The King’s Academy’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame in April was not only a theatrical triumph, but also an inspiring collaboration with Disney Executive Studios to produce and premiere the amateur stage adaptation of its well-known 1996 animated film.
TKA’s superb cast combined brilliant acting, dramatic vocals, and large chorus and dance numbers to present a sensitive account of Victor Hugo’s novel that engaged audience members on an emotional level.
“The story was so beautifully crafted and displayed in new and fresh ways,” Disney representative Brian Turwilliger said. “I believed in what was happening. I didn’t feel manipulated or coerced to believe this tale of the bell ringer because I sincerely felt that I was in the tale. The trueness of the storytelling swept me away to another realm of existence.”
Disney will begin preparing The Hunchback of Notre Dame to be produced on hundreds of school and amateur stages across the country, just as they did in 2000 with their TKA collaboration of Beauty and the Beast.
The King’s Academy is continuing its pursuit of excellence in the arts with an impressive schedule for the 2013-14 school year. Productions will include a fall play, the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw, better known by its musical version, My Fair Lady; a fall middle school musical production of The Wizard of Oz based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 novel; a spring black box theatre production of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott; and a spring high school musical production of The Phantom of the Opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is sure to be another hugely successful year for performing arts at TKA.
The King’s Academy is a nationally recognized, private Christian school serving approximately 1,200 students from preschool through 12th grade. The King’s Academy serves students and their families across Palm Beach and Hendry counties. More information is available online at www.tka.net.
ABOVE: Bernie Pino as Quasimodo in a scene at the Feast of Fools.
