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Sanctuary Choir in Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the spring I was approached by the owners/producers of the Spotlight Theatre in Moline with a proposal to music direct another show there (after assisting with their production of Bring It On in 2025) and have the Sanctuary Choir be involved as well. The show is The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a favorite of the Spotlight Theatre since it was the first show they ever produced after converting the former Scottish Rite building into a community theatre in 2018. Uniquely, this musical features a separate offstage choir, in addition to the cast and ensemble onstage. This makes it a difficult show to produce, one almost necessitating a partnership with an established choral ensemble.

I was intrigued: the choir has enjoyed taking on occasional projects outside of our walls in the past and has benefitted from community exposure; I also knew it would be disruptive to our fall schedule. So, I took the proposal to the choir to gather feedback, and they were just as intrigued as I was! We agreed to take this on and began rehearsing some of the music right away. Official rehearsals began in August, with a choir augmented by community members who sang in the much smaller choir in the first production and by people who auditioned for the show in the summer (a HUGE number of people auditioned, but only so many could be in the cast). This has been a great bonding opportunity for the choir, and a great way for other singers in the Quad Cities to get to know us as well.

Though the original Disney movie on which the stage version is based (though expanded to be more accurate to Victor Hugo’s very non-Disney plot) includes some choral moments, the choir in the stage version is highly involved. Functioning at times like a Greek chorus reacting to events on the stage and at other times like the cathedral choir chanting and singing sacred music in Latin from the balcony, composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz utilize the choir heavily. Much of the music is at a high level of difficulty, including the near-virtuosic Entr’acte and the Verdiesque finales both to Act I and Act II. The choir has worked hard the past few months preparing and perfecting this music, and we have had a great time in the process.

The cast onstage is also full of immense talent. Two of the leads are reprising the roles they portrayed eight years ago, and two in the onstage ensemble are returning as well. But with the entire cast’s level of dedication to the text and emotional connection to the story, everyone seems naturally fitted to their part. And it’s not always true in a theatre not my own, but this cast has been a joy to coach and collaborate with.

The set and lighting design are visually stunning, as well. Director Brent Tubbs has done a great job bringing his larger-than-life vision for this huge production to fruition in a way that is beautifully engaging and visually and aurally stunning to

audience members of all ages. Three performances and countless rehearsals in, I am not yet tired of the show. And if you need further incentive, reviews from the River Cities Reader and QuadCities.com have been highly positive!

The show opened last weekend, but you have three more opportunities to attend performances and witness this beautiful story: Friday and Saturday (October 16-17) at 7pm and Sunday (October 18) at 2pm. Tickets are available at the box office or in advance at the theatre’s website: https://www.thespotlighttheatreqc.com/.