Fans' Reviews |
Bea
(Germany)
Michele (England)
Ness (Switzerland)
Ruth (England)
Sophie (England)
Final Performance
Michele
Paul L
Bea's review
PART 1
It's been a few weeks since I last saw NDDP and it is interesting
to see how the show is never the same. Can't say much about the
new guys like Mike Dyer or Scott Ciscon 'cause I haven't seen
them yet (wait for part 2) but even if you see the
performers you have seen a few times before, you always see
something different.
For example, the more I see Dean the more I like his Phoebus and
I admit that I am a huge fan of Steve but this just wasn't the
perfect part for him. His voice still is unbelievable, there is
no doubt about that but Dean is so much more convincing as the
tough soldier who kills Clopin and doesn't give a damm about
Esmeralda in the end.
Who I really like more everytime I see him is Andrew Playfoot, no
doubt that he is my favourite Clopin. Although there is one scene
that I don't like at all but it is just that I don't like the
song very much, and that is "Esmeralda, you see".
Fred and Ian, well, what more can I say than that they are the
perfect match as Frollo and Quasimodo. Intense, moving,
convincing, I wouldn't want to miss them in their parts.
Hazel is getting better every time and she for sure is the best
actress out of the 3 Esmeradas I have seen. I would love to see
Camilla, that's the only one who I did miss so far.
Can't say much about Fleur-de-Lys, only maybe that I prefer
Camilla which doesn't mean that I don't like Kate.
Last but not least I still like Alexis better than John but to
see if John has changed his performance like everybody tells me,
I have to wait until Wednesday and see if he can convince me now.
PART 2
Okay, back to Wednesday and Mike and Scott and John. Mike wasnīt
that bad as I expected him to be after all what I have heard, I
donīt give much about other people's judgement anyway, I have to
see for myself. Anyway, his voice is okay, his acting isnīt bad
but I am not sure what he sees in Frollo. I mean, is he supposed
to be the bad guy who is keen on Esmeralda or is he desperate
because heīs a priest. Know what I mean? Heīs not as anxious as
Daniel was and he is not like "I have to have her, no matter
what" like Fred. During act 1 I thought he was a bit boring,
no, correction, I found him a bit boring but he got better during
act 2. So if I had to choose which Frollo I want to see, itīs
Fred.
Scott, he was very very good. Wonderful voice with a slight
American accent and his acting Iīd say is kind of between
Steveīs and Deanīs. So when it comes to my fave Phoebus, tough
choice. I love Steveīs voice, I love Deanīs acting, so I think
it was a good idea to cast Scott. I really canīt say who I
prefer, I like them all very much.
John, well, he has changed his style of playing Gringoire a bit,
but only a little. There are some parts I really like which is
first of all, Free Today. Moon is quite good also. I still donīt
like Cathedrals and I still hate Florence. I really canīt say
more and itīs not easy to explain because it is just my opinion
and no judgement. Some voices just do it for you, and others
donīt. And he has a good voice, I loved him in Rent, but
sometimes he, oh God, I donīt know how to say it without
sounding like an idiot, heīs whining or sobbing which is fine if
it was a love song, but itīs not! What in my opinion hasnīt
changed a bit is this
"look-at-me-I-am-the-most-important-person-on-stage"
attitude which sometimes drives me nuts. And before all fans of
Johnīs gonna kill me, I donīt say neither he is bad nor he
canīt sing, I just say that his Gringoire doesnīt do much for
me. I think itīs not the way it should be done (in my opinion).
But I would never say I wonīt see the show at all when he is
scheduled. What I like about Alexisīway of playing are more the
small bits and pieces, like for example when he bends down and
touches Clopin and puts his jacket over him after Phoebus has
killed him. So Gringoire is an easy choice for me: 1:0 Alexis!
Michele's
review
Friday March 9th was the first time I had seen Dannii Minogue and
I was very pleasantly surprised. She may not have the vocal power
of the other Esmeraldas but her acting is far superior. She is
full of life and emotion and acts like a 17 year old! Her version
of "Live For The One I Love" was very touching. Scott
Ciscon (also seen for the first time) was excellent. I preferred
his performance to Dean Collinson's, and will try to see him in
the future (Steve Balsamo will always be the best though). Rohan
Reckord was good paricularly in "Cast Away", Joanne May
was lovely although a little tired. John Partridge was fun but I
prefer Alexis James, Ian Pirie was terrific as always and Fred
Johanson was just outstanding. He must be the best Frollo, there
should be a recording of him.
Ness'
Review
I've known "Notre-Dame de
Paris" since the begining of this musical's great adventure
in 1998.
I saw it for the first time in Geneva in French: that was
wonderful (even I had quite bad seats and the original French
cast wasn't there (as expected) except Daniel Lavoie)! Finally I
wasn't desapointed at all because almost all the alternates were
very good singers and actors.
