HILLSBORO — Up next in Myers Dinner Theatre’s 2019 season will be the The Hunchback of Notre Dame, opening at 6:30 p.m. Friday, and running through Aug. 4. From the Academy Award winning team of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz comes a lushly scored retelling of Victor Hugo’s epic story of love, acceptance and what it means to be a hero.
Based on the Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Composer Alan Menken and Lyricist Stephen Schwartz. Peter Parnell’s book embraces story theatre, and features verbatim passages from Hugo’s novel. As the bells of Notre Dame Cathedral in 15th-century Paris sound, Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be “Out There,” observes all of Paris. Held captive by his devious caretaker, Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and is treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. As Quasimodo, Frollo and the handsome Captain Phoebus all vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies — and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all. A sweeping score and powerful story make The Hunchback of Notre Dame an instant classic that will sweep audiences away by the magic of this truly unforgettable musical.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame will be directed by MDT artistic director Jeremy Littlejohn, choreographed by Sarah Philabaum of Maryland, who recently directed Mamma Mia!, with music direction by John P. Blair of Crawfordsville. The cast features an ensemble of talent composed of both fresh and familiar faces, including MDT alumni Griff Bludworth of Cincinnati, Hannah Bullock of Indianapolis, Katherine Clemons of South Carolina, Liz Daily of Hillsboro, Preston Dildine of Crawfordsville, Benjamin Paul Elliott of Anderson, Martin Flowers of Nappanee, Sarah Hayes of Iowa, Jason Ryan Wallace of Lafayette, Edmund Castle of Union Mills as Quasimodo and Jacob Medich of Walkerton as Dom Claude Frollo. Rounding out the cast will be Damien Martin of Avon, Jeffrey Oakman of Florida, Jonathan D. Krouse of Pennsylvania as Phoebus de Martin and Antoinette Holman-Nebinger of Iowa as Esmeralda, all of who are making their MDT debut.
There are weekday and Saturday matinees seating for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and curtain at 1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday evening performances seat for dinner at 6 p.m. with curtain at 8 p.m. and Sunday twilight with seating for dinner at 5 p.m. and curtain at 6:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 765-798-4902, ext. 2, or by visiting our website at www.myersdt.com. Performance dates vary, so consult the online calendar for show dates and times. Theatre prices are $39 for dinner and theatre, $28 for students (ages 4-18), and show-only for $26. Prices do not include taxes and handling fee.
The remainder of the 2019 season includes Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Driving Miss Daisy and A Christmas Carol Musical. Group pricing and bus parking are also available.
Myers Dinner Theatre is located at 108 Water St., Hillsboro, and the facility is handicap accessible.