Celebrating a decade since its first Korean premiere in 2005, the French cast of the famed novel-turned-musical, “Notre Dame de Paris,” has returned to Seoul, doling out unforgettably stellar performances of song, dance and even some acrobatics.

Not to be confused with the Disney remake, the musical production is based on the eponymous novel by Victor Hugo, with music by Riccardo Cocciante. Without delving too much into spoiler territory, the musical’s storyline is actually gritty and dark at its core – suffice to say there’s no Walt Disney fairytale ending in this version.

However, this tale of love and heartache is not just another clichéd love triangle tale; rather, it is more about the complex internal struggles of a love rectangle
Set in the backdrop of 1482 Paris, the musical follows the life of a young and irresistibly beautiful gypsy girl named Esmeralda. Her allure and charm captures the hearts of countless men, including the physically deformed hunchback Quasimodo -- who was harshly crowned as the ugliest man in all of Paris -- and the sinfully sly and soon-to-be-married Phoebus. The free-spirted Esmeralda even manages to conjure up forbidden lustful feelings from Frollo, the priest of the Notre-Dame cathedral.

The hit musical does not skip a beat as it is very action packed throughout, with an almost Cirque du Soleil-meets-musical feel -- from the uprising of Paris’ repressed citizens to the emotional struggles of each of the characters. And with virtually zero spoken dialogue, the musical is one medley after the next, featuring more than 50 songs in its two acts.