Disney's Beauty & The Beast at Kweskin Theatre

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PLAYS IN STAMFORD

It may be “a tale as old as time” but the performers are all under 21 in Curtain Call’s Summer Youth Theatre production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, playing August 1 through 10 in The Kweskin Theatre, Stamford.

Step into the enchanted world of Broadway's classic, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, an international sensation that has been produced in 37 countries worldwide. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. The original Broadway production ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

“This is the second time we’ve produced Beauty and the Beast here at Curtain Call but the first time through our Summer Youth Theatre program,” said Curtain Call executive director, Lou Ursone. “Even though the performers are mostly high school and college-aged, this is still the full-scale production fans know and love,” he added.

Featuring a cast of 40 performers from throughout Fairfield County - Stamford, Norwalk, Darien, Greenwich, Fairfield, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston and Wilton, as well as Putnam Valley, NY,  these young artists have been rehearsing since just before school got out in June.  They and 14 other young artists who comprise the crew, have dedicated their summer to creating this magical musical perfect for the entire family.

Sharing the leading female role of Belle are two Stamford teens: Michelle Espinoza-Borja and Cooper Tolland. The role of Chip is being shared by Mia Chebeir and Poppy Sisko. Others in the cast include Olivia Amaya, Bevin Maher, Lily  Maher, Hannah Pressman, Leila DeSimone, Lily Wachsman, Aliana Aspesi, Marley Bramble. Grace Mora, Katie Romano, Daniel DeChristopher, Jared Shuford, Katherine Hadermayer, Izzy Anderson, Addison Clear, Pierce Colfer, Sebastian Colfer, Sabatino Cruz, Katherine Curry, Kaylee Deenihan, Lilian Del Portillo, Kristina DeLelle, Eli Donahue, Paul Ferris, Ian Greenman, Grace Huber, James Kolman, Kaitlyn Miranda, Ari Moore, Leia Potenza, Katelyn Ruiz, Olivia Sosa,  Stella Supple, Esme Mohabeer Rodriguez,  Zachary Helgesen and Dylan Ramirez.

This year’s production is directed by Christopher Giordano with music direction by Matt Stolfi and choreography by Jennifer Silverman. Set design is by Martin Scott Marchitto, lighting design by Ben Wolfe and costume design by Megan Latte Morello. The stage management team is headed up by Halle Lane Hart with Lana Busch, Ava Sanchez and Alexander Patel. The producing team includes Ursone and Bianco with Grady Dennis and Lauren Gulliver Travers. Technical director is Wayne Yeager with scenic production assistant, Meghan Connolly.

“It’s been a pleasure working with these talented young artists during our rehearsal process,"said Giordano. "I’ve felt really supported by the production team at Curtain Call and have learned more about myself as a director. Families will be definitely entertained by the story they know in love in our production,” he added.

“I started out in programs like our Summer Youth Theatre, (SYT), so I feel very strongly about providing opportunities like this for the young artists in our community,” said Ursone. Curtain Call education director and producer for this show, Brian Bianco, participated in SYT for many years and is proud to continue the tradition of nurturing young artists.

Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, August 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 & 10 with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm on August 4 & 10. Tickets are available through the box office at 203-461-6358 or online at www.curtaincallinc.com. The Kweskin Theatre is located at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue, Stamford, CT. Doors open one half hour before show time.