Before You Begin:
- Listen to the Disney Studio Cast Recording
- Watch a full version of the show on YouTube or at a local theater. A sense of the story and structure is important. Even recordings of “bad” versions can provide helpful information.
- Read the Production Handbook:
Hunchback of Notre Dame Production Handbook
I found the following sections to be the most helpful:
- Glossaries of Latin, Greek, and Romani lyrics pg. 103-106
- Character Assignments pg. 24
- Characters by Song pg. 27-28
- Notes on the Score pg. 29-34: This will supplement the comments I have made for each song in the following “Song-By-Song Guide.”
General Music Rehearsal Notes
- This show’s music is known for being highly dramatic. Challenge your cast to take up space and make big, free sounds. Warmups and exercises that lend themselves to this soloistic-like Opera Chorus sound will pay dividends.
- The Congregation and Choir are two separate entities that sometimes come together. Rehearse them as such. If you’re able to have a full choir stand in the back with their choir books in hand (provided by MTI), that is ideal for the difficulty of their music.
- The Congregation is inclusive of all genders. Feel free to assign solos that make sense to anyone of any gender, playing with octaves as necessary. Even singing half of a phrase in one octave and then switching to another octave can work.
- Clopin is pronounced “cloh-PAN.” Esmeralda is pronounced “ezmer-AL-da” as in “apple.” Teach everyone so that the pronunciation is consistent in your production.
- Know your cast—if you’ve got the Tenors to support all the high operatic ensemble singing in this show, great! I taught this at a high school, where there weren’t as many solid Tenors and Basses as Sopranos and Altos. Take a look at my “Song-By-Song Guide” if you’re in the same situation. I have written in suggested changes.
- If you’re using tracks (AKA canned music) for your production, I highly recommend taking advantage of some of its benefits. Change the key if you need to. This is worth keeping in mind while casting, as someone may not quite have the highest notes required in a role, but they could be otherwise perfect for it. Our Phoebus was a deep Baritone and he was a perfect fit once I changed the key of a couple of songs.
- Many actors use a character voice for Quasimodo. When he transitions into song, avoid the urge to let the song be too pretty at first. Especially make this point on “Out There,” as it sets up the effect for the show. One idea is to begin m. 5 with some of the vocal quality Quasi uses in his speech. As the song progresses and certainly by m. 19, it can be in a more classic beautiful tone.
Casting Considerations
Quasimodo is an incredibly physical role, as well as one that has a two-octave range. He must be sweet and naïve but strong and commanding at the end. Check his Bb in “Made of Stone” and his sweetness in “Heaven’s Light.”.
Esmeralda must have a solid belt and command over her registers. She must have confidence in her movement. Check her C in “God Help the Outcasts” and allure in “Rhythm of the Tambourine.”
To me, Phoebus is a Baritone with an upper extension. Something about the richness of a Baritone in his speaking voice and singing voice gives this character the bravado he needs. Still, check his freedom on the G in the last bit of “Rest and Recreation” and his tuning in “Someday.”
Frollo should be sung by a true Baritone/Bass. Check the low notes at the beginning and the power notes at the end of “Hellfire.”
Clopin is traditionally performed by a Tenor but could be sung by any gender with some adjustments. More important than gender identity is confidence. Check their ability to create a character voice in “Topsy Turvy” and their Gb at the end of “The Court of Miracles.”
The casting of Florika is more important than you think. Her solo in “Finale Ultimo” must feel angelic.
Song-By-Song Guide
Each song has measure numbers along the left, associated comments on the right.
