“I’d rate it a 10″ were the first words out of my 10-year-old daughter’s mouth as we exited the Winspear Opera House after the opening night of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (playing through July 25). Who am I to argue with her concise review?
Beauty and the Beast started life as the hit 1991 Disney film of the same name.
The move from screen to stage was effortlessly done with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton. With seven new songs for the stage production, Beauty proved to be a Broadway smash hit. Running from 1994 to 2007, it became Broadway’s sixth-longest running production in history.
Photo Credit - Peter Coombs
Rob Roth directs this fourth national tour with mixed results. I was amazed by the detail and beauty of the scenic design done by Stanley Meyer. Using limited stage space and impressive “set choreography,” they created a captivating opening number. In addition, the costumes throughout the show were of the highest quality. I would expect nothing less from a Disney production!
That said, I felt as though the vocal and stage presence of the cast were almost robotic at times. Although Belle (Liz Shivener) and Gaston (Nathaniel Hackmann) brought their amazing voices to the part, there was no fluidity in many of their numbers. I could almost see the score with stage instructions being followed note by note. These wonderful performers need to take hold of their parts and make them their own and that fluidity will come!
As a contrast to these somewhat robotic movements, we have the incredible performances by Lefou (Michael Fatica), Cogsworth (Keith Kirkwood), and Lumiere (Merritt David Janes). These three men embodied the spirit of their characters. With perfect comic timing and flawless delivery, they stole the show. The physical comedy of Lefou was brilliant. It was through the performance of Lefou that he made Gaston shine — the perfect sidekick in every way.
Although seemingly forced at times, the skill of these actors as performers was demonstrated through the demanding choreography in the number “Gaston.” Building up throughout the number in intensity, it concluded with a full cast engaging in synchronized mug clanking and raucous dance. It was flawlessly executed and one of the high points of the show.
The award for the best vocal performance of the night goes to Mrs. Potts (Sabina Petra). Even as I write these lines, the memory of her performance of the title song, “Beauty and the Beast,” brings goose bumps to my arms. She sung with such hope, softness, and beauty that the audience was transported from their seats and drawn into the scene with Belle and the Beast. For me, it was the highlight of the evening.
On a technical front, there were a number of sound glitches throughout the show, primarily in the first half. I chalk them up to opening night kinks that will be worked out in time. However, these sound glitches demonstrated the excellence of the venue. Even when the performer’s voice wasn’t being amplified by their mic, the acoustics of the theatre carried their voices throughout the hall.
Now that you have read all of that, return to my daughter’s line at the beginning of this review. Take that, and combine it with her other comment about the show. In response to my asking her how she would describe the performance she said, “Very magical.” Don’t hesitate.
Hop online to www.attpac.org and buy your tickets for Beauty and the Beast today. But don’t go alone. To truly be carried away by this Disney musical, you need to have your favorite young person along with you to capture this “very magical” evening!
~ Sten-Erik Armitage, Associate Theatre Critic for John Garcia’s The Column & Pegasus News
