The Hunchback of Notre Dame

by Greg PratoOne of the reasons why Dennis DeYoung and the rest of Styx had a falling out during the late '90s was the singer's desire to move into a more theatrical direction. But theatricality was always a love of DeYoung's, as evidenced by Styx's bombastic Kilroy Was Here presentation, as well as a stage musical production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame that the singer assembled in 1997. DeYoung sounds in fine voice throughout the CD version of the presentation (which he released himself), especially on such tracks as the set opener, "Who Will Love This Child." However, upon hearing the fabulously titled "Hey Quasimodo" you can instantly detect why DeYoung's preferred style was bound to clash with the more hard rock-minded Tommy Shaw and James Young. That said, if any rock vocalist was made for Broadway-esque material, DeYoung is the leading candidate, as evidenced throughout the bombastic The Hunchback of Notre Dame.