#01: Olim
| 4 | Pronunciation Example: Olim.m4a Translation: “Someday, Godspeed this bright millennium. Let it come someday.” |
#02: The Bells of Notre Dame (Part 1)
| 1 | Operatic, dark vowel [a]: invite them to do their best opera impression |
| 8 | Only one or two Sopranos on the highest notes |
| 17 | Conversational diction |
| 22 | Anytime anyone sings “bells OF Notre Dame” make sure it’s “AHv” |
| 32 | Onomatopoeic writing; have them sing loud as thunder, soft as psalm |
| 47 | Match the “z” sound at the end of “bells” on beat 1 of 48. |
| 49 | Bell_Zah_V(u)no_tru-DAHm. M on beat one of 56. |
| 57 | Lower dynamic, don’t allow a lazy vowel. Still provide motion here. |
| 63 | Have S/A take a quarter rest breath on beat 3 before the next phrase. |
| 73 | Still dark vowel like Olim |
#02A: The Bells of Notre Dame (Part 2)
| 9 | Make sure that the singers sing this straight with no dotted rhythms |
| 24 | Big K sound on “Claude” |
| 28 | Pronounced “zhe-AHN” |
| 38-40 | Cut Baritone notes |
| 45 | Strong K sound on “Kyrie” Pronunciation Example: Kyrie Eleison.m4a Translation: O Lord, have mercy (upon us) |
| 49-50 | Cut high Tenor |
#02B: The Bells of Notre Dame (Part 3)
| 30 | Align “z” sound in “bells” on beat 1 of 33. |
| 39 | Align M sound on beat 1 of 40. |
#02C: The Bells of Notre Dame (Part 4)
| 1 | Come in confidently; this is the moment Claude has made a decision. |
| 5 | Cut Tenor |
| 8 | “Expelled” may be shouted |
| 19 | Speak this text as rhythmically accurately as if it were sung |
| 42 | “Jehan” may be shouted |
#02D: The Bells of Notre Dame (Part 5)
| 1 | Urgent, mourning |
| 40 | Strong, shaky operatic staccato on “Dies Irae” Pronunciation Example: Dies Irae.m4a Translation: “Day of wrath” |
| 40-44 | Alto assistance on Tenor |
| 47 | Noticeably NOT staccato. Double the “l” sound in “favilla” Pronunciation Example: Solvet Saec’lum In Favilla.m4a Translation: “The world turns to ashes” |
| 56 | Perhaps the climax of the entire opening; crescendo should be suitably dramatic |
| 56-61 | Cut high Tenor |
| 58 | Tune the congregation like crazy, especially on “saints re-” |
| 60 | “D” of “facade” on beat 1 of 61. |
| 64 | “D” of “God” on beat 3. The temptation will be to hold too long |
| 77 | Perhaps Frollo punctuates “think” with a strong K and staccato. Tune “like.” |
#02E: The Bells of Notre Dame (Part 6)
| 21 | Make sure everyone who sings this line includes a sharp “t” in “what”“Wha_Tmake_Suh monster and wha_Tmake_Suh man” |
| 29 | A2 assistance on Tenor. |
| 30-41 | A2 on high Tenor and all T on low Tenor |
| 30-41 | Make mostly “l” sound (as written in score) Combine the “z” sound of “bells” with the next word. “Bell_Zbell_Zbell…” |
| 42 | Make sure there’s not a breath before “Dame” My breakdown with high schoolers was as follows: One or two Sopranos on high D “Sop 1” Soprano 1 on F# “Sop 2” Soprano 2 on D “Alto 1” Alto 1 on D “Alto 2” Alto 2 on A “Ten 2” Tenor 1 on F# “Ten 1” Tenor 2 on D “Bar 1” Baritone 1&2 on D “Bar 2” |
| 47 | Cut High D from second staff. You only need a few Sopranos on that note. |
#03: Sanctuary
| 3 | Make sure the rhymes work and “disgust” has some “disgust” in it |
| 28 | If the G# is too low for Frollo, make the note more spoken than sung |
| 45-54 | Give Quasimodo some permission to speak-sing some of these lines |
#04: Out There
| 23 | ouT there |
| 57 | This feels like an arrival (because it’s a new key!) Let it feel joyful. He’s transformed by this moment of stepping in their shoes, and it’s where I believe he decides that he’s going to leave. |
