Published in The News Tribune, July 20, 2018
By
Alec Clayton
 |
| Belle (Cherisse Martinelli) and the Beast (Brandon Hell), photo by Kat Dollarhide |
Disney’s “Beauty and
the Beast” with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by and Tim Rice and Howard
Ashman is now playing at Tacoma Musical Playhouse. It is a big production with
an elaborate set and lighting, fabulous costumes and a 36-person cast, all of
whom are on stage at once during some of the large production numbers such as
the show stopping “Be Our Guest” with complex choreography by director and
choreographer Jon Douglas Rake.
Set designer Judy
Cullen returns with an amazing set featuring a delightful backdrop painting of
a small French village and a stunningly beautiful castle replete with a broad
staircase and rich blue and purple and gold colors enhanced by lighting director
John Chenault’s shadowy effects.
The costumes by
Jocelyne Fowler are wildly inventive, as they must be for humans turned into
walking and talking clocks and candles and teapots. Belle’s dresses are
luxurious and beautiful, especially a white gown that looks like a layered
wedding cake.
Prince Adam (Brandon
Hell) is turned into a hideous beast by an enchantress (Kathy Kluska). For
years he has hidden his grotesqueness in his castle. His servants are turned
into animated pieces of furniture and household items such as Cosworth the
clock (Chris Serface), Lumiere the candle (Mauro Bozzo) and Mrs. Potts the
teapot (Diane Bozzo). They know the spell can be broken, and everyone will
become human again only if the beast can learn to love and be loved.
Meanwhile, back in the
village, the beautiful Belle (Cherisse Martinelli) is being relentlessly
courted – stalked and harassed by today’s standards – by an arrogant, self-centered
hunter named Gaston (Jimmi Cook) who thinks he is God’s gift to women. Belle’s
father, the eccentric inventor, Maurice (Joe Woodland) is captured and
imprisoned in the beast’s castle. Belle goes to the castle in search of her
father and offers to be the beast’s captive if he will let her father go, which
he does. Instead of being put under lock and key as her father was, she is
given a private room in the castle and asked to dine with the beast. She
resists at first, but gradually she learns to see the humanity underneath the
beast’s outer shell. What this leads to is, of course, what the audience knows
will happen, and it is beautiful and magical and romantic despite being totally
predictable.
Cook, who has the
physique of a body builder, is perfectly cast as Gaston, who spends all his
time with muscle poses when he is not pursuing Belle. Beyond looking the part
so perfectly, he is a good actor and singer.
I like the choice of
Martinelli for the part of Belle because she is befittingly beautiful, not in a
trite fairy-princess sort of way, but with the beauty of a down-to-earth,
sensible and intelligent young woman, which is precisely how Belle is written.
She also has a strong voice.
Hell does a terrific
job of acting, and he has a beautiful deep and mellow voice. My only complaint
is he is not large enough and his costume is not ugly or frightening enough to
be the beast as described (at one point, Maurice says he is eight feet tall).
On the other hand, since it is a play that appeals to children, it is probably
a good thing he isn’t more frightening.
Also deserving of
special note are Bozzo as Mrs. Potts and Karen Early-Evans as Madame de la
Grande Bouche, both of whom sing stupendously.
The only actor I found
to be somewhat disappointing is Woodland as Belle’s father, who should be more
animated. My only other complaint is I wish it could be about half an hour
shorter. It did drag a bit in parts of the second act.
All-in-all, it is a
wonderful fantasy romance beautifully staged.
Beauty and the Beast
WHEN:
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through July 29
WHERE:
Musical Playhouse at The Narrows Theatre, 7116 Sixth Ave., Tacoma
TICKETS:
$22-$31
INFORMATION:
(253) 565-6867, http://www.tmp.org
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