“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a powerful story of love, acceptance and hope for a better tomorrow.

The Sullivan Theater’s upcoming musical adaptation of the animated Disney film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” by Alan Menken, is directed by LSU PhD candidate for sociology Heath McNeese. This classic tells the story of Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral and his longing to experience the outside world.

Though the stage adaptation shares the basic plot with the original Disney film, its content and overall retelling of the story is markedly darker, drawing on many thematic elements from the original novel by Victor Hugo. The musical production is also set apart by the impressive set design, lighting and music.

“‘Hunchback’ is a huge show, and people who have seen it usually see it in a theater with a huge stage and lots of audience seating, so the spectacle of the set is really big for ‘Notre Dame,’” McNeese said.

The Sullivan Theater was originally a karate studio and eventually turned into a theater, complete with professional lighting, sound systems and auditorium seating 125 people. Because the theater is relatively new, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a big leap in production size and scale.

“It’s the biggest show we’ve ever done,” Freneaux said. “This is kind of our proof of concept of how big a show we can do in this space.”

This huge production is matched by the equally-large volunteer base behind it. Each sector of production, including set building, costuming and sound and lighting design, is run by its own team of volunteers. Freneaux estimates that the number of volunteers who have contributed to this show, excluding actors, is about 50.

The costuming department has done in-depth research into the traditional apparel of the Romani people featured in the musical to maintain a level of respect for the culture and avoid creating a romanticized caricature. The director’s desire to pay homage to traditional Romani culture also extends to choreography, drawing heavily on traditional Romani dance, as well as casting itself.

“It was also really important to cast a woman of color as Esmeralda,” McNeese said. “That was a non-negotiable, because we did want to have that bit of respect paid towards a people and a culture that has received a lot of insensitive portrayals over time.”

Ashari Harper, a sophomore at LSU double majoring in theater and communication studies, has roots in theatre dating back to early childhood.

Harper has been a part of many productions since then, including the LSU Musical Theater Club’s 2024 spring musical “Little Shop of Horrors” and the School of Theatre lab show “The R and J Project.” However, Harper feels that the role of Esmeralda, a Romani woman whose path is irrevocably woven into those of the male leads, is very true to her, not only in their shared willfulness and independence, but also in her intrinsic identity.

“I can relate to her a lot,” Harper said. “Not only when it comes to being a minority as a woman, and just as a Black woman in general. I understand what it feels like to be, for the sake of the show, an outcast.”

Her ability to relate to Esmeralda helped Harper get into character easily; however, this is far from the only way the actors prepare for their roles.

Matthew Walker has been acting for less than a year, with his debut performance in Sullivan’s April 2024 production of “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Fallen Souffle.” Walker draws on something he is much more familiar with to get into the mindset of Phoebus, a soldier back from war.

“I’m huge into music, so I’ll curate a playlist that basically kind of surmises who Phoebus is as a person,” Walker said. “I really cope with music, so I’ve been using a lot of curated playlists to really hone in on who that is.”

There are bound to be challenges in any production. The scale of this show, with the massive amount of work going into the set, costumes and performance, lends itself to being particularly exhausting. IT professional Scott Mitchell, who plays the hunchback Quasimodo, acknowledges the hard work that is required of each and every cast and crew member.

“I guess the biggest challenge is just knowing that it is going to be exhausting at times, and to not let that make you feel like you’re not putting in that effort,” Mitchell said.

Despite this, everyone involved in this musical feels that the production has been overwhelmingly rewarding.

“This is an amazingly talented group of actors and the production team,” Frenauex said. “It’s just been a big community effort. This feels as much like community theatre as anything we’ve ever done.”

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” will have showings March 14-23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sullivan Theater, located at 8849 Sullivan Road, Baton Rouge. Tickets can be purchased here.