By Elizabeth James
Spanish Fork Community Theater presents a production of Beauty and the Beast at Spanish Fork High School that’s sure to be a family favorite. This 1993 musical by Tim Rice, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, and Linda Woolverton is based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name; it is a retelling of Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve’s novella-length fairy tale. The Disney classic introduces Belle (Amber Roberts), an outcast in her own village, who finds love in the unlikely setting of an enchanted castle. Even more unlikely is the man she falls in love with: a prince in the form of a hideous beast (Jordan Pearson). It was great to see all these actors come together and make this tale heart-warming and to be treasured.
Roberts as Belle is spunky and sweet. Roberts’ portrayal of Belle convinces audiences of Belle’s good heart more than the movie ever has. Roberts’ interactions with Nate Holman (Belle’s father, Maurice) are tender. She shows real humility when she asks the Beast for a second chance to have dinner with him. Even when she’s refusing to eat dinner with him, Roberts’ movements and facial expressions indicate that her refusal to eat is out of self-respect rather than simple retaliation. Roberts brings a refreshing sweetness to the character Belle.
While Belle is confident and kind, the Beast is unrefined and unpleasant. Pearson as the Beast is so expressive. What is lost in facial expressions under his mask, Pearson makes up for in his body language. The audience knows well when he is sad, angry, excited, and heartbroken. Pearson also has an excellent voice, which he manifests in his solo “If I Can’t Love Her.”
In contrast to the Beast’s insecurities, Gaston (Richie Trimble) is all confidence. Trimble is a fabulous Gaston. He sounds just like Gaston ought to, with his deep, self-assured voice. Not to forget that he has ”biceps to spare.” He has a firm presence on stage, which is well contrasted by his lackey Lefou (Ammon Flint). With his bumbling clumsiness. Flint makes a great Lefou, sounding just like his movie counterpart in the movie and making attendees laugh even more.
Beauty and the Beast would be incomplete without Lumiere (Dan Bigler) and Cogsworth (Dane Robertson). Their interactions with each other are hysterical, making them an audience favorite. If there was a play called The Adventures of Lumiere and Cogsworth, starring Bigler and Robertson, it would be worth seeing.
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The director, Cami Jensen, has made this play fun and memorable, but not without help. Tia Trimble is the choreographer for the show and she makes every song an experience. My favorite choreography was during Gaston’s song; Trimble includes beer mugs to be part of the choreography, which makes the song come alive. I loved hearing the mugs clank as the cast danced. Mariah Knittle does such an exceptional job with some difficult costumes. During “Be Our Guest” everyone is dressed as a kitchen utensil. The costumes are so creative and have audiences smiling throughout the whole song. Belle’s famous yellow ballgown is stunning. Jon Harrison does a fabulous job with the set design. The way the stage hands were able to change sets simply by flipping things around and sliding pieces across the stage made transitions seamless. The flow from set to set helps create the magic. Amanda Young as lighting designer contributed to every aspect of the play.
There were moments in which technical problems cause sound to be lost, but this is only disappointing because of the moments of this play that weren’t able to be appreciated. This will certainly be taken care of by the skilled Brennen Woodward (sound design).
Spanish Fork Community Theater treats Beauty and the Beast with sophistication. It’s a beautiful tale with a meaningful lesson. Jensen says it best when she says, “In the end, love overcomes all obstacles, characters develop into the best versions of themselves, and joy counters all suffering.” Beauty and the Beast exemplifies this. Please go and see it. For everyone’s information, Spanish Fork Community Theater has added a show on Tuesday, July 23 since they couldn’t perform Thursday, July 18. They hope you will join them if you haven’t yet. It’s truly a family treasure.
Spanish Fork Community Theater presents Beauty and the Beast, book by Linda Woolverton, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, music by Alan Menken.
Spanish Fork High School, 99 N 300 W, Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
July 22-23, 25-26, 7:00 PM and July 20, 24, 27, 4:00 PM
Tickets: $6-10
Spanish Fork Community Theater Facebook Page
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Facebook Event
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