The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Murray Park Amphitheater

Murray Park Amphitheater is one of my favorite outdoor venues in the summer and The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of my favorite musicals so I had a wonderful time seeing a fantastic production of this show there last night!  Quasimodo (Patrick O'Boyle) has been hidden by his master Frollo (Layne Wilden) in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral all of his life because he is deformed.  The gargoyles convince him that it will be safe for him to roam the streets of Paris during the Feast of Fools and he is eventually crowned the King of Fools.  However, when the crowd turns on him, he is rescued by the gypsy Esmeralda (Mia Crutch).  She also catches the eye of the captain of the cathedral guard Phoebus de Martin (James Dixon) who falls in love with her and she bewitches Frollo who becomes obsessed with possessing her.  When Esmeralda rejects Frollo, he orders Phoebus to arrest her but he refuses and they both become fugitives who are aided by Quasimodo until the final confrontation in the bell tower.  In my opinion, the best part of this show is Crutch because she is such a great singer, dancer, and actor.  She is captivating in "Rhythm of the Tambourine," incredibly powerful in "God Help the Outcasts" (my favorite song in the show), playful in "Top of the World," and very affecting in "Someday."  I was also impressed with Wilden's passionate rendition of "Hellfire" and O'Boyle's renditions of "Heaven's Light" and "Made of Stone" (this gave me goosebumps).  Other highlights of this production are the live orchestra, under the direction of Nate Holcomb, and the choir (I loved that they are robed and located on either side of the stage in areas that mimic the chancel in a cathedral) which adds so much to "The Bells of Notre Dame" and all of its reprises.  The striking set features wooden platforms of different levels, which Quasimodo uses to ring the bells, and is dominated by a large rose window that is reflected on the floor of the stage.  The amphitheater does not have a lot of the technical wizardry that other theatres around the valley do so I really appreciate the clever staging of some of the more complicated scenes, particularly the final confrontation, and the dramatic lighting.  I wish that the gargoyles had more obvious costumes (they wear simple collars over their other costumes) because it is sometimes confusing to know when they are in a scene but I can understand why the actors wouldn't want to wear something more substantial in the heat.  Seeing a show at the Murray Park Amphitheater is a great way to spend a summer evening and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) to this or any of the other performances (I am excited for Peter and the Starcatcher next month).