(The set suddenly lights up again, this time with all the trappings of a celebration. Pierre appears, frantically gathering up all of his actors/actresses for his morality play. All of the public officials get settled in. Unfortunately, the crowd gradually begins to grow restless and they start with their own various antics. The music from the episode "I'm mad" from the Animaniacs cartoon begins to play. Jehan, easily recognizable by his resemblance to Claude except for being younger and a lot less serious about life, shoves his way to the front of the crowd to address Pierre.)

Jehan:

Start the play! It's late!

It's twenty minutes after eight!

I'm not here to watch you stand around

I want to see a show right now!

Get up there on that stage

Before we're all bored into a rage

I could have had three drinks

If I'd have known you'd all stand around and blink!

Esmeralda: (to Clopin) No, I can't!

Clopin: What's your problem?

Esmeralda: He's warned me once already, I'll be arrested!

Clopin: No, you won't.

Esmeralda: Yes, I will!

Clopin: Don't exaggerate!

Esmeralda: I'm not!

Clopin: You'll be all right.

(The crowd's noise gets louder.)

Esmeralda: I think there's going to be fight!

Clopin: (Spoken) Don't change the subject!

(He grabs her chin to force her to look at him.)

Esmeralda: Will you get out of my face!

Clopin: Go and make their blood race! You have a job to do and I won't take no for an answer!

(Pierre senses that the crowd cannot wait any longer and signals the play to start. Esmeralda is safe for the time being from having to dance—she breathes a sigh of relief, especially since she's in a cathedral.)

Pierre: Is he here yet?

The wayward cardinal,

This is awful!

The day's got a wretched start!

The crowd is restless

They don't appreciate

All the thought I've put

Into this play!

My nerves are rattling me apart

And my stomach's in a knot!

(Jehan boos enthusiastically. Claude makes a face and yells at him to be quiet, but his cry is swallowed up by the less than amused crowd. The cardinal makes an appearance, but the cathedral has drowned in chaos.)

Jehan:

I'm mad, I'm mad!

I'm really, really mad!

I could have spent my time elsewhere-

Claude: (glares) you mean drunk?

Jehan: Don't give me that stare!

Claude: Why haven't you been to class lately?

Jehan: Someone stole my book!

Claude: All three of them?

Jehan: Well…

Claude: You sold them!

Jehan: No, I didn't! Not exactly!

Pierre: (addressing the cardinal that just arrived)

I can't get their attention.

Cardinal: just try it

(now addressing crowd) will all of you be quiet?

I forbid any one of you from speaking another word!

(He takes his seat and everyone else sits down.)

Claude: (thoughtfully)

Every year the Feast of Fools

Is always just the same!

With the drinking and the fighting

And all of these ridiculous games!

There's the pushing and the shoving

And all these sinful things

And by the time the sun goes down

I absolutely want to scream!

(Pierre has absolutely no luck with capturing the crowd's attention. Clopin chooses that moment to make an appearance as a beggar with some scary-looking rash on his arm.)

Clopin:

Spare a coin for

This poor beggar!

Could you share

A little extra?

Please?

This rash is painful

Really itchy!

Quickly spreading!

Help me get a cure!

(Pierre smacks his forehead. Esmeralda decides she's had enough and steps out of the cathedral. At this point, we know that Claude has been too busy seething at Jehan to notice that she was there. She begins to dance and the gypsies flock outside to start making music. Within a matter of seconds, he loses the entire audience.)

Pierre: (spoken in a pathetic, tearful tone) Come back! …There goes my supper…

Jehan:

We're out! We're out!

Thank God, I want to shout!

Now, let's get down to the most important part!

Give the King of Fools a crown!

Come, ugly faces, come on down!

You'll be a king until the sun goes down!

Let's get started right away!

(Music plays as the men show their faces to the crowd. The crowd boos at them and throws various foodstuffs, but it's all in good fun. Then, everyone goes quiet after Quasimodo is seized and thrust to the front.)

Jehan: There! Let's crown this one the king.

(He puts the jingling fool's cap on Quasimodo's head, gives him the cheap scepter, and helps him into the chair. The crowd hoists the chair up and Quasimodo waves and laughs. He's clearly having the time of his life. Esmeralda takes advantage of this distraction and begins to gather up her coins. Unknown to her, Joseph has spotted her.)

Joseph: (scowls) Guards! Seize her!

Esmeralda: (yelps and protests, but can't get away. The stage darkens as Sybl makes an appearance.)

Sybl:

We'll leave the streets where the sun always shines

For the shadow of Notre Dame…

Up the dark stairways to that distant tower

The mystery of Notre Dame…

Claude is a very curious man

He could never choose between

His two loves; science and God…

Claude: (spoken) I'm sure that the element is fire…but how to separate it? (Mumbles and writes something down.)

What need had he for the arms of a woman?

His work was his mistress for years

But to his chagrin, his mind is wandering

When her tambourine shakes in his ears…

He feels only a flicker of what might transpire

Once as straight as a church spire

But now poor old Claude's heart is on fire

Inside of Notre Dame….