When I heard that NDDP would be shown in London (= my fave city)
and that Tina Arena (= my fave singer), I knew immediately that I
"had" to go and see this spectacular musical! ;o)
I saw the English show on the 1st June 2000 for the first time;
I'm was soooo excited! Every singers were the original ones...
except Tina Arena!!! I was quite sad, but her alternate, Hazel
Fernandes, was fabulous! So I was able to enjoy the show even
without Tina Arena. Hazel's great. She can act, sing and dance
very well and she has a very beautiful voice. I think if Tina
Arena wasn't my favourite singer, I'd have loved Hazel's
performance: but I "only" liked her very very much
instead! :o) I discovered Steve Balsamo and the more the show was
running then more I loved his voice. I really appreciated his
voice, acting and charisma! What could I say about Daniel Lavoie,
Bruno Pelletier, Garou and Luck Mervil? Well, that's quite easy:
fabulous!!! I already knew them because of NDDP in French and
what I saw that night confirmed was I had thought until then:
they're simply the bests! ;o) I won't say very much about Natasha
St-Pier, but she was great as the others.
I was informed that Tina Arena'd perform the next day; this was
my second chance to see her! Bruno Pelletier, Garou, Daniel
Lavoie, Kate Pinell, Dean Collinson and Carl Abraham Ellis were
singing with Tina Arena that night.
Tina was really really great, as expected!!! But she's not an
actor... On that point Hazel played better. But I think my
favourite Esmeralda is still the French one, Hélčne Ségara,
and after her, Tina or Hazel.
The last time I saw the musical in London was in August. Tina
Arena improved her performance a lot. I discovered Andrew
Playfoot who's wonderful. There was also Garou, Bruno Pelletier,
Daniel Lavoie, Steve Balsamo and Natasha St-Pier.
Ruth's review
I went to see the London production
of Notre Dame de Paris again last night (4th January
2001) and was yet again stunned!
The theatre was not very full, which was a shame, but the
audience were quite responsive, which was good.
Alexis James was playing Gringoire, Id never seen him
before, but I was impressed. In my opinion, hes not as
convincing as Bruno and John, but each of their interpretations
of the role are so different, its not really fair to
compare them too much! As the play went, on I liked Alexis in the
role more. The Age of the Cathedrals was good and
Alexis created a good opening atmosphere.
Andrew Playfoot played Clopin, Id never seen him in the
role before live, (only on the Royal Variety Performance, but
that is not the same). I thought he was excellent and in my
opinion, better than Carl Abraham Ellis, because he has a clearer
voice, but as I said, thats only my opinion. The
Refugees was wonderful and full of energy (as always); I
really enjoyed Andrews interpretation of the song.
Frollo was played by Fred Johanson, which I was very happy about,
because Ive always loved him in the role and his voice is
amazing!
Scott C. Ciscon played Phoebus, Id never seen him before
either, and I was a little wary about him before hand, as I have
only ever seen Steve play Phoebus and was unsure whether anyone
could compare with him! I was stunned. Scott was really
convincing in the role and has a lovely voice to boot! I still
think that Steve was a better Phoebus, and I have yet to see Dean
in the role, but I was very, very, very impressed!
Patti Russo, whom I have seen a few times, played Esmeralda. I
dont think that I really need to say much about Patti, only
that her performance was as good as ever and that I want her
voice! The Bohemienne Song was great.
I am not really a fan of the song Esmeralda You See,
but I still enjoyed it, I think that its a demanding song
and both Andrew and Patti made it seem easy!
Fleur-de-lys was played by Joanne May, who managed well. I
dont particularly like the role, and I am not sure about
Joannes voice (she sounds very much like Kate Pinell), but
what can I say? Im not up on the stage singing, so she
still gets my respect!
Im now going to mention the dancer (which really should be
at the top of my review). Every time I go and see the show, they
totally stun me, and last night was no exception. Wow. They must
have so much energy! Each time I see the show, I notice another
amazing trick that one of the dancers is doing.
Ill never get bored of watching them.
The Feast of Fools was fantastic. Alexis was great.
The dancers were stunning and the atmosphere was electric!
Sam Gough played Quasimodo. Quasimodo is such a demanding role,
and I was impressed with the way that Sam coped with it. His
voice is lovely (I admit that I am a bit of a sucker for husky
voices), but its not as strong as Garous and Ian
Piries (both of whom I liked better, but theyre
extremely hard to beat!). I found it hard to hear some of the
words, but to be honest Im not sure whether that was
Sams voice or the music, which did seem a little drowning.
Sam was still very convincing and despite everything, I was
impressed. Im not sure what I expected from Sam, before the
show I was not looking forward to seeing him, but when he started
singing The King of Fools I saw that I was mistaken.
It was great.
I like the song The Doors of Paris, so I have to
mention it! Alexis did it perfectly!
