Opening Statement: A brilliant adaptation

By Julian Frazin
Michael Best & Friedrich • Entertainment Critic

May it please the court…

To paraphrase a Gershwin lyric from ”Porgy & Bess”: ”Summertime and the cost of living ain’t easy. Prices are jumpin’ and the gas costs are high—” I suppose our lame-duck president might suggest, as he always does in times of crisis, that we should ignore it all and go out and spend — spend — spend.

Well, this time I might agree with him but only if you plan on spending your deflated dollars on entertainment. As every Londoner can tell you, there was nothing to relieve the pressure and fears during the blitz of World War II than a night at a good show in the West End.

But a word of caution. With the price of gas approaching $5 a gallon, it might be best to keep your travels close to home. Fortunately, Chicago and its close-in vacation spots have a lot of entertainment to go around.

There was, for example, the short but sweet, highly entertaining run of ”Avenue Q” at the Cadillac Palace, with its adorable ”Sesame-type” Muppets singing the outrageous, but hilarious, ”Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” ”It Sucks to Be Me,” and ”The Internet is for Porn,” with a touring company cast every bit as good as that in the original Broadway production.

Then there is ”Musical Mondays at Drury Lane,” at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place, which recently featured a showcase of the ”best of Chicago cabaret” in a tribute to Rosemary Clooney, ”Everything’s Coming Up Rosie,” with Bob Moreen, musical director, and Suzanne Petri and Bradford Thacker hosting local stars, including Paul Marinaro, Nan Mason, Heather Moran, and Kat Taylor.

But the musical I would definitely recommend is ”The Hunchback of Notre Dame” currently at the Bailiwick Theatre, 1229 W. Belmont St., based on Victor Hugo’s classic about Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, and his tragic love for the gypsy dancing girl, Esmeralda. Set in the Paris of 1462, the well-known tale has been brilliantly adapted by rock legend, Dennis De Young, who has written the book, music, and lyrics.

This is a ”no-frills” production with few props or elegant scenery, but you would never know from the skillful manner in which Director David Zak dramatically moves the characters back-and-forth across the stage, up to a second level, up and down the steps, through the aisles, and up to the balcony where Quasimodo finds comfort in the company of his ”friends” the bells.

George Andrew Wolff, who made us laugh in Chicago’s production of ”The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” as the ridiculous contestant who had to spell with his foot, does a dramatic about-face, with a powerful voice and a heart-wrenching performance as Quasimodo. Dana Tretta, as the saucy, spirited Esmeralda, gives another stunning performance, following her recent success as Sally Bowles in ”Cabaret.” Jeremy Rill portrays the tragic, beleaguered priest, Frollo, who cannot resist the temptation of the gypsy girl.

All of the voices are wonderful and seem to have been selected in ”casting heaven,” including those of the supporting cast. There’s James Rank as the handsome, but stiff-necked Captain Phoebus; Michael Harchar as his despicable military aide; Jeffrey A. Ward as the King of the Gypsies; and Liz Pazik as Mahiette, the gypsy woman who befriends Esmeralda and narrates both the prologue and epilogue.

However, the real star of this production has to be the beautiful and lyrical music of Dennis De Young. De Young has managed to capture all the brilliance and excitement of his Styx rock hits ”Lady,” ”Come Sail Away,” and ”Mr. Roboto,” and blended it into 25 musical numbers with a modern beat and a classic Broadway sound.

Beginning with the poignant ”Who Will Love This Child?” sung by the priest Frollo when the deformed infant is left at the doorstep of his church, through ”In My Silence,” where Quasimodo cries out in despair because of his inability to communicate, ”While There’s Still Time,” a love song on the eve of battle, to the grand love ballad and signature piece, ”With Every Heart Beat,” each song is lavishly arranged and backed by a small band of incomparable electronic musicians led by a very animated and engaging Keith Dworkin on keyboard. Any one of these songs could easily be released as a single recording and move to the top of the charts.

I was particularly impressed by the haunting and compelling ”This I Pray,” which is sung by Esmeralda, who has been imprisoned as a result of prejudice and is awaiting her execution: ”There will come a time when we won’t live in fear any more, There’ll be no talk of hatred. No prejudice to tear us apart. No sadness or pain in our heart. Only peace. Only joy. Only love will remain to keep us and guide us each day, This I pray.”

Thank you, Dennis. Sail on!

I rest my case.

Verdict:
Hunchback of Notre Dame — Four Gavels