After MARY POPPINS, Vereinigte Bühnen Wien is bringing another Disney success production to the Ronacher: Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME celebrated its Austrian premiere on October 8, 2022. After the famous novel by Victor Hugo and based on the Disney film of the same name with a great, Oscar-nominated score, the legendary musical composer and 8-time Oscar-, 11-time Grammy- and Emmy Award- Tony Award-winner Alan Menken (among others. "Sister Act", "Beauty and the Beast", "Pocahontas") together with songwriter and three-time Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (among others "Wicked", "Cursed" and "Schikaneder" in Vienna) a fascinating musical adaptation of the highly emotional story about the bell ringer "Quasimodo" and the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame.
Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME promises an extraordinary and highly moving musical experience for young and old with all the unforgettable songs of the world-famous film. This impressive musical adaptation captivates not only with its Oscar-nominated, opulent music featuring large church choirs and live orchestra, but also with Scott Schwartz's lavish and powerful staging. The successful play performed after many international productions, including in the USA, Berlin and Tokyo, for the first time in Vienna at the Ronacher in 2022 and 2023.
The musical tells the story of Quasimodo, who grows up shielded from the rest of the world in the bell tower of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. When he sneaks into the annual Feast of Fools, he gets into trouble. Only the pretty Esmeralda stands up for him. When she is targeted by the evil Archdeacon Frollo, Quasimodo rescues her und hides her in his church tower. Look forward to the touching story about love, longing and passion and a highly emotional musical evening.
The orchestra of the Vereinigte Bühnen Wien played under the direction of Michael Römer.
(in German with English Surtitles | Age rating: from 10 years)
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On Saturday the time had finally come: Disney's THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME celebrated its Austrian premiere at the Ronacher! The fascinating musical based on the world-famous Disney film with Oscar-nominated film music can finally be seen in Vienna.
Abla Alaoui completed her training at the Joop van den Ende Academy and was engaged for the role of Mary Robert in SISTER ACT in Oberhausen before she even graduated. This was followed by the European premiere of Frank Wildhorn's BONNIE & CLYDE, for which she created the role of Bonnie. Abla made her Vienna debut in MOZART! at Vereinigte Bühnen Wien, where her roles included Cover Nannerl. Further engagements took her to the Frankenfestspiele as Betty Schaefer in SUNSET BOULEVARD, as well as to the Theater des Westens, where she was engaged again for the role of Mary Robert in the tour production of SISTER ACT, and at the same time to the Stadttheater Bielefeld, where she made a guest appearance as Trix in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Afterwards she impersonated the role of Sarah (Cover) in DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES in Vienna, among others. This was followed by Lisa and alternately Sophie in the German, Austrian and Swiss tours of MAMMA MIA! as well as the role of Jenny in the Austrian premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ASPECTS OF LOVE in Vienna. Her most recent performance was as Charlotte Buff in GOETHE! at the Bad Hersfeld Festival in summer 2021.
Martin Berger was born in Vienna and trained at the Music and Arts Private University of the City of Vienna. After graduating, he moved to Germany where he was a member of the original cast of LES MISÉRABLES in Duisburg playing Enjolras/Jean Valjean. Other roles included Chris in MISS SAIGON and Graf vonKrolock in DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES, both in Stuttgart. At the Cologne Musical Dome, he appeared in the first ever German-language production of the Queen musical WE WILL ROCK YOU in the role of Khashoggi. Also in Cologne, he played Edna Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY and Sir Bedevere/King Arthur in SPAMALOT. After returning to Austria, he has appeared as Henry Higgins in MY FAIR LADY, Carl Hanratty in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (Kammerspiele der Josefstadt), Khashoggi in WE WILL ROCK YOU and Old Deuteronomy in CATS. His most recent appearances include the part of Josef Mauer in Hans Werner Henze’s opera ELEGY FOR YOUNG LOVERS, directed by Keith Warner, Max von Mayerling in SUNSET BOULEVARD, and Serge in the stage drama ART. Previous Ronacher productions he has appeared in include THE PRODUCERS (as Max Bialystock), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, THE BIG BANG, SISTER ACT (as Joey) and most recently DON CAMILLO UND PEPPONE.
