More than two decades after it was released in France, The Hunchback of Notre Dame first appeared on Broadway in New York, where it was warmly received by the public.

At the end of the adventures of “Esmeralda”, played by Lebanese singer Heba Tawaji, and the hunchback “Casimodo”, represented on stage by Angelo Del Vecchio, the audience applauded in the hall of the Theater of David . A cabin in New York’s prestigious Lincoln Center, longing for a theater and orchestra company to accompany it Wednesday night.
Since its launch in 1998 by producers Luc Blamandon and Richard Couchian, the play, derived from the famous novel by French writer Victor Hugo, has traveled to 23 countries and been shown in nine languages, but watched of the audience in New York the play in French. with English subtitles on large screens.
The show’s most popular songs, including “Bell”, “Fever” and “Dance Moon Esmeralda”, were performed on the stage where the New York City Ballet usually performs.
“Being here means we are humbly trying to get into this country (…), not opening its doors so easily,” author Richard Cushian told AFP.
He believes that the secret to the continuation of the play, which has been revealed in recent years in several countries, including China, South Korea, Turkey and Russia, lies in the natural “passage of time”, which has combined quotes from period of the original. novel with more modern components in terms of clothing. , choreography, scenery and music.
“The main theme of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is the difference between people,” Cosciant recalled. The bell-ringer Casimodo, the priest Frollo, and Captain Phoebus revolve around the gypsy Esmeralda in a world of misfortunes and strangers seeking “refuge in Notre Dame”.
“We had the impression that we had arrived at an important moment,” said Daniel Lavoie, who has been singing and performing Frollo since the start of the business. Broadway is a special case.
He recalled that the play had previously been shown in the United States, especially in Las Vegas, but “in a shortened and truncated English version.” “It’s a modified version of the Americans and it doesn’t represent the job as far as I know, I don’t think it worked well,” Lavoie added.