"Hunchback" musical to close Feb. 17

Must Close February 17th. Don't miss this fabulous show... reviews below... we need your support... thanks, Gary Lamb, Crown City Theatre Company

The Tolucan Times Review
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame Sings of Love”Jan 23,2008 by Mary Mallory
The Crown City Theatre Company’s excellent production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” packs an emotional wallop as it dramatically presents a tale of love, obsession, and sacrifice. Filled with strong songs and writing by Gary Lamb and William A. Reilly, the show features superb singing and acting by a strong cast
The Hunchback of Notre Dame” presents the lovely gypsy girl Esmeralda (Amy Bloom), who is desired by Pierre (Chris Kolb), the manipulative Phoebus (Derek Knight), and the devious archdeacon Claude (Vsev Krawczeniuk), while being truly loved by the Hunchback Quasimodo (Bill Mendieta). It reveals that true beauty is gentleness and character, not attractiveness or power.
Acting and singing are first rate by the small cast. Bloom and Mendieta give expressive, heartfelt performances, and both Kolb and Krawczeniuk possess dynamic voices. Lamb and Reilly’s songs seem influenced by Stephen Sondheim in their brooding nature, dark humor, and often minor keys. Lamb’s lighting and Dean Cameron’s costumes add visual punch to the story.
An entertaining, emotional story full of fine acting and singing, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” reveals the true, sacrificial nature of love.

The Crown City Theatre Company presents
“The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 7 PM, through February 24
at St. Matthew’s Lutheran GLBT Church,
11031 Camarillo St. in North Hollywood.
Admission is $20.
Call 818-942-6684, or visit www.crowncitytheatre.com for information or reservations.

PASADENA WEEKLY REVIEW
"Thte Hunchback of Notre Dame" By Leigh Kennicott
The story of Quasimodo, the monster with a heart of gold, was originally an 1831 novel by Victor Hugo that has become a perennial favorite. The 1939 movie is a classic, while Disney’s “Hunchback” brought the story to children in 1997.
Now Crown City Theatre, the summer Shakespearean company performing at Levitt Pavilion in Memorial Park, has relaunched its award-winning musical in — what more appropriate setting? — a church.
With original music by William A. Reilly and book and lyrics by Gary Lamb, this version relies heavily on the music to tell the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quasimodo (Bill Mendieta), a ward of the church who uses the principle of sanctuary to save members of the Parisian underclass, including the beautiful gypsy dancer, Esmeralda (Amy Bloom).
Lamb’s libretto emphasizes the torment of Archdeacon Claude Frollo (Vsev Krawczeniuk), whose desire for Esmeralda causes him to violate his religious vows, thus pitting him against his ward, Quasimodo. The clear villain becomes Phoebus (Derek Knight), the cad who beds and leaves Esmeralda and coldly pledges to wed a noblewoman despite his many amorous affairs.
Director's Lamb and Thomas W. Ashworth have brought together a compelling and talented ensemble of singers. The voices are uniformly strong, from Mendieta and Bloom in their title roles, to Rachel Howe in multiple personas. Lamb’s staging makes full use of the cathedral setting, with the actors marching down the center aisle in a ritual of pomp and circumstance, or Quasimodo appealing to the crowd from the choral balcony. What’s more, Lamb and Ashworth use a clever combination of sight and sound to replicate the Hunchback’s famous bell-ringing sequence.
Traditionally structured, “Hunchback” features several key songs, including “The Tangled Web of Love,” “The Gardener’s Song,” and the duets and finales in both acts one and two. The lyrical “Heart of Stone” threads through the action and scores as an outstandingDean Cameron's colorful costumes are often enough in themselves to bring a scene to life.

Excerpts from L.A. WEEKLY REVIEW by Neal Weaver
There's something enduringly touching about the hopeless love of the hideous, deformed bell ringer, Quasimodo (Bill Mendieta), for the beautiful Gypsy girl Esmeralda (Amy Bloom), who misguidedly loves Phoebus (Derek Knight), the caddish captain of the guard... quite moving. Mendieta, with the assistance of an eloquent, knobby mask created by Joanne McGee and Lamb, achieves genuine nobility. This rendition, directed by Thomas W. Ashworth and Lamb, is more concise and stripped down than the production 12 years ago... solid performances by Alissa-Nicole Koblentz and Melissa Bailey.

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