| 72 | Watch out for this Db; Many singers sing it as a D Natural. |
#05: Topsy Turvy (Part 1)
| 3 | “n” of “come oNe” should be on beat 1 of m. 4 |
| 8 | Alto support on Tenor A |
| 18-20 | Diction is important and fun here. Place “z” of “smellS” beat 1 m. 21. |
| 28 | See previous comment |
| 32-41 | Quasi will need to drill these pitches for accuracy |
| 68 | Clopin has a fun character voice. Let them cook. |
| 81 | Clopin may choose to speak “Topsy Turvy Day” |
| 89 | A “prig” is a self-righteous person. |
| 105 | A “strumpet” is a prostitute. |
| 108-109 | Pronunciation Example: Chartres to Calais.m4a (Two cities in France) |
#06: Rest and Recreation
| 3 | Lean into militaristic rhythms throughout. Almost 32nd notes |
| 30-32 | Perhaps more haunted, breathy |
| 41 | Only have a few people sing the T1 part. This can easily feel unbalanced. |
| 57 | No breath “be_captain” |
| 115 | Big breath after “entrance” so the next line can be all connected. |
#07: Rhythm of the Tambourine
| 7 | This song should be vocally punctuated; fittingly “rhythmic.” E.g. beat 1. “Hey” |
| 9 | Any time there’s a half note on this song, crescendo up to it. |
| 26;32 | Notice that these are quarter notes, not half notes |
| 62 | Quasimodo shouldn’t belt this |
| 68 | “Fire” is where this begins being belty |
#08: Topsy Turvy (Part 2)
| 24 | Continue allowing character voice. Fittingly “Gruesome as a gargoyle’s wing” |
| 86 | Rehearse this as staccato and breathy as possible. Figure out limits. |
| 95 | This is legato! Lean into it by sliding. |
| 115 | As short as possible on “pop” |
| 115 | “Popinjay” is a type of parrot/flamboyant person (dress or behavior) |
| 130 | I just had the 1’s of each part (Sop 1, Alto 1, etc.) shout here, while the 2’s sing. |
#09: Sanctuary II
| 18-21 | Have Quasi and Frollo follow the hairpin dynamics of the orchestra |
#09A: The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise)
| 17 | Choir may include some vibrato here to make it feel angelic/sparkly |
| 34-42 | May require some tuning for the Baritones |
#10: God Help the Outcasts
| 3 | Pronunciation Example: Salve Regina.m4a Translation: “Hail holy queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope/salvation. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.” |
| 3 | Straight tone, as a chant |
| 12 | If she has this low f, great. If not, a breathy approximation is fine! Because the Esmeralda in my cast had a high belt, I raised the key. |
| 58 | I didn’t have a Tenor with this range, so I had a few Altos chest-voice the Tenor Solo. I had only a few Tenors on the line starting on G, rest split T/B |
| 79 | Back to dark “ah” to match the dark vowel in “God.” |
| 91 | This chord will likely require some tuning. |
#11: Transition to the Bell Tower
| All | Run this in repetition until the soloists come in without awkward breaks |
#12: Top of the World
| 13 | I care more about “of” being “AHv” with ensemble singing, but Esmeralda’s “of” could lean in that direction as long as it feels conversational. |
| 27-28 | While a small “t” in “fighting” and “pity” is important, make sure that the word stress doesn’t then appear on the second syllable. A SMALL “t” is great. |
| 46 | Whoever plays F4 in the studio recording is consistently flat. Don’t let that sway your soloist!! Tune the word “wrong” as necessary. |
| 52 | Strong “t,” making sure the word stress is on “ad-MIt-ting” |
| 56-58 | Same thing, with the word “sitting” |
| 60 | “D” on beat 4. |
| 62-66 | “Appear_Zand” “ki_NDand” “Cheer_Zto” |
| 87 | This will require some rehearsal to align the downbeat. |
