Renowned as one of the "Four Great Musical Masterpieces" alongside Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Cats, the French Musical Notre-Dame de Paris is scheduled to be staged at the Meixi Lake International Culture and Arts Center Grand Theater in Changsha from June 26 to 29 with five performances, marking the final stop of the musical's 2025 China tour. As part of the "Elegant and Charming Hunan" high-art performance series, this production will bring an artistic feast to local audiences through its exceptional production quality and stagecraft, further promoting the popularization of classical art.
Adapted from Victor Hugo's literary masterpiece of the same name, the musical portrays the intertwined fates of the gypsy girl Esmeralda; Archdeacon Frollo; Captain Phoebus; and the bell-ringer Quasimodo. Their stories form a poignant tragedy exploring themes of beauty and ugliness, good and evil, love and hatred.
The musical completely eliminates dialogue, instead weaving scenes together through 55 stylistically diverse and melodically stunning songs—a record-breaking number for a musical. Iconic tracks such as "The Age of the Cathedrals," "Beauty," and "Bohemian Girl" have gained widespread acclaim. The stage design is equally bold and innovative, featuring breathtaking "parkour-style" acrobatics where performers climb barehanded and hang upside down from heights, vividly recreating the conflicts of the original novel.
The original French-language version of Notre-Dame de Paris is a classic musical, sweeping across music charts and setting box office records worldwide. Since its premiere in Paris in 1998, the musical has captivated global audiences, achieving sales of over 30 million albums and nearly 10 million DVDs, and earning numerous international awards. It is widely celebrated as the pinnacle of French musicals and a cultural icon of France.
The inclusion of the musical in the "Elegant and Charming Hunan" program by the Publicity Department of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee highlights efforts to enhance Sino-French cultural exchanges and foster an increasingly vibrant international arts environment. To date, the number of international Class-A performances scheduled for Changsha in 2025 has surged by approximately 40% compared to last year, covering high-level art forms such as musicals, symphonies, and contemporary dance. The growing enthusiasm for performances is helping Changsha become a "Capital of Art and Culture."
This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.