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<p class=""><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><br></span></span></p><p class=""><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><br>
</span></span></p><p class=""><b><span style="font-family:Palatino">Re-envisioned BEAUTY AND
BEAST short of original concepts charm</span></b></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class=""><i style><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino">(Member, American Theatre Critics
Association & Cleveland Critics Circle)</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Palatino"></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a
fairy tale about Belle, a young lady who lives in a provincial town, and her
encounter with a spoiled young prince who was turned into a beast by an
enchantress because he had no love in his heart.<span style> </span>He, and the members of his household, would remain forever
in his ugly state unless he learned to love and someone loved him back.<span style> </span>As in all good once upon a time
stories, it ends with a they lived happily ever after.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">The musical, which is in
a revival national tour now lodged in the Palace Theatre in Playhouse Square,
is based on the 1991 Disney animated musical, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.<span style> </span>The Broadway show opened in 1994 and
ran through 2007, 5,464 performances, making it one of the top ten longest
running productions in the great white way history.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">The show has tuneful Alan
Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (lyrics) which include such memorable tunes as
<i style>Belle</i>, <i style>If I Can Love Her</i>, <i style>Something
There</i>, <i style>Human Again</i>, <i style>A Change in Me</i>, and the title song, <i style>Beauty and the Beast</i>. <br></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">As with the movie, the
original Broadway production was charming.<span style> </span>It contained fairy tale sets, costumes and performances.<span style> </span>It was a production which evoked smiles
from the very start and some clever humorous scenes, mixed with some moments of
slight terror.<span style> </span>All in all it was
the perfect family musical.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">This touring edition,
under the direction of Rob Roth, goes in a different direction.<span style> </span>The less elaborate sets are more comic
book than fantasy.<span style> </span>The costumes
dont encourage smiles and often look tacky, almost old time Las Vegas.<span style> </span>The musical arrangements arent as
lush, often sounding hard, not enchanting.<span style> </span>There also appears to be an attempt to make this a message
musical,<span style> </span>the message being that we
all have fears, we all have a beast within us.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Universally, the young
and mostly Broadway-light inexperienced cast has excellent singing voices.<span style> </span>The choreography, though not as
resourceful as the original production, works adequately well, especially in
such production numbers as <i style>Gaston</i> and
<i style>Be Our Guest.</i></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Hilary Maiberger, though
she doesnt have the classic Disney heroine looks or charm, makes for a fine
Belle. <span style> </span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Darick Pead also doesnt
have the traditional look of a Disney prince, but his Beast interpretation has
some wonderful moments, such as when he howls like a child when Belle attempts
to salve his wounds which he received protecting her from the forest wolves
when she left the palace in search of her father.<span style> </span></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Jeff Brooks didnt have
the body nor the attitude or natural swagger for the bigger than life Gaston.<span style> </span>The tour started with 21 year-old Matt
Farcher in the role.<span style>
</span>Unfortunately, on September 28, while in Houston, he was rushed to the
hospital and diagnosed with atypical HUS, an ultra rare life-threatening blood
disease.<span style> </span>The cost of treatment is
extremely expensive and the cast is asking for donations to help cover the
costs.<span style> </span>Those interested in contributing
can do so at <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/makingadifferenceformatt">http://www.indiegogo.com/makingadifferenceformatt</a></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Jimmy Larkin overdoes the
prat falls and farce as Lefou, but, as in much of the production, farce is
stressed over fantasy realism.<span style>
</span>This weakens the wonder factor.</span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Erin Edelle is wonderful
as Mrs. Potts, as is Hassan Nazari-Robati as Lumiere, James May as Cogsworth,
Jessica Lorion as Babette, William Martin as Maurice, Shani Hadjian as Madame
de la Grande Bouche and Charlie Jones as Chip.</span></p>
<p class=""><i style><span style="font-family:Palatino">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:<span style> </span>The touring production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST doesnt
have the charm of the original staging.<span style>
</span>Its more Saturday morning television<span style> </span>cartoons and over-done farce than enchantment, but, as
evidenced by the response of the opening night audience, audiences will
generally like it.</span></i><span style="font-family:Palatino"> <br></span></p>
<p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino">Tickets for BEAUTY AND
THE BEAST, which runs through November 18 at the Palace Theatre, can be ordered
by calling 216-241-6000 or going to <a href="http://www.playhousesquare.org/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">www.playhousesquare.org</span></a>.</span></p><p class=""><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"></span><br>
</span></p>