The Slavens of Notre Dame

Unless you've seen his Monday night improv act at Dan's Silverleaf, you wouldn't guess from Paul Slavens' deadpan delivery as DJ of KERA's 90.1 at Night what an odd sense of humor he has, though the jarring transitions between songs by, say, Ted Nugent and Bongwater hint at a great appreciation of the absurd and the dramatic. And "absurdly dramatic" is an apt description for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Maybe that's what drew him to the film. At the Texas Theatre a few months back, I witnessed as he and a cast of rock and experimental musicians scored the 1923 Lon Chaney version live with an improvised soundtrack heavy on shrieks, ominous minor-key keyboards and sound effects, and I was certainly not alone in appreciating how much the soundtrack upped the popcorn-tossing fun of the film. This time, Slavens will score the 1939 version 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Palace Theater, 300 S. Main St. in Grapevine. Whether he works alone or with guests, the spectacle is not to be missed. Tickets are $15 to $20. Call 817-410-3185 or visit grapevinetexasusa.com.
Fri., Oct. 30, 7:30 p.m., 2009