DeYoung's 'Hunchback' sticks here and there
Aristotle posited that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. In the case of Dennis DeYoung's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," it's a bit less.
DeYoung's musical adaptation of the 19th century Victor Hugo novel about a physically deformed bell ringer and a morally corrupt priest both enthralled by a beguiling gypsy girl opened Monday at Bailiwick Repertory. Parts of this ambitious show are quite good. Unfortunately, the parts that make up this whole add up to a less than stellar show.
The score (composed by DeYoung who also wrote the book and lyrics) confirms the Styx co-founder and longtime songwriter/pianist still knows his way around power ballads and arena rock anthems. For the record, "Hunchback" incorporates both, sometimes in the same song. The music tends toward the bombastic. And while no one will deny the appeal of a soaring melody, no audience member wants to be perpetually stuck in the stratosphere either.
More Coverage Video The Hunchback of Notre Dame
That said, "Hunchback" has some truly lovely moments, most of which come in ballad form. There's the tender, insistent "Who Will Love This Child?" sung by the priest Frollo (the formidable Jeremy Rill, whose bright baritone recalls a young DeYoung), upon discovering the malformed foundling on the steps of Notre Dame. "Paradise," sung by Dana Tretta's ingenuous Esmerelda, comes the closest to a Broadway-style ballad and the sweet "In My Silence," sung by the much-abused Quasimodo (soulfully acted and beautifully sung by George Andrew Woolf) also deserves mention. But the breakout song, the one that tingles the spine and tantalizes the brain, is the stirring "With Every Heartbeat." A duet between Wolff and Tretta that morphs into a trio with the addition of Rill, it makes for an inspiring conclusion to the first act.
As for the performances, the principals, including James Rank as the dashing captain enamored of Esmerelda, sing superbly. So does the hardworking chorus. Credit Bailiwick artistic director David Zak for his earnest direction and his ability to create intimate moments on a sprawling set. Keith Dworkin, whose over-amplified sextet sounds grander than its number suggests, supplies solid music direction. And John Horan earns praise for his striking lighting that helps camouflage the incoherent set.
Ultimately, the show stumbles for want of a good book. The writing is weak and the result is obliquely defined (Quasimodo) and cliched (Frollo) characters . The awkward, unfunny exchanges that pass for puns -- "Why don't you go back to Egypt?" and its response "Pharoah-enough" followed by a Tutankhamen quip that plays badly on 'too uncommon' -- don't help.
Lastly, the show never establishes an emotional connection of the sort that Redmoon Theatre established with last year's remount of its superior "Hunchback."
While DeYoung's "Hunchback" of Notre Dame" shows flashes of greatness, those moments fail to come together in a way that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
"The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
2 stars out of four
Location: Bailiwick Repertory, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago
Times: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays; 3:30 p.m. Sundays through July 6 (no shows July 3-4)
Running Time: About 2 hours, 15 minutes with intermission
Tickets: $25- $45
Parking: Metered parking, valet
Box office: (773) 883-1090 or bailiwick.org
Rating: For teens and older