Dennis DeYoung's musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Dennis DeYoung

Premiered: September 3, 1997 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Tracks: Song Title [time] Who Will Love this Child [4:22] King of Fools [4:37] Hey Quasimodo [3:28] By the Grace of God [1:53] When I Dance for You [3:53] Ave Maria [4:32] Alms for the Beggarman [4:06] Paradise [3:15] Bless Me Father [3:14] With Every Heartbeat [5:29] Beneath the Moon [4:16] While There's Still Time [3:59] This I Pray [3:40] Esmerelda [3:28] The Confrontation [3:32] Sanctuary [1:37] With Every Heartbeat (Reprise) [2:57] All songs written by Dennis DeYoung. Total Running Time: 62:00 The Players: Dennis DeYoung, Dawn Marie Feusi Candlish (lead vocals) Dennis DeYoung, Ed Tossing (musical performance and arrangement) Suzanne DeYoung, Carrie Ann DeYoung, Gary Loizzo, Forbes Candlish (backing vocals)

Rating: 2.681 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

About the Album: Dennis DeYoung’s theatrical leanings emerged when he was in Styx, especially on 1981’s Paradise Theater and 1983’s Kilroy Was Here. Some fans and even bandmates weren’t crazy about that aspect of DeYoung’s music and it was even a contributing factor to the band’s breakup in 1984. He himself acknowledged, “if you’re in rock ‘n’ roll, you’re not supposed to admit to liking theatre stuff,” PB but, he continues, “Styx was always a theatrical band…[and] essentially I’m a melody person in a rhythm age, and that’s what Broadway is really about.” PB He dove in full steam when he took on the role of Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar in 1993. He said, “after months of crucifying across America I thought I might really be suited to this medium.” PB It sparked him to record an album of showtunes (1994’s 10 on Broadway) and to start writing his first musical – an adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He wrote the score, book, and lyrics and called it his “greatest accomplishment as a songwriter.” DDY DeYoung recorded an early homemade demo of the score for his personal use, but enough people expressed interest in it that he made it available for commercial release by money order at at concession booths at Styx concerts. PB He performed all the male parts while his sister-in-law Dawn Marie performed the female parts. It was first performed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1996 at TPAC’s Polk Theater. DDY In Lisa DuBois’ review of the show, she says it “solidly translates Hugo’s tale of the lecherous priest, beautiful gypsy, and ridiculed hunchback into an exciting, if grandiose, musical” VY that is “perhaps more extravagant than profound.” VY She commended DeYoung’s use of strings and accordion in the gypsy music and adaption of church tones into Ave Maria and Bless Me Father. VY Most of the songs were written specifically for the musical, but Beneath the Moon was a re-worked version of a song originally on DeYoung’s 1989 Boomchild album. There are also two songs here that were later reworked as Styx songs. Paradise was “lyrically altered and re-recorded by Styx and released as a studio track on Styx’s Return to Paradise double live album.” WK Styx also re-recorded While There’s Still Time for their 1999 Brave New World album.

Resources and Related Links: DDY DennisDeYoung.com PB Playbill.com (10/21/1996). “Dennis DeYoung Writes Hunchback as Stage Musical” by David Lefkowitz VY Variety (9/15/1997). “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” review by Lisa A. DuBois WT WTTW Chicago Tonight interview with Dennis DeYoung WK Wikipedia First posted 6/7/2021.

Dennis DeYoung released Boomchild this month

May 1989:

Boomchild Dennis DeYoung

Released: May 1989 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] Click for codes to singles charts. Beneath the Moon [4:42] The Best Is Yet to Come [4:15] What a Way to Go [4:45] Harry’s Hands [4:52] Boomchild [4:56] Who Shot Daddy? [4:33] Outside Looking in Again [5:23] Won’t Go Wasted (DeYoung, Rob Friedman) [4:20] All songs written by Dennis DeYoung unless noted otherwise.

Rating: 2.641 out of 5.00 (average of 11 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Dennis DeYoung’s third solo album didn’t come anywhere close to the singer’s glory days with Styx. In 1984, his single “Desert Moon” was a top-10 hit and made it look like he might do just fine. Three more singles hit the Billboard Hot 100 – “Don’t Wait for Heroes” from Desert Moon and “Call Me” and “This Is the Time” from Back to the World in 1986. However, DeYoung never hit the pop charts again as a solo artist. The Boomchild album didn’t chart either. The failure of the album caused his label, MCA Records, to drop him. He wouldn’t release another solo album until 1994 – and that was a collection of Broadway songs (10 on Broadway) that showed how far he’d moved away from his initial rock base. The album was largely a collection of forgettable songs, but it wasn’t without its charms. The title cut showcased DeYoung’s ever-present inclinations toward reminiscing, but did so via an upbeat track that trod similar territory as Billy Joel’s #1 hit “We Didn’t Start the Fire” from later that year. The highlight of the album is Harry’s Hands, a song which found DeYoung working the sentimental balladry vein that served him so well with top-10 hits with Styx such as “Lady,” “Babe,” and “Don’t Let It End.” However, this one isn’t a love song like those. Instead, DeYoung crafts a tribute to the working man: “Harry’s hands are all he’s got / 8 to 5 in the welding shop. / Barely finished junior high / Took a job at the tool and die.” Harry endures union strikes, unemployment, and factory’s shipping work overseas, but refuses charity, asking just for a job to save his dignity. All the while his patriotism remains intact: “Harry’s hands keep holding on / Harry’s heart keeps on beating strong / Born and raised in the promised land / He still believes that Ameri-can.” Also worthy of note is the album’s lead-off track, Beneath the Moon. Once DeYoung let his theatrical leanings loose, he crafted the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame in 2003. It consisted largely of new songs written by DeYoung, but also contained a reworked version of “Beneath the Moon.”

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia First posted 6/7/2021.