The Court of Miracles was wonderful. Andrews
voice was very strong and clear and he acted well upon the
girder. I couldnt really hear Alexis during his first lines
in the song, but again I think that it was the music drowning him
out. The dancers were fantastic. I found myself smiling
throughout the whole song.
Shining like the Sun is a favourite of mine, and it
was performed brilliantly.
When Scott sang Torn Apart, I continued to be really
impressed with his interpretation of the role. Ive always
thought that the song and especially the technical qualities,
were original and effective and last nights performance had the
same effect on me.
Belle was near perfect. I love the last verse, when
they all sing. Each of the characters portrayed their meaning
convincingly.
Home in the Sky was fine. Sams interpretation
of Quasimodo is different to Garous and Ians.
Sams Quasimodo seems a little more subdued and quiet, which
I think works very well. I am just used to the other
interpretation, of him being quite bold, yet shy (which
doesnt make any sense, but I know what I mean!). It took me
a while to get used to Sams Quasimodo, but I think it
worked. The differences between the different interpretations of
Quasimodo were shown clearly in this song.
Freds Frollo is stunning. He has such a powerful voice and
is a convincing actor. Fred has always been my favourite Frollo
and he lived up to expectations last night. His voice and acting
qualities are especially clear in Your Love Will Kill
Me.
The Shadow is another song that I like a lot and
Scotts performance didnt change my feelings.
At the Val Damour was brilliant. Alexis and
Scott performed it perfectly.
The Voluptuary is another of my favourites (I know I
have a lot of them!) and still as good as ever.
Act 1 ended on a big high. Destiny was powerful and
memorable.
In the interval it was announced that Andrew Playfoot was
in dispense and that the understudy, Hugh Maynard,
would play the role of Clopin. Im not absolutely sure what
happened to Andrew, but I read somewhere that it is because his
wife went into labour and he rushed off to be with her.
The start of Act 2, was slightly disappointing, because the music
was loud and it was hard to hear the singing, but as the song
Talk to me of Florence went on, the voices got
clearer and louder and better.
The Bells continues to amaze me. The first couple of
times I saw the show, I could not really enjoy the song, because
I was worried about the people hanging upside down from the
bells! The choreography of the song is stunning and overwhelming.
Sam did very well in the song, as I think that the voice has to
compete with the dancing/acrobatics, and last night there was a
good balance.
Where is She? introduced Hugh Maynard to the
audience. It was obvious that he was trying very hard to impress
the audience, and he succeeded. He has a strong, clear voice and
fulfilled the demands the role requires. His performance was best
in Cast Away, which was also as good as ever.
Fred performed Im a Priest extremely well, with
an amazing amount of passion and power.
Phoebus if you can hear is another favourite of mine.
Patti was very moving and powerful and needs to be congratulated!
Frollos Visit to Esmeralda was stunning. Fred
did the big I looooovvvveeeeee wonderfully! The
following song, One Bright Morning You Danced was
just as good and powerful.
Free Today is a favourite of mine as well. There was
tons of energy and passion in the song from everyone involved and
it was very successful.
Alexis sang Moon brilliantly. In my opinion I
dont think anyone can sing Moon quite like
Bruno can, but Alexis tried very hard!
When Sam sang God You Made The World All Wrong, I
dont think there was a dry eye in the auditorium! He was
fantastic.
Live For the One I Love was great. Patti performs the
song very well and last night was no exception!
Attack On Notre-Dame was fantastic. Each voice was
clear and obvious and all the dancers involved were great!
Sams performance of Dance My Esmeralda was
wonderful. It was passionate and Sam obviously tried really hard
to make an impact, which worked. Wow.
At the curtain call, everyone got a good response, especially
Hugh Maynard, who got the biggest applause of the lot! Alexis
tried to get Hugh up to do the encore with him, but Hugh refused,
so Alexis went up alone.
All in all, I really enjoyed myself and I enjoyed seeing all of
the performers and seeing their interpretations of the
characters.
I dont like criticising any of the performers, as they are
all doing something that I can only dream about and I totally
respect them. So Im sorry to any of the performers I have
offended or anything, I didnt mean to, I think youre
great, if I didnt, I wouldnt keep going!
Sophie's review
I saw Notre Dame for the first time
on May 16th last year (2000) and thought that it was
excellent!
I saw Bruno, Daniel, Tina, Garou, Kate, Luck and Dean.
I had never been to the theatre before and I was dreading going,
it was a surprise but my mum slipped the secret on the way to the
show!
We sat in the front row B and I thought that it was
going to be rubbish.
The overture began and then it stopped and I heard the most
beautiful voice, and to my surprise a short man with long curly
hair was singing and I thought that this was about as good as it
was going to get but as the show went on I realize that it got
better!
