Not many of us are bound for France this year, but we can still escape to 1482 Paris during the gothic era to dive into a musical drama with Davis Musical Theatre Company’s production of Disney’s “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.”

Based on the Victor Hugo novel, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and book by Peter Parnell, the story is about two worlds. In one world we see life in the church which provides sanctuary to those who need protection and in another world we see the gypsies who must roam from place to place and perform or steal to survive without a permanent home. Throughout the show, the audience is forced to question who is good and who is wicked. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a tale about making decisions and the ways each character develops with every choice made.

The story starts with two orphaned brothers, Claude Frollo (Nathan Lacy) and Jehan Frollo (Django Nachmanoff), who are taken in by the church. Claude follows the rules and quickly rises through the church patriarchy. Jehan chooses pleasure and is banished along with his forbidden gypsy love. A small deformed child is born of their union, and when the baby’s parents die, Claude takes him in to be raised in the church. He names him Quasimodo (Erik Catalan) and hides him away in the bell tower all alone. Isolated from all other humans but Claude, Quasimodo is given the duty to ring the deafening bells.

As a result, he becomes mostly deaf. His only “friends” are the eight stone gargoyles who speak freely with him when he is alone. His favorite day is when the gypsies come to town for a special festival where they are permitted in Paris without threat of death, and for the first time we see Quasimodo get the courage to defy his uncle and venture out of his tower.

Lacy commanded the stage and was the character you love to hate. He was torn by his moral compass as head of the church and caretaker to Quasimodo, and his carnal desires for Esmeralda. Why was God tempting him so? Even though he played the tortured villain, he convinced us that at least early in the story, he truly cared for and wanted to protect his nephew. Every role I have been fortunate to see him in has been powerful and convincing.

Catalan transformed before our eyes into the Hunchback, to dwell among the gargoyles and ring the famous bells, which I happily noticed actually moved when he rang them! His body language said much, even though he rarely spoke. His singing was beautiful and from the heart as a contrast to the ugliness of his appearance. His solo song, “Out There,” and the group songs, “Flight Into Egypt” and “Made of Stone,” were very moving.

The physical demands of the role were challenging, and Catalan also conveyed curiosity, bravery, and the ability to learn and love. I enjoyed the gargoyles much more this time around, as the director’s decision to make them more animated and visible to the audience than in the 2019 production. Each gargoyle had its own delightful character to play!

Arrin Graham as Esmeralda was delightful and stunning. She captivated us with her exotic dance “Rhythms of the Tambourine” and songs “Top of the World” and “God Help the Outcasts.” She was a true Disney Princess.

Andy Hyun played the sinister gypsy king Clopin Trouillefou. He shined along with the ensemble with exciting dance numbers like “Topsy Turvy” and “Court of Miracles”. We loved the addition of the ballet featuring Hyun and Elizabeth Perez, which was elegant and got applause with every beautiful lift. Also notable was J. Sing as Captain Phoebus, who at first reminded me of Gaston but later transformed into a much kinder character as the play progressed. His duet with Graham in “Someday” was incredibly moving. Additionally, I must give a shout-out to Nachmanoff, who seemed to be everywhere in multiple roles!

Lastly, the ensemble really made this show alive and fun to watch. There was great singing, dancing, and acting with everyone giving it their all! The costumes were all appropriate, but I would have preferred gargoyle tunics to reach the ground. The choir had the difficult role of chanting all that Latin, but their harmonies were quite haunting and beautiful. The large seventeen-piece orchestra really enhanced the experience with beautiful music throughout.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a tale about making decisions. Each character develops with every choice they make. And so the story reminds us to look inside ourselves before assuming things about the people we meet. Do we believe stereotypes, do we harshly judge those who look different than us? Do we truly listen and learn what heavy burdens are being carried around? Would we blindly follow the law or choose compassion for those who are struggling? This is truly a dark yet powerful show that you won’t forget. Director Steve Isaacson, music director Kyle Jackson, and choreographer Logan Sexton brought this show to life, doing it very well.

Shows run now through July 13, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets available at DMTC.org.