By Nate Brown
The Off Broadway Theatre Company (OBT) is one I dearly love, and I was thrilled to attend their production of Cutie and the Beast at the Historic Draper Theatre in Sandy, Utah. The Off Broadway Theater lost their home of 25 years in 2019 and Cutie and the Beast represents their second production since their downtown doors closed last December. Fashioned inside a movie house built by Annie Pearl and John A. Howell, the Historic Draper Theater has been serving its community since 1938.
Now working together, the Historic Draper Theatre and the Off Broadway Theatre Company are a match made in heaven.
Patrons are greeted outside to be reminded to wear masks and to have their temperature taken. Both theater and company are committed to reducing risk during these times. Masks, sanitization, and even special machines to clean the air are on hand to ensure the lowest risk for patrons, staff, and actors.
Prepackaged concessions are available, and after purchasing our treats, my group settled into our seats. I’ve said it before and will happily repeat it – while I desperately look forward to having packed audiences in the theater again, I have no complaints about the socially distanced seating arrangements. No one in front of me, no one behind me, and no one to share an armrest with – at least on one side. I could get used to this.
As is the tradition with the Off Broadway Theatre, Eric Jensen greets the audience before the metaphorical curtain rises. As playwright, lyricist, director, and the player of Lagoof, Jensen’s talent exudes from him in a natural, charming wit. The audience is welcomed, birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated, and he bids us to enjoy the show as the lights dim to black.
We are quickly introduced to a quaint little village. It should come as no surprise that the storyline closely parodies the Disney version of this classic story that resembles the name of the show. Jessica Bensen is the Musical Director, Lucy Myers created the backdrops and runs lights and sound, and music and sound were created by Jensen, Oscar Andersen, and Rob Reins. This group lays a canvas of sound and light that serves as a solid foundation for the show. Costumes by Eric Jensen and Janice Jensen are top-notch, further sucking the audience into the parody.
Jeff Driggs is one of the first to narrate the show. Driggs makes appearances in the roles of narrator, Uncle Otis, and Victor Ola, and does a fabulous job with his energy and style. His lovable bumkin portrayal brings Uncle Otis a pleasant likeability. For being a “once a decade” actor, Driggs shows remarkable stage presence.
As the eponymous power couple, Austinn Jensen as Beast and Jennica Henderson as Elle are fantastic. Austinn Jensen has a keen sense of timing and a voice that gives gravel and authority to the Beast. Henderson floats and sings like a proper Disney princess, and complements her mannerisms with an innocent but fluid wit. When the two characters are at their best, they play off each other with the skill of professionals.
Jessica Andrews as Clockson, William Hunt as Candlemon, Briér DePriest as Featherstaff, Kyra Furman as Kettlesworth, and Emma Thomas as Fran Dresser each deserve a special mention. Andrews is cute and joyful in her role as the anthropomorphized clock and draws in the audience whenever she speaks. Hunt plays the candlesticks with such authenticity that I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him act the role at a theme park. DePriest is sultry and bubbly as the seductive feather duster, and Thomas does a great job imitating her character Fran Dresser’s namesake from the 90’s sitcom, The Nanny. Capturing my heart in this production, though, is Furman. Firm, confident, and occasionally overwhelmed into showing her steamy temper (literally), Furman puts on a performance worth coming to see all by itself.
The villain of Cutie and the Beast is Gustaaf, played by Sebastian Smith. Smith swaggers with the best of the bold and arrogant villains of the stage and serves as an excellent counter to Eric Jensen’s LaGoof. If anything, Smith’s version of Gustaaf may be a bit too likable – we know we should root for him to lose, but I was personally rooting for him to live through the ending.
The ensemble of Aimee Mcphie and Roman Southwick perform their multitude of roles well. They serve as the glue for the production – linking scenes and characters together.
The three children of Kettlesworth: Nick played by Morgan Renee Thompson and Emi Farmer, Notch played by Tristen Jones and Pierce Jones, and Crack played by Kendra Jones and Aurora Gibson bring a bustle of fun and noise to the stage that leaves no wonder as to why their mother gets all steamed up.
The show does have some areas in which it will likely improve during its one-month run. Timing and pacing were most in need of improvement. Further, while this production is fun and has moments of greatness, the recorded musical numbers typically fail to bring the energy that the pieces need and deserve. The recordings may be safer than singing on stage, but they are no replacement. However, we gratefully acknowledge the reason for recordings and thus give this a graceful pass. Safety over musical quality is better—always. I mean, everyone onstage is masked.
Still, Cutie and the Beast will be a production that the whole family can enjoy. Mild innuendo and implied mild language might be concerning to some more conservative parents.
If you want the safest live theater in Utah, this is your place! And while you’re at it, you will find yourself in a wonderfully enjoyable show.
The Off Broadway Theater Company Presents Cutie and the Beast by Eric R. Jensen.
Draper Historic Theatre, 12366 900 E, Draper, UT 84020
August 1-29, 2020 7:30 PM, Monday, Friday, Saturday
Tickets: $16 Adults, $14 Seniors/Military/Student, $12 Children
Contact: 801-355-4628
Off Broadway Theatre Company Facebook Page
Draper Historic Theatre Facebook Page
Cutie and the Beast Facebook Event
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