Mylo Cluff as Quasimodo
Featuring a sweeping, musical score and an epic story of love, acceptance, prejudice and what it means to be a hero, City of Fairfax Theatre Co. presents “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” It takes the stage July 18-26 at Katherine Johnson Middle School in Fairfax City.
Based on Victor Hugo’s novel and the Disney film, it’s the story of Quasimodo, a deformed yet kindhearted bellringer living in the Notre Dame Cathedral in 15th-century Paris. Kept hidden by his guardian, Archdeacon Claude Frollo, Quasimodo yearns to explore the world outside. He also befriends Esmeralda, a Romani woman fighting for freedom and justice.
The show has a cast and crew of 55 from throughout the Washington Metropolitan area, with actors ranging from age 12 to late 40s and everyone from seasoned veterans to those in their first play. And Director Zachary Flick says they’re doing an “incredible” job.
“This story’s been told many times before, but they’re seeing it with fresh eyes and their own ideas and perspectives on it and their characters,” he said. “They bring such humanity, life and nuance to them that I see them ‘become’ these people. We work collaboratively, and I couldn’t have asked for better actors.”
There’s also a 15-piece orchestra and a three-level set designed by Noah Beye. It’s a deconstructed version of Notre Dame, including a stained-glass-rose window and the bell tower. Costumes are based on that era’s fashions, with women wearing colorful, elegant dresses, skirts, aprons and headpieces. Men are dressed in breeches, flowing shirts and hats, soldiers wear French military uniforms and clergy are in the robes of Catholic priests.
Show times are Friday, July 18, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 19, at 1:30 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, July 20, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, July 23, at 7 p.m. (Sensory Friendly Show); Thursday, July 24, at 7 p.m. (ASL, audio description, pay what you can); Friday, July 25, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, July 26, at 1:30 p.m.; and Saturday, July 26, at 7 p.m.
Ticket information, including prices, is at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/fairfaxcitytheatre/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame#/day. Note: Because of language and content, it’s not advised for young audiences.
“At its heart, it’s about the way we as a society treat people who are different in their looks – body types, skin color and disabilities,” explained Flick. “It’s also about how Quasimodo and Esmeralda, who come from two different worlds, come together. By treating each other as people, with kindness and humanity – how they’d want to be treated – they change the world.
“It’s a story about radical kindness, standing up to oppression and finding your voice to speak out for what’s right. And it feels so extremely relevant to our world today – how we treat immigrants and people who come to this country with different languages, skin colors, cultures, customs, etc. It’s a story we all need to hear right now, and I’m honored to be telling it.”
Fairfax City’s Mylo Cluff, a 2018 Woodson High grad, portrays Quasimodo. “He’s 18, optimistic and naïve,” said Cluff. “He’s got a hunchback but is strong and able-bodied, although partially deaf from ringing the bells for years. He’s very lonely, because he only gets to talk to one person, Frollo, his whole life. But he’s inspiring because, despite his hard life, he’s still filled with so much hope and love for humanity.”
“He’s driven by a desire to be accepted by the community that he’s only watched from afar,” continued Cluff. “But Frollo told him the world is cruel and wicked and will never accept him so, for his safety, he must stay hidden away. Initially, this is true; but by the end of the show, he finds acceptance.”
Enjoying this role, Cluff said, “It’s challenging because he’s a very complex character, and I have to find a balance between the despair of such a tortured person and the joy and optimism within him. The music’s also challenging to sing because it’s vocally demanding.”
His favorite song is “Out There,” which he sings. “It’s Quasimodo’s first solo, and he sings about how much he loves the people of Paris,” said Cluff. “He appreciates what people take for granted in ordinary life, like being able to walk in the sun or take a stroll with their loved ones.”
Cluff said audiences will like the show’s “really lovely music – it’s Alan Menken’s best score. And the costumes, set and lighting will all work together to paint a beautiful picture. The message is moving and will resonate with people because we can really use a story now about love, hope and acceptance of different people. Being a transgender man has helped me connect to Quasimodo’s story. I exist in a body that the government and public in general think they can have an opinion about. And this whole story is important to tell right now; it’s been a real labor of love.”
