On May 7, young actors with astounding voices, stunning dance moves and sound acting skills filled the stage at Dun Guzepp Zammit Brighella Boys Junior Lyceum Hamrun for this year's Prize Day. The school staged a Maltese version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a musical directed by teachers Mr Stephen Buhagiar, Ms Roberta Parnis and Ms Claire Falzon, who was also in charge of the choreography.
The musical, translated by Mr Tano Monseigneur, was a close rendition of the Disney version of Victor Hugo's novel. The Hunchback was played by Catalin Azzopardi while Neil Abela played the gypsy, Esmeralda.
The musical started with the jester, Clopin, played by Brian Borg, recounting how the Hunchback came to be confined inside Notre Dame Cathedral from infancy. Flashbacks were exquisitely presented through the dancers' manipulation of flowing black material.
The Hunchback's first appearance was a scene showing him as a young man wondering about life outside the Cathedral. His thoughts and wishes, voiced through his hilarious gargoyle pals Victor, Hugo, and Laverne, played by Glen de Leonardo, Dario Bezzina and Jurgen Manicolo, lead him out of the solitary safety of his tower, venturing out to find his first true friend, the gypsy beauty Esmeralda.
The set, designed and constructed by art teachers Mr Mark Micallef, Mr Carmelo Bonello and Ms Audrey Cardona, included large stained glass works depicting Notre Dame itself, both from the inside and outside as well as scaffolding constructions representing the Cathedral's belfry, home of Quasimodo. The scaffolding was provided by Mr Joseph F. Spiteri & Co. of Kee-Klamps.
Quasimodo's cruel master was played by Kyle Sammut whose scene "Hell Fire" also proved to be one of the most memorable. The songs were brilliantly sung by Elman Avallone, Dario Bezzina and Brian Borg, directed by Ms Josephine Ebejer Grech, who also wrote the lyrics and arranged the music.
Ms Josette Mifsud took care of the costumes, together with Mr E. Sultana and parents, while Mario Abdilla and Mr Manwel Borg were in charge of sound and lights during the performance.
Teachers chose this musical this year considering that this critically acclaimed Disney masterpiece is an uplifting, thrilling story with a heart-touching message that emerges from the comedy and song. Quasimodo, the most unlikely of heroes, fights to save the people and the city he loves and, in turn, helps us to see people for who they are, rather than how they appear.
After the performance, the head of school, Mr Godwin Zammit, gave a brief administrative report during which he referred, among other things, to the very good results obtained by the Lyceum students in the SEC examinations.
Prizes were presented by Ms Salvina Muscat, Assistant Director of Education.