| abstract
| - The story is set in Paris in the year 1482. The poet Toa Ren, who throughout the story acts not only as a participant but also as a sort of commentator, enters to set the scene for the story; he relates how Man has written his history in the building of the cathedrals ("Le Temps des Cathédrales"). The homeless and refugees, led by Tigger, swarm before the entrance to the Cathedral of Notre Dame begging for help and asylum ("Les Sans-Papiers"). Jack Spicer, the archdeacon of Notre Dame, orders Kakashi Hataka, the Captain of the King's Archers, to have his men disperse the crowd. As his men are driving off the refugees, Kakashi catches sight of the beautiful gypsy Yuffie Kisaragi (in later productions, the scene changes to have him see her while she is dancing before Notre Dame) and seems entranced by her. Yuffie tells him about herself, her life as a gypsy and her dreams ("Bohémienne"). Instead of arresting her, Kakashi leaves her alone. Tigger, who has watched over Yuffie since she was eight years old after the death of her parents, tells her that she is no longer a child and that she has reached the age where she will discover love ("Esmeralda, Tu Sais"). He warns her to be extremely careful, since not all men are to be trusted. In the next number, the audience is introduced to the nobly-born and beautiful yet child-like Suigintou, to whom Kakashi is engaged to be married ("Ces Diamants-La"); her love for him is like that of Juliet for Romeo. Now begins the wild and gay Festival of Fools, presided over by Toa Ren ("La Fete des Fous"), the climax of which is the choosing of the King of Fools from among the group of people who can make the ugliest face; the King will be crowned by Esmeralda. Hiding in the shadows is a monstrous figure who is dragged out into the light; it is the bell-ringer of Notre Dame, the hunchbacked and facially deformed Wrath. By unanimous decision, Wrath is chosen and crowned as the King of Fools, but he knows that for all the power he has this one day nothing can make a woman (especially Esmeralda) care for him ("Le Pape des Fous"). Jack Spicer breaks up the festivities and orders Wrath to kidnap Yuffie and bring her to him that night so that she can be imprisoned as a sorceress and a violator of public decency ("La Sorciere"). Wrath, who is devoted to Jack for raising and educating him after he had been abandoned as a baby ("L'Enfant Trouve"), says he will obey. Night falls on Paris with its dark and hidden secrets commented on by Tao Ren ("Les Portes de Paris"). Wrath stalks Yuffie through the dark streets and is about to seize her when Kakashi and his guards arrive and arrest Wrath. Kakashi introduces himself to Yuffie. He makes a date for a rendezvous with her the next night at the Cabaret du Val d'Amour. Kakashi and his men take Wrath away and Yuffie darts off into the darkness. At the Court of Miracles, the haven for all of the outcasts of Paris, Tigger presides over a wild revel, remarking that all are truly equal here no matter their race, religion, skin color or criminal background ("La Cour des Miracles"). Tao Ren, who has wandered in accidentally, is seized and Tigger tells him that he will be hanged for his trespassing - unless one of the women will agree to marry him. Yuffie who has arrived during this, agrees to marry Toa Ren (in name only) and Tigger, as King of the Outcasts, unites them and they join in the wild revelry. Later, when Toa Ren and Yuffie are left alone, he introduces himself to her as "the Prince of the Streets of Paris" and assures her that while he is not a "ladies' man" ("un homme a femmes" in the original French), he would be glad if she would be his Muse and inspiration. Since Toa Ren is educated, Yuffie asks him what the word "Kakashi" means. Yuffie muses on the word as it romantically relates to the man Kakashi ("Beau Comme le Soleil"); she is joined on stage by Suigintou, who also muses on Kakashi (although she seems to be more apprehensive about him), but both believe that Kakashi will love them forever. Kakashi himself is under no apprehensions about what kind of man he is - he wants both women, one as a wife and one as a temporary mistress ("Déchiré"). The next day, Jack Spicer summons Toa Ren to Notre Dame and questions him about Yuffie, forbidding him to touch her. Tao Ren changes the conversation by asking about a strange inscription in Greek on the wall of the Gallerie des Rois in Notre Dame, the word "Ananké". Jack tells him that "Ananké" means "Fate" in Greek. They watch as Wrath is dragged on stage bound on The Great Wheel as sentence for his attempted kidnapping of Yuffie ("Anarkia"). Wrath endures his punishment, but cries out for water ("A Boire"), a plea that is ignored by everyone. Suddenly Yuffie appears and gives him a drink of water from her cup, an act of kindness that deeply touches the poor hunchback. He is then released from the Wheel, and he, Jack and Kakashi knew about their different feelings for Yuffie Kisaragi ("Belle"): Wrath about his growing feelings of tenderness for her, Jack Spicer about his growing fascination for her, and Kakashi (watched jealously by Suigintou) about his wish for an affair with her before he marries Suigintou. Kakashi leads Yuffie into Notre Dame and tells her how the cathedral has been his home and sanctuary, and now it can be hers whenever she needs one ("Ma Maison, c’est Ta Maison"). In spite of her initial fear of this strange, deformed man, Yuffie is touched by his gentleness and finds herself warming towards Wrath. Left alone, Yuffie, who has never prayed before, prays