Greendale Community Theater Wows With ‘Beauty and the Beast’
A tale as old as time is now being retold for the stage. Through August 3, Greendale Community Theater is presenting the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. Directed and choreographed by Ami Majeskie.
For those unfamiliar, if any, Beauty and the Beast follows the story of Belle (Brittany Roux), a beautiful woman in a small provincial French town in the 18th century. Her obsession with learning and reading made her into a bit of a pariah to all except local hunk, Gaston (Tim Rebers), who is determined to make her his wife.
After getting lost in the woods on the way to a convention, Belle’s clumsy but brilliant dad Maurice (Jeffery Polak) stumbles upon an old castle where he stops to rest for the night. Little does he know, the castle belongs to The Beast (Shawn Holmes), a former prince who has been cursed to live his life as an animal until he can find true love. Belle’s dad is imprisoned in the castle, and when his scarf is found in the woods, Belle starts a quest to find him.
When she finds the castle, she meets a slew of inanimate objects brought to life, including a candlestick named Lumiere (Nick Zajdel), a teapot named Mrs. Potts (Carrie Gray), a clock named Cogsworth (Jordan Pollard) and several others. As victims of the same spell that The Beast is under, they are hopeful that Belle will be the one to fall in love with The Beast and break the curse. Despite the fact that Belle was imprisoned in the castle in exchange for her father’s freedom, a fateful love story unfolds, full of danger, adventure and looming romance.
As leads, Roux and Holmes do a beautiful job of depicting the literal and metaphorical transformations that take place throughout the story. Through the story, and their stand out solos, both actors are tasked with portraying more or less the entire spectrum of human emotion, and do so in a really thoughtful and emotive manner. Roux’s stoicism transformed to warmth and Holmes’ ire transformed to tenderness, setting each actor up for an incredible second act, where they both do their best work.
Much like the movie, Greendale’s Beauty and the Beast is a true ensemble story. And much like the movie, Gaston and Lumiere steal the scene every time they step on stage. Zajdel’s stellar French accent and animated performance really brought some levity and nostalgic fun to the stage. Rebers does a great job tackling the over-the-top Gaston. He and LeFou (Christopher Welsh) have a fabulous dynamic that drives the plot of the second act forward.
Smaller roles, like Babette (Alyna Williams), Madame de la Grande Bouche (Eliza Lambert) and Chip (Liam Reifenberg) also had stand out performances. There were no weak vocal links. Every speaking actor, and the entire ensemble, sounded stunning throughout, backed by a very talented orchestra. Plus, Lambert’s operatic arias were a real treat.
Majeskie’s rendition of Beauty and the Beast stays pretty true to the story. Backed by clever choreography, stage direction and prop shenanigans that allows the simple set to become a dynamic character in the storytelling.
One instance that stands out is the use of rose garden arches. They are on wheels and are moved around for a variety of scenes. Characters walk underneath them, representing a trail in the woods or an entryway into a new space.
The arches are even spun around Maurice as he walks through the woods, demonstrating the confusion of being lost. Having the arches covered in roses is a clever nod to the central metaphor of the whole play– the enchanted rose that represents the fate of The Beast.
For adults, Greendale’s rendition of Beauty and the Beast is a gorgeous and nostalgic walk down memory lane. The story and performances are still packed with childhood Disney magic, now available for a whole new generation of kids. Expect to see plenty of little girls dressed in their yellow ball gowns!
Beauty and the Beast runs through August 3. Tickets can be purchased online.
