[NEohioPAL]Berko : BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Beck Center)

[Roy Berko]

Noah and Alex agree with grandpa, ‘Beauty And The
Beast’ is a beaut at Beck!

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

‘DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,’ which is now on stage
at Beck Center, tells a "tale as old as time."  It was
originally conceived in 1740 as a dark and scary
fable.   In 1992 Disney released a lighter version
which became the first animated feature to be
nominated for the Academy Award’s Best Picture.  In
1994 Disney transformed the script into an award
winning  Broadway musical.

Last year Beck offered the show as an option to the
usual holiday fare.  It was a good idea.  I called the
production “a delightful experience,” and advised “see
it!” 

Fred Sternfeld has proven that he is a master at
directing mass crowd musicals and scripts of high
quality (e.g., ‘MAN OF LAMANCHA’ and ‘RAGTIME’).   He
has a knack for involving the entire cast, working
with the leads to fine-tune the show, and getting
audiences emotionally involved.

‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ concerns a prince who, because
he has no love in his heart, is transformed into a
beast by an enchantress.  To break the spell, the
Beast must learn to love another and earn her love in
return.  If not, he will be doomed to remain a beast
for all time.  

Into the Beast’s life comes Belle, a beautiful young
woman who lives with her eccentric father in a small
town near the Beast’s castle.  Belle longs for a life
of adventure like those she reads of in books.  Her
father gets lost in the woods and wanders into the
Beast’s castle, where he is imprisoned. Upon finding
her father in the Beast's clutches, Belle offers
herself as a captive in return for her father’s
release.  And...you can guess the rest.   Yes, the
Beast learns kindness and love, it is reciprocated by
Belle, and we all go out of the theatre singing the
likes of “If I Can’t Love Her,” “Be Our Guest,” and
the title song, “Beauty and the Beast.”

Natalie Green again is glorious as Belle.  She is
beautiful, lights up the stage with her smile, sings
like an angel and dances with ease.  Her version of “A
Change in Me” is enchanting.

Dan Folino, one of my very favorite local actors, has
a full and powerful voice and gives a vulnerable
texture to the role of the Beast that adds much to the
characterization.  His “If I Can’t Love her” is
captivating.  He and Green make the perfect fairy tale
prince and princess.  Two tween girls seated behind
me, who couldn’t control themselves (giggle, giggle,
giggle) during the show, squealed with delight at the
end when the beast became a “real” person and then
kissed Belle.  They simultaneously shrieked, “He is so
cute, I bet they really are in love” (giggle, giggle,
giggle).

I still don’t buy Josh Noble as Gaston.  In spite of
his good singing voice and pearly white teeth, he
feigns bravado, it doesn’t come naturally.   He also
doesn’t have the muscle-tone that is referred to in
the score.  Obviously, my view is in the minority, as
he got a screaming ovation during the opening night
curtain call. 

Zac Hudak (Lefou) makes for the perfect punching bag
for Gaston.  He needs to be careful, however, as he is
telegraphing the “shticks” and has become so automatic
that he is losing laughs.  And, getting laughs is the
reason for his being in the show. 

Doug Collier as Cogsworth (the clock), and Larry
Nehring, who gives a Danny Kaye quality to Lumiere,
are both delightful.  Tracee Patterson, who played
Madame de la Grande Bouche (the dresser) last year, is
charming as Mrs. Potts. 

Martin Cespedes is a master of choreography.  It is
amazing what he can do with a group of performers who,
in general, are not proficient dancers. “Be Our Guest”
and “Gaston” were absolute show stoppers!

Larry Goodpaster’s orchestra is excellent, remembering
the rule that the orchestra in a musical plays backup
to the singers and are not giving a concert.

Ben Needham’s scenic design is excellent.  It is
amazing how he used every inch of space on the small
stage area to allow for ease of movement.

Since the show is aimed at kids of all ages, I took my
trusty “kid’s viewpoint experts”-- my grandsons--Alex
and Noah Berko to see the show.  Their capsule
judgements:  “The music was great, the singing and
dancing were great.  I really liked it, except for the
kissing!” (What can you expect, he’s an11-year old
boy!)  And, “I really liked the funny guy (Zac Hudak),
and it was really creative, especially the costumes
and the sets, but the kissing...blech!”  (I guess 9
year-old males aren’t into the smoochy stuff either.) 
The boys were alert and paid attention throughout, and
were a great audience, hysterically falling for all of
Sternfeld’s gimmicks.  They were especially impressed
by the ending.  “How did they get the beast out of the
makeup and make him real so fast?”  Hmm...only
Sternfeld knows.  

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   Beck’s “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” is
a delightful production.  It is appropriate for kids
over 8. Younger ones may be scared by the beast and
the wolves.  Oh, please tell the tween-aged girls that
relating the whole story out loud throughout the
production is not good theatre etiquette.  And, as the
boys said, “All the giggling, yuck!” 

For tickets to  ‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ which runs
through December 31 at the Beck Center for the Arts,
call 216-521-2540.


Roy Berko's theatre blog, which includes his reviews of plays and dance programs from 2003 through 2006, can be found at http://royberkinfo.blogspot.com  
      Information regarding his consulting and publications and older theatre and dance reviews can be found at www.royberko.info.  
      Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


 
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