No matter our age, we can all
enjoy a good fairy tale with a happy ending to brighten our lives. Pleasantly, the touring production of Beauty and the Beast produced by
NETworks Presentations that is making a brief stop at the Hippodrome Theatre
fits that bill.
Brooke Quintana as Belle and Sam Hartley as the Beast Photo: Matthew Murphy |
In its ninth month on tour, the
production, for the most part, gets it right. Beauty
and the Beast delivers a majestic spectacle of superb music (directed by
Kevin Francis Finn) that is performed by strong vocals and dazzling, high tempo
dancing choreographed by Matt West.
Combine that with an imaginative
striking set by Stanley A. Taylor, brilliant costumes by Tony Award winner Ann
Hould-Ward (for Beauty and the Beast)
that include some 580 costume pieces from wolves to silverware, effective
hue-rich lighting design by Natasha Katz, precise staging, and fine
performances by an energetic talented cast under the meticulous direction of
Rob Roth and you have a winner. #hocoarts
Mr. Taylor’s scenery is
exquisite in its creativity and design. With
many pieces in use like the houses in the Bavarian-like town, scenes change seamlessly
throughout. This excellence in the staging
is a hallmark of the show.
The one flaw is that the
orchestration was over-amplified on opening night and at times drowned out the vocals
and dialogue. This was most noticeable
at the outset when the Prologue overwhelmed the narrator who set the premise
for the tale. Hopefully, this blip will
be resolved as the run continues.
Aside from that quibble, the
production excels on many fronts. The
musical, which was based on the animated feature film with the same name and
became the ninth longest ever running musical on Broadway, features the Oscar-winning
score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, with additional
songs composed by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by
Linda Woolverton.
Show-stopping production
numbers, such as “Be Our Guest” and “Gaston” showcasing the singing and dancing
talents of the ensemble are audience pleasers to be sure. Yet, it is the fairy tale itself that sweeps
you away on an emotional and romantic journey.
The story of a spoiled prince
who had been transformed by an enchantress into a boorish, hot-tempered beast
until he can find love and return to his human form before petals fall off from
an eternal rose given by the enchantress and a beautiful woman Belle from a
provincial town is tender and endearing. This relationship has the audience rooting
hard for both. Also pushing hard for the
couple to fall in love are various servants in the prince’s castle who were converted
into household objects when the spell was cast on the prince. They, too, have a stake in the spell being removed.
Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek as Gaston (c) and Ensemble Photo: Matthew Murphy |
Lovely Brooke Quintana as Belle
shines throughout. Considered “weird” by
the townsfolk because of her passion for books, Belle is strong-minded, and her
eventual attraction to the beast that requires his becoming more gentlemanly
for starters is tearful in its sweetness.
Ms. Quintana’s vocal prowess is
evidenced in the ballads “Belle,” “Home” and “A Change in Me.”
For his part, Sam Hartley as the
Beast is also effective. He is called
upon to be mean and demanding, and his on-stage transformation back to being
human at the show’s end with the ingenious use of lighting techniques is spectacular. Mr. Hartley’s pleasant baritone is evident in
“How Long Must This Go On?” and “If I Can’t Love Her.”
Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek romps
through his role as the superior, perfect-looking God’s gift to the world,
Gaston. His character, though an antagonist,
provides most of the comic relief throughout because of his over-the-top
self-centeredness with the amusing help from Matt Dasilva as Lefou, Gaston’s
goofy, ever-fawning sidekick. Mr. Smith-Kotlarek’s
commanding baritone in “Me,” “Gaston” and “The Mob Song” is on display.
As mentioned earlier, the Beast’s
staff had been turned into such objects as a teapot (Mrs. Potts played by Stephanie
Gray). Her rendition of the title song
was performed sweetly. Other characters
in this group include Cogsworth, the clock (Samuel Shurtleff); Babette, the
feather duster (Melissa Jones); Lumiere, the candelabra (Ryan N. Phillips;
Madame de la Grande Bouche, the wardrobe (Stephanie Harter Gilmore); and Chip,
the cup (Jake Jones in this performance).
All did well in their mostly comic roles as foils to the Beast.Also, turning in a solid performance is Thomas Mothershed as Maurice, Belle’s inventor-father.
The Hippodrome mounting of Beauty and the Best proves why the
musical has received such worldwide popularity.
It has everything one needs to be entertained including a feel-good
story line that will warm your heart. Bring
the kids, too; they’ll love it. But hurry.
Running time. Two hours and 10
minutes with an intermission.
Beauty and the Beast runs
through May 15 at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts
Center, 12 N. Eutaw St, Baltimore, MD 21201.
For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 800-982-ARTS or visit Ticketmaster
or the Hippodrome.
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