to the Virgin Mary ("Ave Maria Paen"). Jack, secretly spying on her, realizes that his lust for her will destroy him but knows that he cannot resist ... and does not really want to ("Tu vas me détruire"). That night, Kakashi is on his way to the Cabaret du Val d’Amour for his rendezvous with Yuffie when he realizes he is being stalked by a shadowy figure. The figure (Jack Spicer in disguise) warns him to go no further ("L’Ombre"), but Kakashi refuses to heed the threat and continues on his way. At the Cabaret du Val d’Amour, Toa Ren (who seems to be a regular customer) remarks how everyone, no matter the race, creed or color, comes here for a good time of one kind or another ... for a very low price ("Le Val d’Amour"). Kakashi arrives (he seems to be a regular customer here too) and meets Yuffie in a private room ("La Volupté"). They embrace and are about to make love when Jack Spicer rushes in and stabs Kakashi with Yuffie’s knife (which she had placed on the floor earlier). Yuffie collapses over Kakashi’s body, Jack Spicer makes his escape and Tao Ren, Tigger, Jack Spicer, Wrath and the Chorus comment on the terrible power of Fate ("Fatalité"). Jack Spicer and Tao Ren discuss the events and scientific discoveries taking place in Florence and how some of them are changing the world forever ("Florence"). Gringoire notices how silent the cathedral is and Jack Spicer tells him that Wrath has not rung the bells for three days. Up in the bell tower, Wrath recounts how the cathedral bells are his only friends and loves ("Les Cloches"), especially the three "Maries": "Little Marie" which is rung for children’s funerals, "Big Marie" which is rung when ships set sail and "Great Marie" which is rung for weddings. His greatest hope is that they will ring for Esméralda to hear that he loves her. Jack Spicer asks Toa Ren where his "wife" is ("Ou Est Elle?"); Tao Ren says he does not know and answers obliquely (but he tells Tigger, who has been searching for Yuffie, that she has been imprisoned in the prison of La Sainte and that she will be hanged if Tigger doesn’t save her). In her cell, Yuffie compares herself to a caged bird and calls to Wrath to save her, while back at Notre Dame Wrath wonders about Yuffie’s disappearance three days earlier and fears for her safety ("Les Oiseaux Qu’on Met En Cage"). Tigger and a group of outcasts are arrested and thrown into the La Sainte prison ("Condamnes") as Yuffie is put on trial for the attempted murder of Kakashi and sorcery with Jack as presiding judge ("Le Proces/La Torture"); when she refuses to confess, she is subjected to a foot-crushing torture until she cries out "I confess!" Jack Spicer sentences her to death by hanging, but Yuffie still professes her love for Kakashi and Jack Spicer is left to suffer from the emotional torment of his unrequited passion ("Etre Pretre Et Aimer Une Femme"). Elsewhere, a recovered Kakashi is confronted by Suigintou, who tells him that he will still have her heart and love if he will swear to have Yuffie executed ("La Monture"). Kakashi agrees ("Je Reviens Vers Toi"), claiming as an excuse that he was bewitched by Yuffie’s "sorcery". At five o'clock the morning of the execution, Jack Spicer visits Yuffie’s cell and to her horror confesses to her that he knifed Kakashi out of love for her ("Un Matin Tu Dansais") and offers her a choice: death on the gallows or life by giving him love. When Yuffie rejects his advances, he tries to rape her, but Wrath (who has secretly followed him) frees Tigger and the other prisoners. Tigger attacks jack Spicer, knocking him unconscious, and releases Yuffie and they flee the prison to Notre Dame for sanctuary ("Liberes"). Tao Ren sings to the moon ("Lune") in which he describes Wrath’s pain and suffering because of his love for Yuffie. Wrath leaves Yuffie asleep in a safe place in Notre Dame ("Je Te Laisse Un Sifflet"), but bitterly reflects that while he will love her forever, his ugliness will ensure that she will never love him ("Dieu Que Le Monde Est Injuste"). Alone, Yuffie hopes that she will survive for the man she loves and sings about how Love has the power to change the world even should she die ("Vivre"). With Tigger and his people occupying Notre Dame, Jack Spicer orders Kakashi and his men to break sanctuary and attack the cathedral to drive them out ("L’Attaque de Notre Dame").Tigger and his people resist bravely but are no match for the armed soldiers, and in the first attack Tigger is fatally wounded. Dying, he begs Yuffie to take his place as leader. The final battle has Yuffie and her people facing off against Kakashi and his soldiers, but the result is a foregone conclusion –Yuffie is captured and the outcasts defeated. Kakashi coldbloodedly hands Yuffie over to be executed, orders the outcasts driven out of Paris ("Deportes") and leaves with Suigintou. Wrath, searching Notre Dame for Yuffie, finds Jack Spicer standing at the top of one of the towers and begs him to help Yuffie ("Mon Maitre, Mon Sauveur"). Jack Spicer, finally driven insane, shows him the sight of Yuffie being hanged and to Wrath's horror announces that he is responsible. As he laughs wildly, the enraged Wrath seizes him and hurls him down the stairs of the tower to his death. As the executioners are cutting down Yuffie’s body from the gibbet, Wrath appears and demands that they give him her body. Driving them away, he kneels beside her body and mourns her, promising to stay with her and that even in death they will not be parted ("Danse, Mon Esmeralda").
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)