TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The classic French musical "Notre Dame de Paris" will be staged in two cities at once in Taiwan for the first time.

Based on Victor Hugo's novel, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "Notre Dame de Paris" the musical made its debut in France, in 1998. Since then it has been performed in 17 countries and translated into eight languages.

UDN Fun Life, the organizer behind the musical, said the production team chose Taiwan as the first stop on its 20th-anniversary world tour, in 2018. More than 10 million tickets sold out on the first day of that tour, UDN reported.

"Notre Dame de Paris" will be the first Western musical to take place at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying) and Taipei Music Center. The show will go ahead in southern Taiwan on May 19 and return to Taipei on May 28.

UDN said the Canadian singer Daniel Lavoie, who has taken the role of the archdeacon in the musical since its debut, will return to Taiwan. His last performance here, in 2019, was very memorable for audiences as he was able to hold a high-pitched note for 17 seconds.

Meanwhile, the popular French artist John Eyzen, who played poet Pierre Gringoire and the captain of King Louis XI's archers, in 2014 and 2015, respectively, will return again this year.

According to UDN, tickets for three performances sold out in six hours. Whoever purchases tickets before Feb. 25 for further performances has the opportunity to join rehearsals and get a closer look at their favorite artist.