| 92 | Ensure that the vowel in “world” is consistent between parts. I prefer a schwa. |
#13: Tavern Song
| All | Pronunciation Example: Romani Lyrics.m4a Translation: “Into the tavern we go, and wine we drink, our money we give, and sing.” |
| 5 | Select an M3 who can remain confidently in-tune without underscoring, because: |
| 12 | M Congregants must come in before the downbeat, in tune. They rely on M3. |
| 17 | Pronunciation Example: La Pomme d’Eve.m4a |
| 21-22 | The ensemble is going to want to sing with the riffs on “night” that Ciara Renee sings as Esmeralda in the Studio Recording. This will get messy quick; it is reserved for Esmeralda. Align this vowel “nAHit” |
| 22 | I added an eighth note rest before “in the dead” to align “t” sounds on beat 3.5 |
| 23-24 69 105-106 119 | Add Alto 2 on melody with Tenors for balance. |
| 29-30 125-126 | Baritones, bring it! They’re the melody. |
| 48 | Rehearse the eighth note anticipation repeatedly. This tends to come in late, on beat 1 of 49. Don’t let it! |
| 61 | Let Esmeralda get really seductive with her riffs here. |
| 125 | Decrescendo with each repeat until it’s hushed. |
#14: Heaven’s Light
| All | This song isn’t about being impressive, it’s about being full of light, being seen. The actor should feel comfortable with some rubato; get behind and catch up! |
| 13 | What if this started out mezzo piano like the orchestra? Hushed, contemplative. |
| 21 | Picks up some volume here, expressing previous pain and resignation |
| 27 | Resist the urge to belt the F. What if it was head voice? Light? Vulnerable? |
| 29 | There is a change in Quasimodo. This is reflected in the poco più mosso. Joy. |
| 35 | Grow, anticipate |
| 39 | If Quasimodo needs a breath on this phrase, put it after “I swear.” |
| 40 | I’m personally comfortable with Quasimodo holding his final note for as long as possible up until m. 48 beat 2. |
#15: Hellfire
| 1-9 | Pronunciation Example: Confiteor deo….m4a Translation: “I confess to Almighty God; to the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin; to the Blessed Michael, the Archangel; to the Holy Apostles and all the Saints.” This should be sung by the Tenors with complete head voice |
| 13-26 | Pronunciation Example: Et tibi Pater….m4a (Note: m. 22: Make sure to sing “tsi” on “CogitaTIone”) Translation: “And to Thee, Father, that I have greatly sinned in thought, word, and deed.” |
| 17 | “Common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd” is a delicious piece of diction. Let Frollo be utterly disgusted and spitting. |
| 26 | “Control” on a straight tone will help build the tension for m. 27 |
| 35 | What if “sin” were shouted? |
| 36-44 | Consider shouting a phrase or two, maybe an iteration of “It’s not my fault” |
| 37-44 | Pronunciation Example: Mea Culpa.m4a Translation: “Through my fault, through my most grievous fault.” I had the T/B Ensemble sing accented, almost staccato for these phrases. |
| 48;50 | “Destroy” or “fires of hell” could probably include some distortion/growl |
| 49 | Ensemble assigned as follows:Soprano 1 and 2 sing what’s written for S/A. Alto sing high TenorTenor sing middle, Baritone sing low |
| 50 | Ensemble as written |
| 53-55 | Cut T1 part; Tenors sing T2. |
| 55-72 | Ensemble as written |
| 73-77 | A2 sing with Tenor |
| 77 | 1-2 assigned Sopranos on D Soprano 1 on Bb Soprano 2 on F Alto 1 on D Alto 2 and select Tenors on Bb Tenor on F Baritone on D |
#16: Esmeralda/Act 1 Finale (Part 1)
| 29 | Only have T1 on Tenor part. This can easily feel unbalanced.Remember “ezmer-AL-da” as in “apple.” That, but with corners of mouth in. |