Playing Frollo is Little Rocky Run’s Andreas Moffett. “He’s archdeacon of Notre Dame and the epitome of everything wrong with religion,” said Moffett. “He’s incredibly manipulative, intelligent and self-righteous. And he’ll rationalize anything to get what he wants, even if it means jettisoning his faith.
“At the same time, he’s Quasimodo’s father figure. Frollo experiences and expresses love for him, while also feeling intense hatred for him because he’s the son of a Roma woman. Frollo thinks Roma people are irredeemable monsters who need to be rounded up and exterminated – totally missing the irony.”
Moffett said this role is both physically challenging – because he’s a classically trained tenor who must sing bass as Frollo – and emotionally difficult “having to inhabit the antithesis of everything I believe in and make it convincing. It’s also scary. There are moments when Olivia [Clavel-Davis, as Esmeralda] and I have to check in with each other, before and after an intense scene, to make sure we’re both OK.”
He especially likes his solo, “Hellfire,” where Frollo’s pleading with the Virgin Mary to explain to him why he’s so obsessed with Esmeralda. And, said Moffett, “He resolves that he’ll accept damnation in order to have control over her.”
Calling this show both crucial and challenging to put on in the context of current ICE raids in Northern Virginia, Moffett said it demonstrates how “absolute power corrupts people absolutely – especially when the person wielding that power is motivated by hatred, prejudice and fear. Theater is supposed to challenge people, and I hope it opens up their eyes to what individuals can do to fight injustice and how people together are stronger than any one man.”
Clavel-Davis describes Esmeralda as “free-spirited but grounded in her morals. And more than her love for her profession as a singer and dancer, she believes in uplifting those less fortunate. As a gypsy, she’s an outcast. She dances for money on the streets, and that makes the high-society people uncomfortable. It’s a dream role for me. I’m primarily a dancer, and I get to dance plus sing some of the most iconic songs in the show. I also represent lots of people who don’t have a voice or get to act particular roles because of what they look like.”
Her favorite number is “Someday,” which she sings with Nicolas Burgos as the soldier, Phoebus. “It gives such hope for the future, even if it means Esmeralda’s personal wants and desires won’t come to fruition,” said Clavel-Davis. “But it’s worth it for the greater good.”
She said this musical is “the classic Disney film everyone loves, but with a message we can relate to today. There are lots of unexpected moments that weren’t in the film, and they’ll get the audience thinking about how to apply these messages to their everyday lives and think before acting and judging others.”
Jasmine Jones plays Clopin, queen of the Romani people and leader of the performing troupe that celebrates the Feast of Fools every Jan. 6 – and that’s when the story begins. She’s also one of the show’s seven narrators. “The Romani were ostracized, dehumanized and marginalized at that time by the church,” said Jones. “And that influenced how people felt about them.
“Clopin’s mischievous and loyal to her people. She’s proud they’ve endured, although they’re only allowed to dance one day a year. So to make money, survive and keep each other safe, they must be able to fight, steal things without getting caught, be smooth talkers and run fast. They have a safe haven where anyone being persecuted can come and hide. But it’s a secret place, so you have to know a Romani to get in. It’s important to Clopin to keep that secret so no clergy or soldiers can get in.”
Jones loves playing her because “she and I have lots in common because of our views, how we relate to other people and our sense of responsibility to the people we love. Clopin can be silly and not take herself too seriously, but she’d fight to protect the people she loves. She’s nurturing and wants to care for people.”
Her favorite song is “Top of the World,” sung by Quasimodo, Esmeralda and the Gargoyles, who represent Quasimodo’s thoughts. “It makes me cry because of how lovely it is, and it’s the first time Quasimodo experiences genuine selfless kindness,” said Jones. “You get to know him more and see Esmeralda’s humanity toward him.
“The show asks what makes a monster and what makes a man, and audiences must answer this for themselves. When there’s cruelty, will they let someone suffer, or will they lend a hand and help? This production is unique, beautiful, thought-provoking and nuanced; and through it, I hope audiences learn who they are.”