“NOT DAM DE PARI” – THE CONQUERED WORLD MUSIC ABOUT LOVE
The musical Notre-Dame de Paris is, above all, a spectacle. And this is fifty songs about love, amazing voices, melodic music that combines French chanson and gypsy motifs. Notre Dame captures from the first second. From the first second until the curtain. Now it’s hard to find a person who wouldn’t hear about the musical or listen to the musical itself, if not all, then at least passages, possibly without even realizing that it was Notre Dame de Paris. It is safe to say that this musical is the most recognized and best known in the whole world. And the leading performers won worldwide acclaim.
The fame of the musical spread well before the premiere on September 16, 1998 in Paris. The official premiere was preceded by a CD with the songs of the musical, which made a splash, having won the heights of various charts in many countries. The most famous song of the musical “Belle” became an independent world hit and received several music awards. Of course, after such success of the released album, the premiere was waited impatiently, and not in vain. The musical was a huge success and even got into the Guinness Book of Records, as the most visited in its first year on stage.
It can be said that the success of Notre Dame de Paris was predetermined. It was based on the ingenious work of Victor Hugo’s “Notre Dame de Paris”, music for the musical was written by the most talented Italian-French composer Riccardo Cochcante, the author of the libretto was Luc Plamondon, known worldwide for his huge contribution to music. He is even called the Most Popular and Greatest Francophonie Lyric. If you add to this the star cast of the musical and the excellent coordinated game of the participants, it becomes clear why the queues for ticket offices are formed, and the audience comes to see Notre Dame for the second, and sometimes even the third or fourth time …
“Notre Dame de Paris” – the plot of the musical
After the death of her mother, the gypsy Esmeralda was under the tutelage of the gypsy king Klopen. A camp of gypsies is trying to enter Paris to take refuge in Notre Dame, but they are driven out by the royal soldiers. The captain of the shooters, Phoeb de Châteauper, draws attention to Esmeralda. She attracts him with her beauty, but the captain is not free, he is engaged to the fourteen-year-old Fleur de Lys.
The hunchbacked and lame ringer of Notre Dame comes to the jesters’ festival to see Esmeralda. Quasimodo is in love with her, he sees in her an unearthly beauty, she is his complete opposite. He receives the title of King of the Fools. But his stepfather and mentor Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre-Dame de Paris, tears the crown from Quasimodo. He accuses the hunchback of witchcraft and forbids him to even raise his eyes to Esmiralda. Frollo is also secretly in love with a gypsy, and he is overwhelmed by jealousy. However, the priest does not have the right to love a woman. Therefore, he wants to abduct Esmeralda and lock her in the tower of the Cathedral. Archdeacon shares his plans with Quasimodo.
They are trying to kidnap Esmeralda, but Phoebe’s detachment, which protects the beauty, was not far away. The witness of the abduction also becomes the poet Gringoire, who followed Esmeralda. Frollo managed to get out of the water clean, no one even suggests who was involved in the abduction. And Quasimodo is arrested. Frollo hears, taking advantage of the moment, Phoeb makes an appointment with Esmeralda in the “Valley of Love” tavern.
“Courtyard of Miracles” is a place where criminals and thieves, tramps and homeless people gather. Grenoir is neither a criminal nor a tramp, but he finds himself in the monastery of such people, and for this Klopen wants to hang him. They promise to save Grenoire if one of the girls agrees to marry him. Esmeralda agrees to help the poet, and he, in turn, promises to make her his muse. Esmeralda’s thoughts are full of others. She is unconditionally in love with the young handsome Phoebe de Châteauper.
Quasimodo is accused of attempted abduction and sentenced to wheeling. Frollo is watching all this. Quasimodo suffers from thirst, and Esmeralda brings him water. The hunchback, in gratitude, allows her to enter the Cathedral and the bell tower when the girl wishes.
Frollo watches the captain of the shooters. Phoebe understands what the young beautiful gypsy girl likes. He wants to take advantage of this and heads for Esmeralda in the Valley of Love. The archdeacon finds the lovers in bed, he grabs a gypsy knife and wounds Phoebe, and the charge of this crime falls on Esmeralda. When Phoebe recovers, he returns to the bride Fleur-de-Lys.
The trial of Esmeralda. She is accused of witchcraft, prostitution, the attempt on the life of a captain shooters. She denies everything, but she is sentenced to death by hanging.
La Sante Prison Dungeon. Unhappy Esmeralda awaits death here. Frollo comes to make a deal: he will let her go if she agrees to accept his love and stay with him. When Esmeralda refuses him, Frollo tries to take her by force.
At this time, Klopen and Quasimodo appear. The gypsy king stuns the priest to free his pupil, and Esmeralda hides in Notre Dame.
