Stage Review - Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (BPA)
Stage Review - Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Presented By: Bainbridge Performing Arts, Bainbridge, WA
Date Reviewed: Saturday, December 16, 2023
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
With my viewing of Saturday’s performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, presented by Bainbridge Performing Arts and onstage at their newly reimagined Buxton Center, this show has become that which I have seen the most versions of. In fact, my first ever review was of a version of this now classic show. And when you’ve seen a show as many times as I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast, certain patterns emerge. You learn what makes a show work and what makes it perhaps not as good as other versions. I suppose it’s a more critical lens to be viewing a show through, but for my part, I believe it’s important, especially for familiar stories, to see what theaters do to keep stories fresh and to make sure that they don’t lose the heart of the telling in the process. So, it was with all of this in mind that I watched BPA’s Saturday performance on their closing weekend. And I can say without a doubt that, in the context of the particular things I was looking for in this show, that this production met the bar on every one, almost.
Beauty and the Beast is a story about relationships. Gaston and Lefou, Cogsworth and Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and Chip, and Belle, both with her father Maurice and with the Beast. It’s these relationships that drive the story, providing the humor and the heart, and in this production for the most part they work very well. Gaston is played here by Reed Viydo and Lefou by Seamus C. Smith. This pair is excellent together, Reed’s Gaston playing up on his character’s self-proclaimed strengths with Seamus’ Lefou both subservient and in awe of his larger friend. Gaston never misses a moment to flex and Lefou doesn’t give up any chance to brag up his pal. Their relationship feels light and natural, and in the song “Gaston”, the pair shows off their musical and dance chops. Robert Craighead and James Sgambati play Cogsworth and Lumiere respectively, and while Gaston and Lefou provide much of the comic relief in Belle’s village, these two do the same in the Beast’s castle. The two play off each other very well, Robert nailing Cogsworth’s stoic nature in contrast to James’ Lumiere and his more carefree manner. But theirs is a humor with heart, a clear worry and desperation resides just below the surface for them and the other castle staff/household object characters. Mrs. Potts is portrayed by Amy Jo LaRubbio in one of the better representations of the cupboard’s matriarch that I’ve seen. Mrs. Potts has a lot on her saucer, raising Chip (Willow Erdman), while trying to be the voice of reason among the castle staff. Amy Jo does wonderfully here, and her feature in “Beauty and the Beast” is a delight. Belle’s father Maurice is played by Matt Eldridge. Perhaps not as over the top crazy as some of the portrayals I’ve seen, Matt’s version works. His duet with Belle, “No Matter What” towards the beginning of Act 1 is a sweet love song that underscores the strength of Matt’s work here, Maurice’s love for his daughter.
Belle is played in the BPA production by Anna Vizzare. I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. The lead role of Belle requires a lot of the actor, she’s ever present in the story, handles the lion’s share of the singing, and is, quite frankly, the focal point of the show. Anna has a wonderful voice and a stage presence that befits the character and she’s easy to root for, the audience very aware of the desperation that drives her and the love that she has in her heart. It’s a performance that feels real, and that’s clear both in her relationship with Maurice, in the aforementioned “No Matter What”, as well as when she asks to be held in the castle dungeon in place of her father. It’s also apparent in her feelings toward the Beast, played here by Leif Layman. Belle is at first put off by the Beast, but is open hearted and minded toward him, but at the same time not willing to let him control her. Leif’s Beast is good enough, but I hoped for a little more out of this character. Musically, there’s no question Leif has what it takes. “If I Can’t Love Her” is one of the high points musically in the show, and he touches on all the emotion of that song, but otherwise it’s that emotion, especially the anger, that I would have liked to have seen more of. Scenes where Belle reacts in fear to a certain lunge or other action from the Beast, the action itself, or the intensity of the Beast’s roar, are enough to warrant Belle’s response. It gives the appearance, if one didn’t know any better, of an overreaction on Belle’s part. Most importantly, playing to the extreme of the character’s emotions at the outset would make the Beast’s transformation play that much better. I just didn’t feel that here.
Beyond the relationships in Beauty and the Beast, the show has the potential to be a showcase for the creative team. Adam Othman is the director of the BPA production and he’s not only assembled a wonderful cast for this, he’s put together a team of creatives that have come together to tell this classic story in a wonderful and creative way. Choreographer Molly Hall was challenged with not one or two full ensemble numbers, but five, three in Act 1 alone. When a production of Beauty and the Beast works, a good deal of its success comes down to the choreography, moving a large cast around a particularly sized stage in a way that doesn’t make it feel crowded, especially considering certain numbers utilize some pretty sizable costumes, designed here by Ila Faubion and Amy Fancher. Yes, I’m talking about people dressed as cutlery and dishes. As an aside, I do like the costume design of this production, the costumes are creative and unique, while at the same time being familiar to fans of the story. Molly’s work here is spot on, there’s constant movement in these numbers, the choreography complex, but between the way it is designed and executed it looks easy, when it’s anything but. Many look to “Be Our Guest'“ as the high point of the ensemble pieces in this show, but I prefer to look at “Gaston”. A cast moving in and around tables and each other, add to that a dance break that was put in by the show’s original creators, and you’ve got a showcase. This version of “Gaston” is very well done, and much of what makes this work so well does have a lot to do with Molly’s choreography.
There’s a tendency to want to go big with sets, too, and some productions do that, sometimes sacrificing flow and pace as a result of lengthy set changes. That’s not the case here. Adam’s vision is more simple, keeping and repurposing a castle set piece throughout and moving selected pieces on and off the stage to bring focus to certain scenes. Will Langemack is the scenic designer here and his work does the job nicely. Case in point is Belle’s room in the castle. I like the simplicity of it, the rotating of one of the castle set pieces to reveal her room, small, but enough to convey the setting. There are other callouts on the creative team as well that are worth mentioning, Ken Michels’ work as combat coach brings a nice realism to the stage fighting, Paul Bryan’s lighting and Matt Hadlock’s sound both excellent in support of the story, and Aimee Hong’s work as music director is helps to bring everything together. Musically, this show is top notch. From the wonderful live orchestra under Aimee’s direction, to the excellence in performance by this cast, every piece hits its mark.
The BPA production of Beauty and the Beast is a well conceived and produced addition to the history of this classic story. This magical tale of love, family, and redemption under the direction of Adam Othman captures the heart of the Disney film and stage adaptation. Told by an extremely talented cast and creative team, it’s clear why this tale as old as time is not going away anytime soon.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, performed on stage at Bainbridge Performing Arts’ Buxton Center closed its sold out run on December 17. For information about BPA, including the remainder of its 2023-24 season, visit https://www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/.
Photo credit: Adam Othman
