BWW Reviews: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Resurfaces at OCPAC

Based on the 1991 hit movie musical masterpiece—the first animated feature film to ever score a Best Picture Oscar® nomination—Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST went on to become a hit stage musical as well, ushering a new, successful theatrical arm for the studio. That original 1994 Broadway production eventually garnered nine Tony Award nominations and played on for more than 5,000 performances before finally closing in 2007. Now revived in a newer, noticeably less extravagant touring production mounted by NETworks Presentations (on stage this week at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through November 21), the show's latest incarnation, despite its lively characters and still memorable music, feels less magical than its more Disney-esque origins.

As the musical's title song reiterates, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST features a "tale as old as time," dramatizing the familiar, message-laden classic story of love blooming beyond outward appearances and societal norms. In this particular narrative—adapted for the stage by Tony nominee Linda Woolverton from the film's screenplay she also wrote—the heroine is Belle (Liz Shivener), a smart, beautiful young woman with a fantastical love of books. Her penchant for the written word, however, is seen as an oddity by the village townsfolk, calling her "strange, but special... a most peculiar mademoiselle." Her stunning beauty catches the eye of local strongman Gaston (the excellent Nathaniel Hackmann), who is puzzled as to why his dashing handsomeness isn't charming Belle the way it does the other women in the village. Aided by his bumbling, pratfall-prone sidekick LeFou (the funny Tommy Braco, subbing for Michael Fatica at this performance), Gaston vows to win Belle over, whether she likes it or not.

As most Disney heroines tend to be, Belle longs for adventure and dreams for a better life outside the confines of her tiny, very limited world of the rural French countryside. She feels, perhaps, out there... she'll be more understood. For now, though, she must contend with sharing a modest home with her amusingly quirky father, budding inventor Maurice (Christopher Spencer), himself an oddball eccentric amongst the villagers.

Excited by his latest clever invention, Maurice embarks on a solo journey to present his contraption at a fair, but—unsurprisingly, of course—gets lost along the way. After barely escaping a wolf attack in the woods, he soon stumbles at the Crossroads, where he finds himself inside a foreboding, mysterious castle. There, he is surprised by a group of talking animated objects, all of whom were once the castle's very human servant staff: Lumière (Merritt David Janes), once the head servant, now a Candelabra; former head-of-household Cogsworth (Keith Kirkwood), now a mantel clock; Mrs. Potts (Sabina Petra), head of the kitchen staff, now a teapot; and Babette (Erin Elizabeth Coors), a flirty maid, now an equally-flirty feather duster. Also on hand is Mrs. Pott's son Chip (the adorable Sheffield Hocker, at this performance), who is now, appropriately enough, a "chipped" teacup. Alas, their hospitable greeting is cut short by the arrival of the Beast (Justin Glaser), the master of the castle who angrily imprisons Maurice for trespassing.

The audience learns in the opening prologue that this monstrous Beast was once the selfishly vain Prince of the castle. During one rough, stormy night years ago, an old beggar woman arrives at the castle, asking for shelter from the elements by offering a single rose for the kind gesture. But the stingy Prince, disgusted by the woman's external ugliness, refuses her request. She warns him, though, to not be deceived by someone's outward appearance, because "beauty is found within." Little did the Prince know that the beggar woman is actually a beautiful enchantress, who, as punishment, turns the Prince into a hideous Beast and places the entire castle under a transformative magic spell. She tells the Beast that he can break the spell by genuinely falling in love with someone else and, in turn, earn that person's true love in return, before the last petal falls from that rose she originally offers to the Prince.

Soon, Belle—after discovering LeFou wearing her father's red scarf that she knitted for him—embarks on a rescue mission to find Maurice. Upon arrival at the castle, Belle negotiates with the Beast to trade herself as his prisoner in exchange for Maurice's release. Touched by Belle's selfless act, the Beast puts her up in a suite instead of locking her up in the prison tower. The two bicker and argue...which, of course, as these stories tend to go, can only mean that the two will somehow start to care and fall for each other the more time they spend getting to know one another.

