By Michael Buzzelli
It’s a tale as old as time. A song as old as rhyme. It’s “Beauty and the Beast.” The Disney version is back, bigger and better than ever!
The late Angela Lansbury (who died in 2022) narrates the prologue, in which we learn how a handsome prince became the horrible Beast (Fergie L. Philippe). He’s an insufferable, boorish lout, devoid of civility, transformed into a monster. Unfortunately, the Enchantress (Kate Wesler) also punishes his staff by turning them into household items with faces.
Meanwhile, a young girl, Belle (Kyra Belle Johnson), is a social pariah in her small provincial (not Provençal) French village because she likes to read. Doesn’t this town have a book club?
She’s a beauty (Belle is a French word for beauty, but don’t worry…the villagers will remind you in the opening number).
After being chased through the woods by wolves (animated, but still scary), Belle’s dad, Maurice (Kevin Ligon), enters the wrong castle (or perhaps the right castle). The Beast ships him off to the dungeon, but Belle pleads with the Beast to take his place.
The furniture, including a nervous Nelly of a clock, Cogsworth (Javier Ignacio), a sassy candelabra named Lumiere (Danny Gardner), and a pragmatic teapot, Mrs. Potts (Kathy Voytko), believe that Belle can break the Beast’s curse and change them all back into people again.
Philippe is magnificent as the Beast, alternately fearsome and friendly, more petulant child than frightening monster, who still commands a terrifying growl. It’s easy to see the humanity behind this Beast. He is a marvelous singer.
Johnson is everything Belle needs to be. She can portray the character with kindness, wisdom, and heart. She also has a beautiful singing voice. Actors should not be judged on their looks, but if someone is playing a character synonymous with beauty, she needs to be beautiful, and Johnson is definitely that.
The show’s signature song, “Be Our Guest,” is a showstopper! It’s a glorious spectacle on stage. It is worth the price of admission.
Voytko gets the other signature song, the titular “Beauty and the Beast” number, and she nails it! It’s a lovely rendition.
Gaston (Stephan Mark Lukas) parades around singing his big, brash song alongside Lefou (Harry Francis) and the ensemble. The team twirls and jumps around with athletic prowess. It’s another joyous moment in a show full of them,.
The design team is equally responsible for the success of this show. Stanley A. Meyer’s scenic design is triumphant, brilliantly crafted, and working in tandem with Darrel Maloney’s projection and video design, adding to the magic of the evening.
But wait! There’s more! Jim Steinmeyer astounded the audience as an illusion designer. When the hag transforms into the Enchantress, the gnarled old woman becomes a beautiful princess, growing eight feet into the air. Chip (alternately played by Levi Blaise Coleman and Kanoa Edgar) appears to be a head-sized teacup without a body. In the final act, the Beast transforms back into a man, spinning around in the air. It’s astonishing.
Ann Hould-Ward’s costumes sparkle like Swarovski crystals (nearly every girl in the audience wore a variation of Belle’s golden off-the-shoulder ballgown, but Hould-Ward’s version was a bedazzled beauty).
There are only a few minor flaws, more to do with the script than the production. Linda Woolverton’s book could use a trim, and not all of the Alan Menken, Howard Ashman & Tim Rice songs are winners; one or two could be excised to save some of the show, which goes over two hours (not counting the 20-minute intermission). There is also a weird choice to make Lefou sound like an over-the-top villain in a Saturday morning cartoon or anime [Personally, I wanted to kick the sidekick to the curb].
Everything else is MAGICAL (yes, in all caps)!
If you want your kids to enjoy live theater, this is the show. Adults and children alike will be awestruck by the majesty of “Beauty and the Beast.”
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“Beauty and the Beast” runs until March 1 at the Benedum Center, Seventh & Penn, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. For tickets and information, click here.
