The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Book, Music and Lyrics by Dennis DeYoung

Skylight Music Theatre: Artistic Director: Michael Unger, Executive Director: Jack Lemmon, Music Direction by Eric Svejcar, Choreography by Lisa Shriver, Orchestrations by Mike Morris, Original Scenic Design by Adam Koch, Lighting Design by Jamie Roderick, Costume Design by Alyssa Ridder, Sound Design by Chad Parsley, Production Stage Manager: Kate L. Ferdinandi

Production Photos by Mark Frohna

(Reviews below photos and videos.)

PROMO VIDEO

Feature Story on Dennis DeYoung

REVIEWS

BROADWAY WORLD, Kelsey Lawler

Epic HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stuns with Song at SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE

…the dots connect perfectly upon hearing what [DeYoung’s] created for Hunchback. It’s a rock-opera, full of power ballads and even a leading role that seems inspired by DeYoung’s own frontman tone. …staggering, extraordinary, and masterfully staged. The Skylight has outdone themselves with this season finale. When I say the Skylight has outdone themselves, it’s no exaggeration. The caliber of talent, of vocal power, of triple threats — I don’t know the last time there’s been a cast so thoroughly consistent at Skylight. Their shows and casts are always mighty good, but this one is superb. …the ensemble brings an astounding wall of sound, full of strength and charisma. Choreography… is a whirl of radiant color and life, filling the stage without ever feeling cramped. It’s a stunning achievement… a real gem of an experience and one you won’t soon forget.


MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, Jim Higgins
At Skylight Music Theatre, Dennis DeYoung’s ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ is a Spectacle of Powerful Singing
DeYoung’s “Hunchback,” directed by Skylight artistic director Michael Unger, has some DNA in common with old movies. It’s filled with spectacle… beautifully costumed and dramatically lit… Like the tunes he wrote for Styx… DeYoung’s songs for “Hunchback” hold nothing back emotionally.
On the day they met on a Chicago street in 1994, DeYoung and Unger talked about this musical. Nearly three decades later, they have made it a reality. I think they’re entitled to ring the bell until their arms get tired.


NEW CITY STAGE CHICAGO, Dennis Polkow
Michael Unger has served as a muse and lightning rod to set DeYoung’s creativity into overdrive in effectively addressing ambiguities and weaknesses of the narrative. This Skylight Music Theatre version is not only a spectacular all-new production, but much of the work has been reconsidered and reshaped. A well-assembled and powerful cast and ensemble that bring [the songs] off stunningly… These extraordinary artists need to record this score. This was my first-ever experience of Milwaukee’s sixty-three year-old Skylight Music Theatre. But if the extraordinary excellence of what Unger has done with DeYoung’s “Hunchback” is any indication of what is to follow, it won’t be my last.

URBAN MILWAUKEE, Dominique Paul Noth
Skylight Soars With ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’

The driving, long-held and modulated notes with hints of choral harmony – delivered by a large cast and a topnotch hidden orchestra with synthesizers… create a landscape of sound that mesmerizes the audience for the first two hours as the character interactions unfold.

…enormous set pieces have been loaded in to simulate the bells, looming doors, revolving scaffolds and one huge stained-glass window of Notre Dame… the spotlights weep in unison with the audience. Technically, this is an impressive job. Unger has kept the focus and the pace on his wonderful lead singers, whose sheer power to enthrall make a trip to the Skylight until June 12 essential. You will seldom hear singing this good.

SHEPHERD EXPRESS, Harry Cherkinian
‘The Hunchback’ Sings in Skylight’s Production of Dennis DeYoung’s Musical

There are plenty of terrific songs and top-notch performances given the new musical version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame which opened at Skylight Music Theatre last weekend. DeYoung has written some memorable songs that echo long after the cathedral bells have stopped ringing and the curtain has come down… perfect casting…

Stunning set designs of the cathedral bells, gorgeous multi-colored stained glass and religious artifacts… coupled with… brightly colored costumes give Hunchback a multi-faceted sheen of beauty that dazzles yet also hides the emotional darkness within.

Dennis DeYoung and Skylight Music Theatre have given this “hunchback” the chance again to be heard from the rafters and beyond.

RYAN JAY REVIEWS

With this show, the Skylight has risen to a level that is so beyond next. It is better than some of the Broadway tours I have seen. I want *this cast* to record the songs. DeYoung’s music is instantly infectious and memorable, some worthy of radio play, many standing out as needing to be heard again… If I were able to be a Tony Awards voter, I would definitely recommend DeYoung for a nomination. This is a show which, if you miss, you will regret it.

THIRD COAST REVIEW
Tragic Hunchback Is Grand Finale to Milwaukee’s Skylight Music Theatre Season

…vibrant characters, superb singing, elegant swordfights, endless dancing, elaborate sets and costumes, and a seven-piece orchestra that sounds twice its size. There’s an “epic” quality, a sense of grandeur and history about this musical, which suggests comparisons to Les Miserables… This is a monumental, bold and skillfully mounted effort by Skylight. While some area theaters are still regaining their footing after pandemic closures, this show puts Skylight fully back in the spotlight.

GWENDOLYN RICE

There is nothing small about Skylight Music Theatre’s season finale production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, written and composed by former Styx star Dennis DeYoung and directed by Skylight’s Artistic Director Michael Unger. In fact, every bit of it is enormous, from the huge set and the monstrosity of the villains, to the outsized emotion that fuels the non-stop power-ballads… a musical that is as ambitious as Les Miserables and sounds like a cross between Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar and a… stadium concert of the 1980s.