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Finleyville resident to star in ‘Hunchback’

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The 2016-17 season at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Midland, Beaver County, will come to an end with the premiere of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” during performances Friday through Sunday and June 23-25.

The production, based on Victor Hugo’s acclaimed gothic romance novel, sets the tale of love, hope and compassion to a sweeping score. It is the only stage collaboration between Alan Menken of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” and Stephen Schwartz of “Wicked” and “Pippin.”

“Our production of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ really represents the best of what Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center offers,” said Justin Fortunato, show director and Lincoln Park artistic producing director. “It is an intergenerational cast that includes Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School students, alums and resident artists, along with working Equity actors that is unlike anything we’ve done this season.

“It is also a production that fans of live musical theater can expect to see more of next season at Lincoln Park.”

The cast features Zach Mendola of Finleyville in the role of Quasimodo in his final performance as a Lincoln Park student. Mendola was seen this past season in the roles of Shrek in “Shrek the Musical” and the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera.”

“Senior year has been one of the busiest times of my life. However, this show is so epic and tells such a compelling story of passion and hope that it would draw anyone into it,” Mendola said. “Playing the role of Quasimodo alone attracted me to the piece.

“Quasimodo is actually very human and very relatable. Watching his story intertwine with the rest of the world brought me to tears, and I knew that, in any capacity, I wanted to be a part of this show.”

Mendola will be attending the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in the fall with a concentration in musical theater.

“Lincoln Park has been an incredible experience from top to bottom,” he said. “I’ve learned so much in my years here and have been so blessed.

“Every experience on this stage is not only a blessing, but it’s a learning opportunity and a stepping stone to bettering myself through performance. I’ve learned that the talents that people share on stage are truly a gift, and we are so lucky to be able to show the world what we have.”

In addition to Mendola, the cast of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” includes several top Broadway musical theater actors and Pittsburgh area favorites. In the role of Dom Claude Frollo is veteran Tim Hartman, following appearances on Broadway in “A Tale of Two Cities” and the Tony nominated “Finian’s Rainbow.”

Making his Lincoln Park debut as Phoebus De Martin is David Toole, who was most recently in the title role of “Tarzan” for Pittsburgh Musical Theater and Jim in CLO’s “Pump Boys & Dinettes.”

“This production of ‘Hunchback’ really demonstrates the mission at Lincoln Park and how it doesn’t end after six years of training at the charter school,” Fortunato said. “We want to share their talent, bring students back and include working professionals that the students can learn from.

“This is a true intergenerational cast, and the show will take audiences to a different world, something they have not quite seen or experienced at Lincoln Park.”

Peformances begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and June 23 and 24, and 2 p.m. Sunday and June 25. Tickets are $20, $18 and $15 and are available by calling 724-576-4644, option 2, or online at www.LincolnParkArts.org. Special opportunities for groups also are available.

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