“The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at the Spotlight Theatre -- October 9 through 18.
Friday, October 9, through Sunday, October 18
Spotlight Theatre, 1800 Seventh Avenue, Moline IL
An eagerly awaited revival of the venue's first musical presentation in 2018, the stage version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame returns to Moline's Spotlight Theatre October 9 through 18, this lauded stage adaptation of Disney's Oscar-nominated hit again starring Adam Sanders in his memorable role as Quasimodo.
Based on Victor Hugo's 1831 Gothic novel that told of the unrequited love between the bell-ringing pariah Quasimodo and the Gypsy street dancer Esmerelda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has enjoyed numerous film, television, and theatrical adaptations over the decades, with Disney's 1996 animated feature boasting an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score for composers Alan Menken (Beauty & the Beast, The Lion King) and Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell). With the composers adding new songs to their film score and Tony winner James Lapine providing the book for the tale, the musical version of Hunchback premiered in 1999 in Berlin, Germany as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame (The Bellringer of Notre Dame). Produced by Walt Disney Theatrical, it was the company's first musical to premiere outside the United States and ran for three years, becoming one of Berlin's longest-running musicals of all time.
The subsequent American version of the musical, which found Broadway playwright Peter Parnell composing a new book featuring verbatim passages from Hugo's novel, opened at San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse in the fall of 2014, after which it moved to New Jersey's esteemed Paper Mill Playhouse in the spring of 2015. With touring productions in recent years landing in cities such as Tokyo, Budapest, and Stuttgart, The Hunchback of Notre Dame has wowed international audiences and critics alike, with the Hollywood Reporter praising its “uncommonly complex, classically influenced score” and AM New York calling it “an unusually dark and chilling piece of musical theatre.” The Paper Mill cast recording of the show, meanwhile, debuted at number-one on Billboard's Cast Albums chart in 2016, ending the 17-week run of former chart-topper Hamilton.
The Spotlight Theatre's owners and artistic directors Brent and Sara Tubbs will again produce their venue's Hunchback, with Brent directing and designing the lighting, set, sound, and props; previous productions he has helmed include Tarzan: The Musical, School of Rock: The Musical, and Little Shop of Horrors. Matt Bishop serves as the show's musical director, and additional members of the creative team include choreographer Bethany Sanders, stage manager Ayanna Tremaine, and costumer Kimber McCord.
Returning to his acclaimed 2018 role as Quasimo, Adam Sanders' additional credits at the Spotlight include School of Rock: The Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong, and The Wedding Singer. Esmerelda is portrayed by Harmoni Eiland, and with an additional 50-person choir taking part in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the show's ensemble members include: Doug Alderman; Zach Ulmer; Andy Curtiss; Julia Carter; Maxwell Johnson; Ted Brown; Kaden Schmidt; Eli Swailes; Matthew Downey; Grace Mottet; Marissa Elliott; Heather Foss; Abigail Bennett; Violeta Jensen; Garrett Jahns; Abi Jensen; Andan Nguyen; Reese Schaaf; Nathan Lundburg; Jose Rangel; Lillian Dawn; Zoe Zelnio; Haley Tromblee; Grace Wiborg; Amaris Oliva-Vandewalle; and Christianna Crosby.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs in Moline from October 9 through 18, with performances Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is $24-30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)912-7647 and visiting TheSpotlightTheatreQC.com.