Since 2009 Dominik Hees has taken on numerous leading roles in musicals, such as. Georg in the German language premiere of FRÜHLINGS ERWACHEN/Ronacher; the title role in BUDDY - DIE BUDDY HOLLY STORY/Colosseum Theater Essen; RumTum Tugger in the European tour of CATS; Link Larkin in HAIRSPRAY/German Theater Munich; Clifford Bradshaw in CABARET and Berger in HAIR at Gärtnerplatztheater/Munich; Henry in the German premiere of NEXT TO NORMAL/Stadttheater Fürth; Frank N. Furter in ROCKY HORROR SHOW/DomplatzOpenAir Magdeburg; Helmut Rahn in the world premiere of DAS WUNDER VON BERN/Hamburg; Lukas Beineke in the German premiere of THE ADDAMS FAMILY/Zeltpalast Merzig; Che in EVITA/Staatstheater Darmstadt; Charlie Price in the German premiere of KINKY BOOTS/Operettenhaus Hamburg; Justin in the premiere of STILLE NACHT/Felsenreitschule Salzburg; Joe Gillis in SUNSET BOULEVARD/Stadttheater Bozen as well as Lancelot in ARTUS EXCALIBUR, Mariolino in DON CAMILLO & PEPPONE, Pascha Antipov/Strelnikov in DR. SCHIWAGO at the Tecklenburg Open Air Festival.
Thijs Snoek was born in Mijdrecht in the Netherlands and was already seen as a child in THE SOUND OF MUSIC as Kurt and Friedrich. In 2020, he graduated in musical theater from the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg, where he received lessons from Edward Hoepelman, Marc Krone, Ad Knippels and Daniëlle Waijers. Even before his studies, he played the role of Roger in the Dutch and Flemish tour of GREASE - THE MUSICAL produced by Stage Entertainment Netherlands in 2015 and appeared on stage as Gremio in KISS ME, KATE at the Staatstheater Darmstadt during his studies in 2019. Thijs Snoek also works as a voice actor for TV series and movies in the Netherlands.
Alex Snova began his training at the National Institute of the Arts in Havana, Cuba and continued at the Vedado Drama Academy in Havana. As a dancer and singer, he has toured with numerous shows, including LE GRAND BALLET DE CUBA - HAVANA TROPICAL in France and Russia, and TROPICANA DE CUBA in Spain. He was a soloist with the Santiago Alfonso Dance Company, one of the most prestigious show companies in Cuba and also appeared as a dancer in the film "Ester en alguna parte" by Cuban director Gerardo Chijona. In Spain he performed in the show OJALÁ before coming to Hamburg, where he has already performed on stage in Disney's ALADDIN and as Angel, Cover Simon Senior and Cover Referee in KINKY BOOTS, among others. For the latter show, he also served as Assistant Dance Captain. More recently he was seen in the role of Anna in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR as well as in I AM FROM AUSTRIA as Cover Pablo García and in the ensemble at the Raimund Theater.
Born in Hamburg, he has appeared in many musicals in German-speaking countries. Among the most important roles are: Marius in LES MISÉRABLES in Berlin; Maxim de Winter in REBECCA and Colloredo in MOZART! at the Raimund Theater; Raoul in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and Crown Prince Rudolf in ELISABETH in Essen, Jesus in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR/u.a. at the VBW; Kerchak and Mr. Clayton in Disney's TARZAN in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Oberhausen; Dracula in Frank Wildhorn's DRACULA/u. a. at the Landestheater Detmold; Baron von Geigern in GRAND HOTEL at the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich; Tony in WEST SIDE STORY/ a. at the Thunerseespielen; Lanzelot in CAMELOT at the Freilichtspiele Tecklenburg; Thomas Andrews and Barrett in TITANIC/ a. at the Stage Theater Neue Flora, Hamburg. At the Musical Summer Winzendorf, he was on stage in 2019 as Garcia in Frank Wildhorn's CARMEN. At the Opera Magdeburg he will embody Athos in 3 MUSKETIERE in the season 2019/20. In addition, Lucius Wolter works as a musical director, among others for the Joop van den Ende Academy, Aida Cruises, the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, or for teatro in Vienna.
Quite deliberately, after consultations with the Roma and Sinti community, we have chosen to keep the term »Gypsy« in the text of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, but to mark it with quotation marks. The reason for this is that under the title »Gypsies«, Roma and Sinti, among others, were already persecuted and murdered before and during the Middle Ages. We do not want to make this historical fact invisible by removing the word pointing to it – rather, it should be shown and pointed out. We explicitly point out that »Gypsy« is a foreign term under which more than 500,000 Rom*nja and Sinti*zze were murdered under National Socialism.