| 32 | “T” of “night” on beat 4. |
| 35 | Check the tuning of the unison “free” |
| 42-44 | Crescendo with the orchestra |
| 49 | “Than” not “then” (funnily enough, the same vowel as esmerALda!) |
#16A: Esmeralda/Act 1 Finale (Part 2)
| 30 | I added Alto an octave above the Baritones. More melody. |
| 60 | Notice the part designations: Choir Sop, Ten, and Bar don’t come in until 63. |
| 63-78 | Pronunciation Example: Misericordia.m4a Translation: “Mercy and compassion”“And grant us peace” |
| 72-74 | Choir: Add Alto 2 to T1 Only have Sop 1 on high A Sop 2 begin singing Alto on “a-larm” |
| 78-80 | Alto 2 may sing with Tenor. Tenor 2 may sing B1. |
#17: Entr’acte
| All | This is the most challenging piece in the show for the Choir. Give it adequate rehearsal time—it will be worth it! |
| 5-14 | Pronunciation Example: Libera me.m4a ; Salutaris.m4a Translation: “Deliver me, O Lord, from death eternal on that fearful day. When the heavens shall be moved.” ; “Saving” |
| 3-8 | Cut Alto 2. |
| 19-21 | Alto 2 sing Tenor through “morte.” Have a few Alto 1s sing the G#. Tenor sing Baritone 1 through “morte.” |
| 20-21 | Rehearse the Tenor line with the Alto line until they can withstand the clash. |
| 23-32 | Pronunciation Example: Putabum me nunquam.m4a Translation: “I knew I’d never know that warm and loving glow, though I might wish with all my might. My cold, dark tower seems so bright. I swear it must be heaven’s light.” (Lyric from #14: Heaven’s Light)] |
| 23-24 | Total head voice for Tenors |
| 29-30 | Work on the balance here; you may need fewer Soprano 1s on the B. |
| 32-37 | Pronunciation Example: O Salutaris.m4a Translation: “O Saving Victim, who opens the gate of Heaven.” |
| 32-35 | Alto 2 with Tenor |
| 40-47 | Pronunciation Example: Ibi.m4a Translation:“Out there, living in the sun. Give me one day out there. Give it to me.” (Lyric from #4: Out There.) |
| 40 | I cut all Baritone notes except the Bbs. I then had all Baritones sing that an octave higher, which gave a smooth transition into m. 41. |
| 43-45 | Only have Baritone 1 sing “Dabit me unum diem” so that Baritone 2 comes in strong on m. 45 without an octave jump. |
| 43-44 | Cut Alto 2. It’s already covered by Baritone 1 in 43, Tenors in 44. |
| 45-55 | Have Tenor 2 sing highest Baritone part starting on beat 4 of m. 45 through 55 (cut highest Baritone note on beat 3 of m. 45.) Baritones split bottom two Baritone parts 45-47 and 54-55. |
| 48-71 | Pronunciation Example: Olim, nos suadebimus.m4a Translation: “Someday, our fight will be won then, that bright afternoon. Till then, on days when the sun is gone, hope lives on. Wish upon the moon. Change will come one day, someday soon.” (Lyric from #24: Someday.) |
| 48-52 | Alto 2 sing with Tenor 1. |
| 61 | Tune this unison |
| 62 | “Quam”: Tenors all sing Tenor 2 Altos sing Tenor 1 |
| 63-64 | Starting on “-do”: Baritones all sing Baritone 2 Tenor 2 sing Baritone 1 |
| 66-67 | Only a couple of Soprano 1s on Soprano 1; the rest of the parts shift down: Remaining Soprano 1s on Soprano 2 Soprano 2s on Alto 1 Alto 1 on Alto 2 Alto 2 on Tenor 1 Tenor 1 on Tenor 2 Tenor 2 on Baritone 1 Baritones all on Baritone 2 |
| 68-72 | Tenor 2 on Baritone 1 |
| 74-75 | Only Soprano 1 on Soprano Soprano 2 with Alto 1 Alto 2 and two most operatic Tenors on Tenor 1 Remaining Tenor 1 on Tenor 2 Tenor 2 and two most operatic Baritones on highest Baritone Baritone 1 in middle Baritone 2 as written |
#17A: Agnus Dei
| 3-10 | Pronunciation Example: Agnus Dei.m4a Translation: “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” |
