The bar has been set high for Disney’s 30th Anniversary production of “Beauty and the Beast,” now playing at the Fox Theatre, and there’s good news: the production honors those precious memories and exceeds them.
The sold-out show on May 26 was packed with mostly female attendees of all ages – young mothers with children dressed in Belle frocks, older women with their 30s-aged daughters, college students, and grandmothers with toddlers and tweens.
It was apparent that almost everyone in attendance had strong ties to the 1991 movie, bringing forth comparison and possible disappointment with any deviation from the classic. But it wasn’t to be.
The show boasts the Oscar-winning and Tony Award-nominated score, including the songs “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast,” and some new songs like “Me” and “Home” that blend nicely with the classics.
The voices of the cast, especially Harry Francis as Lefou, Stephen Mark Lukas as the villain Gaston, Belle, played by Kyra Belle Johnson, and the Beast, Fergie L. Philippe, were eerily identical to those of the 1991 movie – especially for a veteran watcher like me, who has seen the movie an untold number of times with my now-grown daughter.
And the cast’s appearance matches almost exactly with the well-remembered animated cast. Gaston, in particular, has the same bombastic attitude and appearance that fans remember from the movie, while Belle’s mannerisms and sassy personality bring the animated character flawlessly onto the stage.
The differences are subtle, but welcome. The punchlines get a slightly longer pause for effect, especially with the exchanges with Cogsworth (Javier Ignacio) and Lumiere (Danny Gardner).
The Beast is also slightly less intimidating on stage, but remember, the movie has the luxury of showing the hulking figure in all his rage in full frame.
The songs, especially “Gaston” and “Be Our Guest,” rise to exuberant conclusions, more than once bringing the audience springing to its feet. Although the set, understandably, can’t match that of the animated movie, it still adds to the overall magic of the experience.
The punch is in the choreography, the soaring score, the cast’s flawless performances, and its dedication to honoring the original tale in a joyful, yet poignant, manner.
“Beauty and the Beast” runs through May 31 at the Fox, with nightly performances and two weekend performances on Saturday and Sunday.
