps, also Artistic Director) and costumes (by Kiron Rueff) are magnificent.
A small quibble, a few microphone issues on opening night, should be resolved by other performances.
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