#18: Flight Into Egypt
| All | Introduce this song as one that requires a good ear. The melodies have cool chromaticism. |
| 8 | “Saint” pronunciation: “Sa (nasal n)” |
| 25 | Notice that this is not a C#, but a C natural |
| 50-53 | Quasimodo may choose to speak some of these lines. I had him singing by m. 53. |
| 88-91 | Head voice |
#18A: Esmeralda (Reprise)”
-No comments
#19: Rest and Recreation (Reprise)
| 3-4 | “See_realistically” no breath |
| 9 | Make sure this stays in time, since the rhyme will land better. |
#20: The Court of Miracles
| All | Again, Clopin sings with a character voice that embodies the accompaniment. |
| 30 | Practice the Ensemble’s entrance here repeatedly. Bring out Tenor. |
| 54 | “It’s a miracle” may be spoken cutesy, then back to bold, laughing singing m. 55 |
| 64 | Such phony sadness here; mezzo piano. |
| 68-73 | Suddenly growing until big belt at 70. |
| 74-75 | I had all the 1s (Sop 1, Alto 1, etc.) shout instead of sing |
#21: In a Place of Miracles
| All | Phoebus sings now without all the bravado and macho sound. May be lighter, more genuine. This is the love ballad of the show. |
| 18-23 | Crescendo, building to an arrival on m. 24 |
| 34 | “Locked in an embrace” in head voice for Phoebus |
| 36 | Work with Esmeralda and Phoebus to align their rhythms precisely. |
| 38-62 | Quasi is living his Eponine moment here; let him be big and sad |
| 46 | With the new key, Esmeralda can introduce some belting, bigger sound for her and Phoebus. That will align with Quasimodo’s singing. |
| 69 73 82 | “S” of “Miracles” on beat 1 of next measure |
| 70 | This is lower in the singers’ registers to express some grief/defeat. |
| 90 | Add a quarter rest on beat two for the Ensemble, but not Choir. Ensemble will put “s” sound there, quickly breathe and be ready for m. 91. Choir must sing with no breath through the next measure. |
| 93-94 | No breath. Stagger as necessary. Honor crescendo through the button. |
#22: The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise II)
| 33 | “Burn” with a slight British accent is the vowel that will be sung. Add American “rn” sound right at the end. |
| 36 | Hard “t” on “at” |
| 37 | Dawn with a dark “ah” vowel. Connect n to next word. |
#23: The Assault
| 5-20 | Find moments of desperation, disgust |
#24: Someday
| 6-22 | Anything below an Ab can be more speech-like; softly hitting the note. That’s why this was written so low in her voice—naturally arising from her previous lines. |
| 27 | It’s tempting to add an extra note before “wiser” and then move up. It’s okay if it’s a choice, but make it on purpose rather than by default on all similar phrases. |
| 72-73 | Tune this like crazy. Play with vowels and registration as necessary. |
| 75 | Don’t let Phoebus be way bigger than Esmeralda here just because it’s in a better range for him to belt. |
#24A: While the City Slumbered
-No Notes
#25: Made of Stone
| All | Make sure that Quasimodo knows what the written phrases are, note-by-note, before choosing which of them to turn to speech. Again, choices, not default. |
| 39;47 | “All” and “fall” should have a really dark vowel. |
| 59-64 | While I advocate for no breath here, I recommend a straight tone on “beLOW” and then adding back in vibrato on m. 61 to distinguish the words. |
| 77-78 | While the previous phrases were forte, consider “hiding” in a lower dynamic here |
| 102 | I have to mention again that the F4 Soloist on the studio recording is so flat here. Don’t let yours be!! (Part of it is a vowel thing and not letting it get too nasally.) |
