[News Article Excerpt – Reporter Park Jung-sun, Dailian]
The French musical “Notre Dame de Paris” is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Korea with a French original tour, taking the stage at the Sejong Center’s Grand Theater for four weeks.
“Notre Dame de Paris” first debuted in Korea at the Sejong Center in 2005 with the French original tour, selling out every seat from the opening—a remarkable feat. Its 2006 reprise broke the attendance record set in 2005 and became a legendary overseas performance with the most spectacular record ever. Over the past 20 years, it has successfully presented six licensed performances in Korea, drawing in over 1.1 million cumulative audiences.
This 20th-anniversary tour will feature a blend of new cast members active on the world stage and original members, delivering a performance that captures the essence and deep emotions of the French original.
Angelo Del Vecchio and José Dufour will take the stage as Quasimodo, the character with a pure soul hidden beneath an ugly exterior. Elhaida Dani and Romina Palmeri will portray Esmeralda, the captivating gypsy woman loved by three men. Gian Marco Schiaretti, Flo Carli, and Eric Jetner will appear as Gringoire, the street poet and narrator of the play.
Furthermore, the role of Frollo, the archdeacon of Notre Dame, will be played by Daniel Lavoie, Robert Marien, and Solal. Jay and Mike Lee will play Clopin, the leader of the gypsies, while John Eyzen and Flo Carli take on the role of Phoebus, the captain of the guards, and Emma Lepine and Romina Palmeri will perform as Phoebus’s fiancée, Fleur-de-Lys.
“Notre Dame de Paris” is based on Victor Hugo’s timeless classic of the same name. Set in 15th-century Paris, it beautifully depicts human desires, prejudices, and societal absurdities through the tragic love story of Quasimodo, Frollo, and Phoebus surrounding Esmeralda. The work, composed entirely of music in a “through-sung” style, topped the French music charts upon release and has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide, achieving unprecedented success. Since its premiere in France in 1998, it has been translated into nine languages and performed in over 30 countries, with a global audience of over 15 million, making it a worldwide hit.
The Korean tour commemorating the 20th anniversary of the “Notre Dame de Paris” French original performance will be held at the Sejong Center’s Grand Theater from September 3 to 27.