Tuacahn's The Hunchback Of Notre Dame Is Now Open (Review)

Tuacahn's preview night for The Hunchback of Notre Dame took place last night, July 15th, in front of a large audience. Just driving in to Tuacahn is magical. That canyon is gorgeous. As locals, we forget how different and interesting and beautiful our red rock canyons are.

Just driving in to Tuacahn

The show was great and everyone seemed ready for the preview night. There were no hiccups or stops during the performance. There are significant differences between Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" animated film and the subsequent stage musical adaptation.

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One thing that is somewhat the same, is the amazing music. ♪ ♫ ♪ It gave me chills in the 112° temps. It was so blasted hot that it only cooled down to about 96° by the end of the show at about 11:15pm.

This is how hot it still was at 9:45 that night! Excessive Heat Warning in Effect.

Both the animated film and the musical feature music composed by Alan Menken. He has done most of the music for Disney animated films in the last 34 years starting with The Little Mermaid. The stage musical features additional songs and some reprises not found in the film. These new songs help to develop the characters and enhance the storytelling.

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Disney's animated film, released in 1996, maintains a family-friendly tone with some dark undertones. It largely follows the original Victor Hugo novel's plot but alters some elements to make it more suitable for a broader audience.

Tuacahn looks great at night too! This is a shot during intermission. ♥

The stage musical adaptation, which premiered in 1999, embraces a darker and more mature tone. It delves deeper into the complex themes present in Hugo's novel, such as social injustice, moral ambiguity, and religious fervor. The musical's tone is more reflective of Victor Hugo's original work than the animated film. My kids were really struggling to stay still and quiet with the pace of the story and deep character development.

Many visitors from all over the world makes you need signs like this one in the Tuacahn restroom.

The conclusion of the animated film differs from the stage musical. The film offers a more optimistic and traditional Disney-style ending, while the musical retains a darker and more ambiguous conclusion, which is closer to the original novel's tone. It was a sad ending, yet hope remains.
Overall, while both Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" animated film and the subsequent musical adaptation share the same source material and some basic plot elements, the musical is darker and may not be the perfect fit for your younger kids.