Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Now through Sunday, Nov. 16
TPAC’s Jackson Hall
Run Time: 2hrs, 30mins; one intermission
Ages 6+
TICKETS
With a tale as old as time such as Beauty and the Beast, it’s hard to deviate from the original story too much. Luckily, the newly reimagined musical tour — running now through Sunday, Nov. 16 inside Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Jackson Hall — finds ways to connect with a new generation without sacrificing the Disney magic.
If you’re a millennial with young kids like me, you probably wore out your VHS tape of the original 1991 animated Disney film and consider it somewhat of a crowned jewel (so darn near perfect that it was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards that year). Any adaptation is certainly at risk of falling short of audience expectations (looking at you, 2017 live-action remake).
But when it comes to this new stage adaptation, any Disney kid is likely to fall in love with the story all over again, plus appreciate some of the small additions and changes made.
A Tale As Old As Time
Fergie L. Philippe stars as the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” now running at TPAC.
Like most fairytales, the show begins with “Once upon a time,” this time recorded by the late Angela Lansbury — the film’s original Mrs. Potts — as she explains how the Beast earned his fate.
One winter’s night, a selfish prince refused to help an enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman. She cast a spell transforming the prince into a Beast and trapping the castle’s inhabitants, who slowly turn into household objects. Only true love can break the curse.
The Good
At the center of it all, Kyra Belle Johnson as Belle and Fergie L. Philippe as Beast are enchanting. The two embrace their characters, treading gracefully between Disney’s cartoonish wonder and heartfelt realism. Johnson’s voice is bright, confident and fully epitomizes a quintessential Disney princess. When she first appears in her iconic yellow ball gown, a collective gasp ripples throughout the audience. Taylor had a deep, rich and booming but also gritty, commanding voice perfect for the Beast.
Gaston (played by Stephen Mark Lukas), in all his muscly, big-headed glory makes everyone love to openly dislike but secretly still like him. Lukas’ powerful, masculine baritone voice completes Gaston’s profile to a tee.
Danny Gardner (Lumiere), Kathy Voytko (Mrs. Potts), Kevin Ligon (Maurice), Javier Ignacio (Cogsworth) and Holly Ann Butler (Madame) in “Beauty and the Beast.”
New orchestrations by Danny Troob liven up the score, particularly with the reimagined dance breaks for the evening’s two showstoppers: the mug-clinking “Gaston” and the tap-filled “Be Our Guest.” Led by a charismatic Danny Gardner as Lumiere — the castle’s maître d’-turned-walking candelabra, “Be Our Guest” was the musical’s biggest and most well-known number and didn’t disappoint, featuring flashing lights, circus-like backdrops, dancers dressed as plates and lots of can-can and tap dancing.
The ballroom scene — considered a marvel in the film for its blend of computer and hand drawn animation — also enchants. The Oscar-winning titular ballad, sung by Kathy Voytko’s warm, nurturing Mrs. Potts, commands attention and reminds us what is at the heart of the story.
Perhaps the most delightful magic trick of all is little Chip on a tea table. Charming Levi Blaise Coleman (who alternates with Beatrice Godddard Beggs) seems to be a floating tea cup; his body is somehow concealed with the set piece.
The So-So
The music of Beauty and the Beast, like all Disney films remains iconic and memorable, but like all stage show productions, extra songs are added in between. And like with Frozen, the majority of them were filler and forgettable.
As for pacing, the musical was somewhat fast for the “falling in love” part of the narrative, and a little slow during other seemingly-less-important-to-the-story, dialogue-heavy moments.
Also, there are a few blinding flashes in several scenes that those with epilepsy and certain eye conditions such as glaucoma might find difficult to watch.
Should You Bring Your Kids?
Yes! Even though we attended a weeknight performance that did not begin until 8 p.m., the audience was filled with little princes and princesses, some of them in their best Belle yellow gown.
There are a few moments that might scare children such as the wolf chase and the fight scene in the finale. The show is recommended for ages 6 and older.
So, whether you go to the show in your best yellow gown or your sharpest beast horns, this production is definitely worth taking the family to see. The talented cast bring these canonical characters to the stage in a way that pays homage to the original but also allows their personal talents to shine.
