Stepinac High School’s Acclaimed Drama Club Announces Cast for Regional Premiere Production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”

Archbishop Stepinac High School’s acclaimed Drama Club has announced casting for its regional premiere production of “The Hunchback of Notre Name” which will be staged at the school’s Major Bowes Theater during five performances, April 28-May 7.

Freshman Jeremy Fuentes of Mahopac will play the lead male character of Quasimodo in the musical based on the Victor Hugo classic.

Senior Anthony Pietrolongo of the Bronx will portray Archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo; Senior Marc DeSanctis of Ossining will play Captain Phoebus; Gabbie Sansone of Mohegan Lake and a senior at Lakeland High School, will portray Esmeralda and sophomore Peter Astriab of Yonkers will play Clopin.

They are among the 60 students comprising the entire cast. The male roles will be performed by students from the all-boys Stepinac and female roles by young women from neighboring high schools. Five performances will be staged at Stepinac, 950 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY, at 7:30 p.m., April 28, 29, May 5, 6 and at 2 p.m., May 7. Ticket prices are $22 and $18 for seniors and children under 12. To order tickets, call 914 946-4800, Ext. 200. For more information, send an e-mail: theatre@stepinac.org.

Based on the 1996 Disney film and inspired by the 1831 novel of the same name the musical begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be "Out There," observes all of Paris. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though – the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies led by Clopin – and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Peter Parnell. It will be Stepinac’s third regional premiere in recent years, following Mary Poppins in 2014 and Billy Elliot in 2015.

Since 1949, the school’s Drama Club has won critical acclaim for its productions of fall dramas and spring musicals. It has also won international recognition by performing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The productions have nurtured the talents of many young students at Stepinac. Some went on to greater fame including Academy Award winner Jon Voight and Emmy-Award winner Alan Alda.

About Archbishop Stepinac High School

The mission of Archbishop Stepinac High School is to offer young men of the Archdiocese of New York a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that is unique to the Stepinac experience. For more information, visit www.Stepinac.org.