Join us exclusively from 6 to 11 February 2025 at the National Palace of Culture, Hall 1.
The Bulgarian audience will have the opportunity to experience the renowned songs "Belle," "Danse mon Esmeralda," and "Le temps des cathédrales" performed in French. In February 2016, it was announced that the creators were reviving the original version of the musical. The world premiere took place later that year at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, where it enjoyed tremendous success, with performances running for eight consecutive weeks and tickets selling out months in advance.
"Notre Dame de Paris" stands as the quintessential example of the unparalleled success of French musical theater on the global stage. The French version set a record for ticket sales in its first year, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records. The iconic song "Belle" was celebrated as the best song of the twentieth century in France.
"Notre Dame de Paris" is a legendary French-Canadian musical created by Riccardo Cocciante and Luc Plamondon, inspired by Victor Hugo's classic novel. Since its premiere in Paris in 1998, the production has captivated over 12 million people worldwide. Over its 20-year history, the musical has sold more than 11 million CDs and DVDs and has been performed over 5000 times in 20 countries. The play has been translated into nine languages.
The original production of the musical Notre Dame features 200 tonnes of set pieces, transported across venues in seven megatrailers.
Luc Plamondon is one of the most celebrated French-speaking librettists and songwriters. His passion for musical theatre was ignited in 1969 after seeing the Broadway production of Hair, leading him to pursue this art form as his true calling. In 1978, in collaboration with French composer Michel Berger, Plamondon created his first musical, Starmania, which earned him four Félix Awards. His work on the play Sand and the Romantics was particularly significant, as it marked the birth of the creative partnership between Plamondon and Riccardo Cocciante—a collaboration that would go on to captivate France and the world in 1998 with the musical Notre Dame de Paris. Plamondon continued to compose the lyrics for this groundbreaking work.
In his youth, Riccardo Cocciante developed deep passion for opera and classical music. He soon formed his own band, "The Nations," and began teaching himself piano in his spare time. After several years of experimentation, Cocciante embarked on his first solo album, which he recorded in Italy in 1972. In 1994, he released the album "Greatest Hits," a compilation that reflected more than two decades of his musical journey. The following year, he collaborated with Plamondon on the album "Present Moment." Their partnership reached its zenith with the creation of the musical based on Victor Hugo's novel Notre Dame de Paris.
A multi-disciplinary artist renowned for his work as an actor, stage director, professor, choreographer, and film director, Gilles Maheu has distinguished himself as one of the foremost stage directors in Canada and internationally for four decades. Through his company, Carbon 14, he has brought his visionary productions to over thirty countries and has been honored with more than forty prestigious awards. Notably, he received acclaim for his creation of the play Dead Souls in 1996 and directed the film Skin, Flesh and Bones in 1995, which garnered the esteemed award at the Montreal International Film Festival. For his direction of Notre Dame de Paris, Maheu was awarded the Best Stage Production accolade in both Canada and Italy.
In Amsterdam, where he was already celebrated as a dancer and figure skater, Martino Muller pursued his training as a choreographer. His initial triumph in this new role came through a collaboration with the Karlsruhe Ballet in Germany. Muller has since crafted choreography for esteemed institutions such as the Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon, the Berlin Opera, the Croatian National Ballet, the Stuttgart Ballet, and the Ballets of Gothenburg, Basel, and Bern, as well as the Theatre of Lucerne and the Opera House of Israel. "Notre Dame de Paris" marks Muller’s debut choreographic work for a musical, earning him the Canadian Theatre Award for Best Choreography for a Musical.
A graduate of the Lyon and Strasbourg Schools of Fine Arts, he has crafted sets for numerous opera houses both in France and internationally. His designs include productions such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Child and the Enchantments and Benvenuto Cellini. At the Lausanne State Opera, he has contributed to Dido and Aeneas, The Story of a Soldier, and Werther. His work at the Mezière Theatre in Switzerland includes The Papal Coronation, Eugene Onegin, and The Magic Flute.
For thirty years, Alain Lortie has passionately devoted himself to his craft. He embarked on his career collaborating with renowned Canadian artists such as Michel Lemieux, Marie Chouinard, and Edouard Locke. Additionally, he has crafted lighting designs for celebrated performers in Quebec and Europe, including Jean-Pierre Ferlan, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Peter Gabriel, Francis Cabrel, and Eros Ramazzotti. Alain's exceptional work has earned him numerous accolades, including the title of "Light Score Creator of the Year". He has been honored with the Golden Mask Award for his lighting design in Dead Souls and the prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Award in Toronto for his work on Oedipus Rex.
This eagerly anticipated French version of the musical will grace the Bulgarian stage, featuring some of the finest artists and dancers from around the globe. Hiba Tawaji, a rising star from Lebanon, was specially invited to portray Esmeralda in the Paris premiere. As a finalist on the French edition of The Voice, Hiba has already achieved notable success with two highly acclaimed solo albums. Angelo Del Vecchio, known for his performances as Quasimodo in both English and Italian, takes on the role of the hunchback once more. The iconic role of Frollo was brought to life by the legendary Daniel Lavoie at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, a Canadian pop sensation renowned for his original portrayal. This updated version of the musical is directed and choreographed by Gilles Maheu, celebrated for his innovative productions both in Canada and internationally.