Though this fourth national tour reassembles the original behind-the-scenes team—particularly, director Robert Roth, choreographer Matt West, and Tony-winning costume designer Ann Hould-Ward—this NETworks production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST feels disappointingly truncated, from its less opulent sets and costumes to its merely serviceable staging. Amplified by a few forgivable production mishaps (microphone blunders, Lumière's distracting non-working right candle, etc.), this economically-restricted yet easily-transportable revival overtly feels much more akin to run-of-the-mill (though slightly better-than-average) regional productions, mirroring what one might expect from a licensed, but alarmingly un-Disney-fied mounting of this 15-year-old property.

The costumes, while beautiful and well-constructed, feel strangely detached and more abstract than it really should be (you wouldn't know Mrs. Potts is a teapot and Babette is a feather duster, if not for them telling you so). And, although the sets and backdrops feel like giant pages lovingly ripped from colorful children's storybooks, their illustrative flatness—combined with the show's overall mild-hovering approach—is reminiscent of earlier, shorter versions of the musical they mounted at the Disneyland theme park's Fantasyland stage back in the early '90s. (Continued on Page 2)

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But despite the flaws, the show's true saving grace is still its wonderful music, most of which are transferred directly from the Academy Award-winning film. With music composed by Alan Menken and smart lyrics by the late (and very much missed) Howard Ashman, the show's utterly memorable songs—from the opening choral treat of "Belle," the giddy fun and frivolity of "Gaston" and "Be Our Guest," and the heartwarming "Something There" and the gorgeous title track—are all such genius pieces of music. "Human Again," a song by Menken and Ashman that was cut from the 1991 movie, has been reinstated here to great results (and was also seamlessly integrated into the "Special Edition" re-release of the movie in 2002). This stage version also features several additional newer songs penned by Menken and lyricist Tim Rice, adding great new tunes to an already rich tapestry of music. The best of these new compositions is perhaps Belle's creed-declaring "11 o'clock" ballad "A Change In Me."

As for the cast, the show's blatant standout is definitely Hackmann, as the pompous exhibitionist Gaston, who effortlessly steals the show with each appearance. His character's over-the-top braggart personality is supposed to be the story's "villain," yet amongst a rather mild cast, he exudes the most playfulness and commitment, often leaving the audience in stitches. The reliable, comic duo of Janes and Kirkwood are also worthy of praise. Notwithstanding a curious cockney Brit accent, Petra performs a touching, above average rendition of the show's lovely title song in the second act. And in the lead roles, both Shivener (as Belle) and Glaser (as the Beast) turn in fine, subtle performances, accentuated by admirable singing voices.

Truthfully, NETworks' newly-conceived version of this beloved musical does fall short of the grandeur of the earlier Broadway and touring productions, particularly in terms of visual spectacle, clever staging, and overall quality. The interesting irony here is that in a show that preaches about looking past someone's exterior appearance to find the good within, this show's exterior appearance itself (and its treatment and handling of those elements) is what keeps this particular production from truly overcoming its flaws.

But, really, in the grand scheme of things, none of these shortcomings will matter much to the show's youngest, less critical fans—those toddlers in tiaras who (along with their parents and grandparents, of course) will no doubt enjoy this show for its comedic pratfalls, childlike whimsy, and superbly crafted songs. Even those older than the preschool set can't help but smile as the beer steins clink in rhythm during the rousing celebration at the village pub, nor can one hold back the giddy joy induced by dancing flatware and twirling dishes during "Be Our Guest." And, even 15 years later, the first sight of Belle dressed in her iconic yellow-gold gown for her dinner date still induces many goosebumps, even for us grown-ups.

The magic may have dissipated a bit on its surface, but deep within, as the song says, there may still be "Something There..."

Photos from NETwork's production of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST by Joan Marcus.
Top: Justin Glaser as the Beast and Liz Shivener as Belle.
Middle: Liz Shivener. Bottom: Nathaniel Hackmann as Gaston.

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Performances of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, presented by NETworks Presentations, LLC continues at the Orange County Performing Arts Center through Sunday, November 21.

Tickets to see Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST start at $20 and are available online at OCPAC.org, by calling 714.556.2787 and at the Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.

The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, November 20 will be sign-language interpreted.

For more information, visit OCPAC.org. For more information on the touring production, please visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.