Singing teapots, dancing dressers enchant young theatergoers

There is much magic in the story of “Beauty and the Beast,” from the written fairy tale versions to the horrid live TV version of the ‘80s to the extremely popular 1992 Disney animated musical.  The movie was a huge success, earning its place as the only animated movie to ever be nominated for the top prize at the Academy Awards.  A Broadway stage version followed three years later, capitalizing on the beautifully animated film.  The show closed in New York last year, making it the sixth-longest running Broadway show.

Local audiences have enjoyed the show both in Toronto and at Shea’s when the tour came here.  And now, with the huge production at Artpark, children and adults of all ages can enjoy the show once again.  This summer’s musical production at Artpark is the second year the theater has streamlined its resources in order to present one big blockbuster show (rather than the two smaller shows it had been producing for many summers).  Last year saw Disney’s “Aida,” a rocking contemporary retelling of the classic opera.  The Disney show on stage this summer is decidedly more family-friendly, and boy did the families turn out.

Last night’s opening night performance saw a packed house, with more than a few little ones sitting on their parents’ laps.  Just around me, I heard giggling of demonic proportions; cries of fear for the grizzly Beast; coos for the beautiful Belle; and lots more clapping.  It is certainly a fun show for the little ones, and I would say your teens might find it just as enchanting.  Adults will be entertained by some of their favorite local stage actors, including a wonderful Lisa Ludwig as Babette, the sexy feather duster; Loraine O’Donnell as the operatic Madame de la Grande Bouche (don’t want to mispronounce that one); and Doug Weyand as the creepy Monsieur D’Arque, featuring a voice that Hannibal Lector would recognize.  (Elsewhere, you’ll notice Keith Ersing as the clock, Cogsworth; and in the ensemble, Jason Bravo, Nicole Cimato, Robert J. (Bobby) Cooke, Paschal Frisina III, and UB graduate Christian Donnelly.) The rest of the company has Broadway and off-Broadway regulars, regional and summer stage standbys, and a few students and graduates from Elon University, where choreographer Lynne Kurdziel-Formato (and former UB faculty member, local stage wizard, etc.) now teaches.  It’s a well-rounded cast, and certainly one that’s been put through the rigors of this full-size production.

There were shortcomings in last night’s performance, mostly on the stage managing and crew side of things.  This is a massive show, with many set pieces, more backdrops than you thought a stage could house, and many scenery changes that are often reminiscent of an amateur high school production.  (You know, when actors are standing on stage waiting for their lighting cue to start their lines, it’s not just uncomfortable for them.) I forgive the many snafus of technical precision on the fact that there is a lot to handle backstage and on.  But at $45 a pop, and with much of the audience being under the age of reason and patience, the time it takes to get the story told is far too distracting to those paying attention.  These missteps in organization and stage management should have been way smoother, and I wouldn’t normally be so picky when writing about a local production which is sure to thrill most audiences, but it really put a damper in the comfort in watching, and the magic in experiencing this otherwise wonderful story.

That aside, you have a cast and orchestra (led by music director Eric Alsford) that sings this show almost perfectly.  The orchestra, replete with 12 string players (a big budgetary and logistical feat for a local production), sounds lush and really magnificent; and songs with big chorus parts and large vocal arrangements are so much more captivating with this wonderfully sounding cast.  There are some wonderful performances here, vocally and otherwise.  That should certainly outweigh the negatives in stagecraft, so long as things are tidied up in time for the remaining performances.

If you have young ones, by all means buy your tickets now and get your seats to this great tale.  Get there early, as it’s a difficult theater to be seated in late, as my usher seated me and my friend in two vastly inaccurate rows, causing us to have to get up and move when the rightful seat holders arrived.  But again, bygones… In the end it’s all worth the trouble in order to hear those gasps, see those eyes widen, and feel the connection those youngsters have to this tale which is, as the song goes, a tale as old as time.

For ticket information, visit Artpark’s “Beauty and the Beast” site here.
Note:  Photo of the set design used in this production (but not of the Artpark cast) courtesy the Music Theatre of Wichita.

Posted by on 08/15 at 10:32 AM