Beauty and the Beast

With Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, one’s first thought is of magic; the magic of Disney, the magic of music, and the magic of imagination.

It’s story of the arrogant young prince and his castle's servants falling under a spell that won’t be broken until he learns to love and be loved in return. When the beautiful and headstrong Belle enters his castle, along with the help of his enchanted servants, she begins to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation.

Hannah Garbo as Belle is something to behold. With a spectacularly strong voice that meets every challenge this score throws, Garbo plays a perfect modern Belle, championing her intelligence and not just her beauty. She is a standout actor, delivering the emotional highs and lows of the role with honesty.

Other impressive performances come from Lachlan O’Brien, Nathan Farrow and Anne-Marie Fanning. O’Brien’s Lumiere is charismatic, charming and full of life. His moments with Natasha Tsafis as Babette are a real highlight. Farrow’s brilliant Cogsworth is filled with anxiousness and loveable worry. And Fanning’s Mrs Potts is maternal and deeply empathetic. All three have a marvelous chemistry and work together beautifully.

Gavin Leahy as the Beast has his moments. Leahy delivers a strong vocal performance throughout, especially in “If I Can’t Love Her”. His transition from villain to surprising hero however, seemed to skip the self-discovery that makes this change believable. Michael Johnson’s Gaston delivered a good vocal performance, but once again, his character fell a little short and relied on Sam Hamilton’s clumsy, yet loveable Lefou to make his scenes land with the audience.

Producing Disney magic on stage will always have its challenges, largely because the freedom of animation simply isn’t possible in a live theatre environment. In this production, the set did not allow the audience to lose themselves in this make-believe world. The biggest issue is the large white curtain that’s intended to present projections of the village, Gaston’s pub, the castle and the library. These projections were either washed out by lighting or felt so flat that they were more of a distraction than anything else. The costumes however (designed by James Worner) were a rousing success, most notably for the three loveable servants, Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts. They added much needed colour and energy whenever they appeared, and reinstalled some of that Disney sparkle dulled by the set.

Musically, the orchestra, led by Musical Director Valerie Hull, made a valiant attempt, however both the orchestra and the singers on stage were let down by sound design and mixing on the night. Hopefully these issues can be worked out as the season continues.

The excellent choreography by Tracey Blankenship was able to lift the large ensemble numbers and the opening night audience loved seeing some very acrobatic performances from the featured dance cast.

Despite struggling through some scenes, Miranda’s Beauty and the Beastdelivers on the full family experience, and the opening night audience appeared to enthusiastically enjoy this production. If you’re looking for a night out and have young kids who you’d like to bring along, look no further. It’s an enjoyable night out and a lovely way to bring all ages together for a bit of fun.

Michelle Perry