Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is a modern musical theatre classic. Based on the acclaimed Disney animated movie of 1991, its Broadway incarnation ran 5,461 performances, making it the 9^th longest running musical in Broadway history. The musical has continued to charm, delight and move audiences around the world ever since. It’s one of the most successful franchises in the Disney canon and it never fails to thrill. Alan Menken’s score pushes all the right buttons and this Savoyards production ticks all the right boxes and even manages to squeeze a few tears out of the audience at the finale.

Kate Milward’s performance as Belle was a joy. From her opening number “Belle” she captivated the audience with her clear and powerful vocals and feisty portrayal of the role, and brought warmth and tenderness to “Home.” Patrick Oxley was a ferocious and ultimately poignant Beast and sang the heart out of his first act finale “If I Can’t Love Her.” Glen Shafer was narcissistic fun as Gaston capturing every laugh in “Me” and “Gaston.”

All of the inanimate characters were well-cast with Jessica Ham a piquant and saucy Babette, Larcus Bakvis a funny Lumiere, and Savoyards old-stager Warren James a perfect Cogsworth. His was the most delightful performance of the night. Good support also came from Rod Jones as Maurice, Matthew Nutley as Lefou,  Julie Eisentrager as Madame de la Grande Bouche, and Tristan Ham as Monsieur D-Arque. Louise Kennedy’s Mrs Potts was lovable as was the equally adorable Andrew Beckitt as Chip, but it was Kennedy’s polished singing of the title tune that sent a ripple of emotion through the audience.

The atmospheric lighting was appropriate in some places and in others left some actors in the dark or half-light. More full-stage electrics would have given more lift and razzle-dazzle to the ensemble numbers, especially “Be Our Guest.” Kim Heslewood’s costumes added style to the production, in particular Belle’s yellow ball-gown, which was exquisite. The sets had an appropriate storybook feel in keeping with the material but at times were cumbersome for the actors to negotiate, Mark Beilby’s orchestra played particularly well, while director Jason Ward Kennedy deserves kudos for the overall strength of the performances.

Peter Pinne   

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Community Theatre Seasons 2015