PERFORMANCE REVIEW: Show fuses rock opera, silent film

RICHARDSON – Great works of art call out for new interpretations. That's the case with Vox Lumiere's fascinating rock opera The Hunchback of Notre Dame, performed Saturday night at the Eisemann Center.

New Sounds of Silents
The Los Angeles Times

In the hands of composer Kevin Saunders Hayes, old films mixed with live performances become a unique art form.

Kevin Saunders Hayes stumbled onto his future in a bin at a discount surplus store. He was haunting temples to serendipitous thrift because he was moonlighting as a music writer for humble productions in 99-seat theaters in New York.

Hunchback rings a bell!
The Los Angeles Times

"... absolutely riveting..."

New sounds of silents

The brainchild of creator-composer Kevin Saunders Hayes, Vox Lumiere (Latin and French for voice and light) is an ambitious production company that fuses original music and live performance with famous silent films -- in this case, the 1923 classic starring Lon Chaney.

How friggin' cool is that?
Phillylist.com

When Phillyist heard about Vox Lumiere The Hunchback of Notre Dame, we thought it sounded way cool. The 1923 silent film, projected above a stage, with live musicians and singers and dancers performing along with it. How friggin' cool is that?

Artist Enhances Silent Film for a New Generation
The Daily Breeze

"Vox Lumiere will join Cirque du Soleil and Stomp as other one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences that audiences crave!"

Lon Chaney was the original "Man of 1,000 Faces." With a few jars of makeup, some putty, false teeth and a wig, the movie star could become anyone.

Kevin Saunders Hayes Modernizes Metropolis
La Dauphine Libere

The Opera Theatre of Avignon welcomed the advance European premiere of the Fritz Lang film "Metropolis" - rejuvenated by Kevin Saunders Hayes' musical and vocal accompaniment. A masterpiece!

Rock for Hugo
La Provence

"The synchronization and harmony of the images, voices, and music reach a rare perfection. "

With his musical creation for "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Kevin Saunders Hayes energetically delivers the generous ideas of the writer.

The Phenomenal Music of Hunchback….
La Provence
"... magnificent! Throughout the ninety-three minutes, everyone's eyes are riveted to the spectacle, lead beat by beat without the slightest moment of dead time."

Monday evening, the American composer Kevin Hayes gave his orchestrated version of "Hunchback of Notre Dame," the 1923 film. Hard rock and sweet at the same time, a modern day opera.

Lon Chaney is Quasimodo. 2001: Kevin Hayes and his brilliant musicians and singers gave life to the music score that reawakens the film. Phenomenal…

New Music for a Work of Art [hide]
La Provence

American composer Kevin Hayes revives the musical score for Metropolis, Fritz Lang's 1926 masterpiece of silent cinema.

Last night The Avignon Opera House presented the advance European premiere of Metropolis, featuring the music of Kevin Hayes, following the success of the American screening at the New York Film Festival.

"…the dynamic group rocked the sold-out house…"
ScienceFiction.com & Talkin' Broadway

ScienceFiction.com recently co-sponsored (along with Cult Movie Magazine) The Silent Movie Theatre's Sci-Fi week. The Silent Movie Theatre is the only theater in America showing silent movies on a regular basis.

"…an intense experience not soon forgotten…"
www.TalkinBroadway.Org
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Have you ever seen an arena show in an intimate theatre? It puts you on sensory overload - the music is too loud, the lights are blindingly bright, and there is certainly no subtlety in the performances. At the same time, the sort of raw emotional power that would be playing to the back row of the second balcony (if there were one) is hitting you full-force for an intense experience not soon forgotten.