During the interval I was looking through the program and thought
that the principal Phoebus didnt look as good as Dean
Collinson! The only thing that I thought was wrong with the show
was that the music was too loud and the voices too quiet!
I saw it the second time in June or July because I had done well
in some tests and I saw Bruno, Daniel, Tina, Ian, Kate, Luck and
STEVE!
I sat in row A seat 17, the show started, and I saw
Bruno and he sang better that before, he seemed more confident.
Then as Tina was singing Bohemienne, I saw STEVE and he was
really nice then he sang that little bit Beautiful why are
you here is it from heaven you appear? And I fell in love
with him!
I gave every singer a great big smile and I never got one back, I
then realized that its because they arent allowed!
In the second half as Bruno came up the stairs I looked straight
at him and he winked at me! When ever any singer sang a song it
felt like they were singing it to me and I felt special! At the
end my mum and me stood up and when Steve cam to the front to
take a bow he smiled at me!
I went out side after and wished I had taken my camera because
all the cast came out one by one and they seemed really nice
after I got Brunos autograph I saw Kate run straight past
me and she wouldnt sign any autographs!
The last to come out were Steve and Tina who looked like they
were going out somewhere so I didnt talk to them for long
and Tina had a really nice pashmina on and she was smiling at the
few people who had waited for her to come out! I walked up to
Steve and he gave me his autograph and smiled at me, as if he
recognized me from and hour before in the front row! Then my mum
embarrassed me completely and said, By the way my daughter
loves you!
He laughed and patted me on the back and gave me a sweet smile
where as I was nearly crying with embarrassment!
I went to see Tinas last show and that was Fabulous! Just
before the show started, we heard clomping footsteps and then a
lady laughing and run across the stage in bare feet! Tina gave
the best performance and sang brilliantly when she sang
Live. At the end, everyone got emotional, Tina had a
bit of a cry, and she went to the front of the stage where she
collected flowers from some people. I walked to the front as she
done that, before she got up to go and have her last bow, she
smiled at me, and I smiled back. When the all came to the front I
was standing in front of them and me and my friend gave Steve a
smile and the he winked and smiled at me like he did the last
time I had seen him!
We went to the stage door but a bodyguard said that the cast
wasnt coming out and that it was best that we left, when
all of a sudden Carl Abraham Ellis came out and had a few photos
and said goodbye to everyone as he was going on holiday to
Cyprus!
Overall Notre Dame was the best show I have ever seen!
Final Performance - 6th October 2001 |
Michele
The final show was fantastic.The atmoshere was incredible, a
great audience. As the music started there were screams and
hooters, everyone was determined to have a good time. David
Shannon was outstanding, as I have said before he is my favourite
"Gringoire" since Bruno Pelletier. Rohan Reckord was as
good as ever, "Cast Away" was excellent. Kate Pinell
was lovely, Camilla Bard was at her most impressive in "Ave
Maria" and the second act. Ian Pirie was quite simply
superb, a very emotional performance. Nick Pound has a great
voice and is the closest to my all time favourite, Fred Johanson.
It was my first time of seeing Mark Smith and altough he is not
as vocally strong as some of the other "Phoebus" his
acting was excellent. The highlights for me were: David and Rohan
joining in during "Belle" ,Rohan during "Cast
Away", Camilla's acting after "Clopin's death",
David's masterful rendition of "Moon", the fabulous
dancing throughout by these supremly talented dancers, Ian during
"God You Made The World All Wrong", the glitter dust
from the dancers and Ian's sublime singing of "Dance My
Esmeralda". Not forgetting how nice it was to see Mike
Scott, Mark Powell, Steven Judkins and Michelle Connolly joining
the rest of the cast for the extremely moving curtain call. I am
so glad I was there for this momentous evening. It was nice to
see so many fans at the stage door. I was lucky enough to meet
all of the cast,who were all charming.
I am a great fan of musical theatre but I cannot forsee ever
being so emotionally affected by a musical again. I wish all of
the cast and all of you good luck for the future.
Paul L
It was both an amazing night and a very sad night.
The Theatre was pretty full and the atmosphere was brilliant
every song ended with loud cheers and whistles.
Everyone was on top form and really gave it their all.
The show was pretty much the usual show, except for 2 amazing new
bits:
In "Belle", just as in the earlier Matinee performance,
the final verse was sung by the usual three, but Gringoire and
Clopin joined in all 5 sung in a semicircle at the front
of the stage around Esme simply electric! The other
new bit was in the final part of Dance
when all the floating Esmes showered glitter into the air
a brilliant and moving effect to end the show.
Then in the finale, for the last verse of Cathedrals,
all the alternates joined the cast on stage in full costume.
The final word goes to Camilla, who tonight performed the best
version of Live for the One that I have ever heard.
She, like the rest of the cast, both old and current, have given
us so much pleasure over the past 15 months, and really deserve
our thanks and praise.