Beauty and The Beast Visits Philly

With $600,000 worth of advance ticket sales, one could safely say that this costly production should pay off. For it, Artistic Director Bernard Harvard takes on the daunting task of recreating one of the most set, staging and costume heavy musicals in theater history. To add to Harvard's challenge, Disney has strict rules about copying costumes and scenery from Disney Theatricals, the theatrical-producing arm of the Walt Disney Co.

According to Harvard, "I found the Broadway version to be very cartoonish and I am looking to approach this version to be more honest and true to the fairy tale, and not to the cartoon world".

At the helm of this production as both director and choreographer is Richard Stafford who previously worked in both capacities at the Walnut Street with Cats. He was also part of the creative team for The Goodbye Girl, LeVie En Blue and Evita.

Harvard & Stafford do an admirable job of creating magic and fairly tales. But don't expect the Broadway or touring production of this timeless tale.

The sets, scenes and costumes for this show are always a challenge. Recreating the cavernous rooms of a castle that are convincingly dreary and extremely mobile is difficult and The Walnut's best efforts seem to fall a bit short. They have had more success with the costumes, and nearly all of the 34 cast members are decked out very impressively and with great creativity. The "Be Our Guest" scenes, costumes and choreography are the highlight of this production.

For the minority of those who are not familiar with this timeless tale of loyality, love and redemption, here's the Reader's Digest version. Disney's Beauty and the Beast is the story of Belle, a young woman in a small provincial town and the Beast, who is really a prince trapped in a spell placed on him by an enchantress, along with his entire castle staff. If the Beast can learn to love and to be loved, the spell will be broken and he returns to his handsome self, and his staff becomes "human again." But, time is running out for the Beast to find love.

Casting is extremely strong with a delightfully sassy Belle, played by Christina DeCicco, who's vocals are as powerful as they are heartfelt.

A wonderful mix of humor and talent are offered by the "enchanted objects" headed by Lumiere, a charmingly funny candelabra and Cogsworth, a tightly-wound mantle clock, both brilliantly portrayed by James Torcellini and William Andrew Hartery respectively. Mary Martello, Arden's Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd) trades her meat pies for a teapot as the matronly Mrs. Potts and delivers a silvery " Beauty and the Beast."

Beauty's counterpart and main adversary, the Beast (Rob Richardson), seems more like Star War's Chewbacca than a fearsome beast. Both his costume and his demeanor are more "cartoonish" than threatening. Richardson however redeems himself with an enviable singing voice that soars as he offers a heart-tugging "If I Can't Love Her." Gaston, the town's pompous and popular hunk is played by Philly/Walnut Street favorite Jeffrey Coon and is convincingly conceited and impresses everyone except Belle.

The choreography and direction definitely has its high points that are the telltale of the talent of this creative team, while some aspects seem a bit less impressive. The difficult final scenes of the castle confrontation between Gaston & the Beast and transformation from beast to prince seem a bit awkward and are in need of some re-tooling.

Overall, the talent, costumes, music and delivery of this family classic should prove to be another winner for the Walnut Street Theater.

Photo Credits: Brett Thomas

Disney's Beauty and the Beast: Music by Alan Menken, Book by Linda Woolverton, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice.

Director and Choreographer: Richard Stafford, Sets by: Peter Barbieri, Lighting Design: Jeffery Koger, Costume Designers: Miguel Angel Huidor, Colleen McMillian, Sound Designer: Scott Smith

Beauty and the Beast plays at the Walnut Street Theater , Phila. PA November 8- January 8, 2006

For tickets and information: 215.574.3555 or www.wstonline.org

 

 

 

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.