<html><head></head><body><div style="font-family:Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><div><p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b><span> </span>We’ve Been Served</b></p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center">By Tom Wachunas</p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b>“…Ever just the same /Ever a surprise/Ever as before<i>/</i></b></p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b>Ever just as sure…”</b><span> </span>- lyrics
from <i>Beauty and the Beast</i></p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span>With its current production of <i>Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, </i>directed
by Jonathan Tisevich,<i> </i>the Players
Guild Theatre offers yet another <i>pièce de
résistance </i>of theatrical art. In keeping with the ebullient spirit of one
of its signature songs, “Be Our Guest,” think of this show as a lovingly
prepared, extravagant banquet served piping hot by an exuberant, impassioned
cast. </p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>As the heroine,
Belle - whose dreams of a better world are inspired by her passion for books -
Rachel Smith is a thoroughly charming newcomer to the stage. Yet in both her
acting and singing, she’s no mere diamond-in-the- rough. For all of her
youthfulness, she’s a remarkably complete performer - a refined, multi-faceted
jewel as it were - gracefully exhibiting all the subtle variations of light and
darkness built into this classic tale of redemptive love. The emotive power in
the gentle vibrato of her singing voice is a marvelous instrument in itself, effectively
finessing her character’s innocence, feisty independence, and vulnerability.</p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>Early in the story,
Belle’s father, Maurice, an affectionate and sweetly peculiar man played by
Ralph Cooley, gets lost in the woods and imprisoned in the castle of the
erstwhile Prince who was at the time cursed to be a Beast forever unless he can
learn to love and be lovable. Belle offers herself in exchange for her father’s
release. Her disarming, authentic tenderness and love will eventually transform
her jailer’s hardened heart. </p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>As the Beast, Sean
Fleming is certainly a fearsome physical entity, but he’s also a soaring
spiritual and emotional presence, embodying real pathos. Smitten and empowered
by Belle’s unrestrained selflessness, he’s fascinating to watch as he slowly
sheds his toxic bitterness to reclaim his humanity. <span> </span><span> </span></p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>Mason Stewart gives
us a muscular portrayal of the dashing and dastardly Gaston. Authoritative and
comical, Gaston is nevertheless a self-absorbed, feckless, and cruel trophy
hunter, obsessed with marrying Belle who in turn fiercely resists his advances.
Undeterred, he struts about town with <span> </span>exaggerated machismo, much to the delight of
three ‘silly girls’ – played with ditzy abandon by Kaylah Lehman, Aaliyah
Kinnard, and Alexis Wilson - who vie for his affections while swooning over his
every word. Anthony Woods-Mitchell is similarly giddy in his role of the
fawning Lefou, Gaston’s unreasonably loyal punching bag. </p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>Meanwhile in the
castle, even the domestic staff has been infected by the Beast’s plight. They’re
progressively turning into inanimate objects. With their visceral French
accents and incessant flirting, Justin Woody as the lascivious candlestick,
Lumiere, and Desiree Hargrave as the frenetic feather duster, Babette, are
hilarious. Jacob Sustersic is delightfully engaging as a clock named Cogsworth,
the jittery sentinel trying to maintain order and proper castle etiquette
amidst titillating operatic outbursts from Tehilah Caviness, who plays a fancy
wardrobe. And Julie Connair, as Mrs. Potts the teapot, articulates a wholly
soothing energy of motherly hope, comforting Chip, her teacup son, played by
Noah Tisevich, equally endearing as he voices his desire to be a real boy
again.</p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span>Setting the well-appointed table for this
aesthetic feast with inventive magical effects and visuals are scenic designer
Joshua Erichsen with master carpenter Micah Harvey, lighting and sound designer
Scott Sutton, and costumer Stephen Ostertag.<span>
</span>The cast performs Michael Lawrence Akers’ robust choreography with
infectious panache, especially in one of the evening’s most raucous numbers,
“Gaston,” featuring a wildly complex rhythmic flurry of clinking beer mugs. And
the live orchestra directed by Steve Parsons brings exhilarating aural depth to
the proceedings.</p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>I think one verse
in “Be Our Guest” still resonates as best illustrating the inspired motivation
behind this Players Guild production: <i>“Life
is so unnerving / For a servant who’s not serving / He’s not whole without a
soul to wait upon…”</i> <span> </span>In navigating
the often ambiguous boundaries between technically excellent <i>entertainment, </i>so abundantly evident
here, and truly impactful <i>art</i>, this cast
and crew have literally taken that lyrical sentiment to heart and effectively
become the collective, compelling soul of a servant. </p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span>And so it is that in
the end, I had the wondrously uncanny sensation of being embraced and otherwise
artfully…loved.
</p><p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal"><span> </span><i>Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, </i>Players
Guild Theatre Mainstage, Cultural Center for the Arts, 1001 Market Avenue N.,
Canton, Ohio / THROUGH OCTOBER 8 – Shows Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday
at 2 p.m. / Tickets $29 adults, $26 seniors, $22 for 17 and younger / Order at <a href="http://www.playersguildtheatre.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.playersguildtheatre.com</a> or
call 330.453.7617 </p>
<p class="ydp82f4ef90MsoNormal">For other commentaries by Tom Wachunas on the performing and
visual arts in the greater Canton area, please visit his blog, ARTWACH, at <a href="http://www.artwach.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.artwach.blogspot.com</a> </p>
<br></div></div></body></html>