| 131 | If Quasimodo has found strength on the Bb and G’s by making it really bright, encourage just a bit of darkening on the vowel. The belt is more important, but if it can also be dark, it’s all the more fitting for the text. |
| 138 | It may be tempting to hit the high C written in some versions of this show. If Quasimodo is still solid on the C, that’s a cool option for them. But in my opinion, a straight tone on the G (before a bit of sparkle at the end) makes him feel more like “stone.” |
#25A: Judex Crederis
| 3-11 | Pronunciation Example: Judex Crederis.m4a Translation: “We believe that Thou shalt come to be our judge. O Lord, in Thee I have trusted. Let me never be confounded. O Lord, save Thy people.” |
| 3-10 | Alto 2 on Tenor for balance |
| 11 | As written |
#25B: Kyrie Eleison
| 23-32 | Allow Tenors to pick an octave. If they’re singing with Alto, sing Alto on 26. |
| 34-35 | Make sure there’s a t for “et” and a t for “terra.” |
| 40-59 | Pronunciation Example: O Salutaris, Salutaris Hostia.m4aTranslation:“O Saving Victim, who opens the gate of heaven, hostile wars press. Give strength, bear aid. May there be everlasting glory.” |
| 48 50 52 | Add an eighth note rest at the end of the measure. This will align the “t” of “Sit” and the breath before the next measure. |
| 53-69 | Alto 2 sing highest note in Tenor clef with Tenor 1. Tenor 2 and Baritone 1 in middle, Baritone 2 on bottom. |
| 60-69 | Pronunciation Example: Semper Sanctus! In Excelsis!.m4a (Yes, it’s pronounced “een ek-SHELL-sees” in Italian Liturgical Latin.) Translation: “Always holy,” “On high.” |
| 102 | I copied the T2 part and had S2 sing that same thing an octave higher. I could then teach parts faster, plus I liked the added tension. |
| 111 | “Now?!” may be shouted. |
| 117-122 | Pronunciation Example: Mors Stupebit.m4a Translation: “Death and nature will marvel when the creature will rise again to respond to the judge.” |
| 122 | Tenor on highest in Tenor cleff, split Baritone |
| 147 | Help Quasimodo resist the urge to hold stone for a half note instead of a whole note. Allow a breath before “below,” as he’s got to hold it for a long time. |
#25C: Top Of The World (Reprise)
| 9-16 | This doesn’t need to be pretty at all. Efforted and often breathy. |
#25D: Esmeralda (Frollo Reprise)
| 27-29 | “Wicked” with an almost staccato-like hushed sound is really frightening. Lots of “K” sound |
| 30-33 | Pronunciation Example: Solvet Sae’clum in favilla, Teste David….m4a Translation: “The world will dissolve in ashes as foretold by David and Sybil. What fear there will be when the judge comes.” |
| 39 | Some Alto support on Tenor 1. |
#26: Finale Ultimo
| M# | Comments |
| 14-15 | Make “cruel” and “ugly” short and blunt. Harsh. |
| 19 | “Cru-el-est” make sure it’s three syllables. |
| 22 | Tune “dark.” It tends to be flat. |
| 36-51 | Even in a “boy’s choir” sound, there should be growth and decay within phrases. |
| 54 | Big “K” on “kinder” |
| 56 | Big “Bl” on “blinder” |
| 74 | I had the Sopranos sing “soon” and the rest of the Ensemble sing “oon” to limit the amount of “s” at the beginning. |
| 115 | This comes in earlier than you expect. Come in and GROW. Notice Choir doesn’t come in until 116. |
| 122-3 | Bring out the crescendo. What follows is the whole point of the show. |
| 130-153 | Assing this the same way as the opening number. I taught them back-to-back so they could see the similarities and differences. |
Jake Heywood 
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