Garfield Center showcases Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: A review by Peter Heck and Jane Jewell

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, playing at the Garfield Center in Chestertown through Saturday, Dec. 21, is a perfect holiday experience for the whole family. Directed by Jennifer Kafka Smith, the musical features romance, comedy, action, and a familiar story with delightful characters. This is a professional-quality production that highlights just how much talent the local theatrical community has to offer.

The earliest version of Beauty and the Beast is generally cited as La Belle et la Bete by the French author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, first published in 1740. However, the story has its roots in numerous folk tales from all over the world, some close to 4,000 years old. The basic story tells of a person who, under a magical spell, has been turned into a hideous beast. This curse can only be broken when the beast learns to love someone who, seeing beneath the surface, returns the beast’s love.  Beauty, says this fable, is not just skin deep. The story has been rewritten numerous times over the years, notably by Andrew Lang in 1889 in the Blue Fairy Book.

A 1946 film version by French director Jean Cocteau introduced the idea of inanimate objects in the Beast’s household coming to life. The film was nominated for the Festival Grand Prize at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival and in the same year won the Prix Louis Dullec. Listed in the British Film Institute’s Top 50 Films that everyone should see by the age of 14. This version includes a bit of the Cinderella story with Beauty having two cruel sisters who make her do all the housework. Currently, it’s available to stream for free on the internet at Tubi TV and Movies [https://tubitv.com/movies/568421/beauty-and-the-beast]

The Disney studios attempted to make Beauty and the Beast into an animated film first in the 1930s and again in the 1950s, but the projects never reached the theaters. After the success of The Little Mermaid as a musical in 1989, they decided to try again, turning the story into a light musical and introducing an element of comedy that was missing in most of the earlier versions.

It was a huge success. Released in 1991, with a book by Linda Wolverton and music by Alan Menken, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast became the first animated film ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

The movie was adapted for the stage in 1994. The current version playing at the Garfield is a reworking of that version, shortened and geared for a younger audience. As Kafka Smith observes in her “Director’s Notes,” most of the violence and “scary parts” of the original version have been scaled back. For example, in this version, the wolf pack that attacks Maurice and Belle is played by the younger children in the cast, who simply chase the other characters around the stage. The result is a family friendly, live-action version of the 1991 Disney movie.

The play begins with a brief scene—played in pantomime, with narration by Todd Steffes—where an arrogant young prince denies hospitality to what he believes to be an ugly, old beggar woman. She offers him a rose as payment for shelter from the storm, but he repulses her. She then reveals herself as an enchantress, both young and beautiful. In punishment for his selfishness and cruelty, she casts a spell, changing him into a hideous beast. He is cursed to remain a beast until he stops judging people by their appearances and learns instead to love and be loved in return. But if he has not learned his lesson before the rose withers and its last petals fall, he will be doomed to remain a beast forever.

Years pass. The story moves to a small French village nearby. Belle, the daughter of an eccentric inventor, is played by Shannon Carter. Shannon’s stage father, Maurice, is played by her real-life father, Brian Whitaker. She is going to the village square to find a new book to read. The other villagers consider her odd, especially because of her avid reading.

Enter Gaston (Max Hagan), a self-important hunter who has decided to marry Belle – but he quickly finds that she’s not interested in him. And she’s certainly not interested in the kind of subservient relationship he expects of a wife. All the villagers oh and ah as Gaston flexes his muscles like a body-builder. He’s clearly the village hero, albeit a self-important, conceited one.

This version of the story is more feminist than earlier ones, with Belle being not only attractive in appearance but also kind, intelligent, resourceful, and brave. She has a mind of her own; she is not just a pretty face. As she says later, to one of the Beast’s servants, “He may be your master but he’s not mine.”

Gaston and his sidekick LeFou (Russell Laing) go to the tavern to sulk and brag, while Belle meets her father Maurice, who is preparing his new invention for the annual fair. When it is ready, he heads off, only to get lost in the forest, where he is pursued by wolves. Maurice escapes, eventually finding himself at the Beast’s castle, where he is made prisoner.

Also at the castle, we meet the Beast’s staff, servants whom the curse has transformed into household objects related to their work or personalities. JW Ruth plays Lumiere the candelabra while Colby Crawford is Cogsworth the clock. Annie Sparks rules the kitchen as Mrs. Potts, a kind and motherly teakettle, whose small child has been transformed into Chip, a teacup.

Natalie Hagan plays Babette, the vivacious, flighty feather duster, and Maya McGrory proudly portrays the vanity bureau. These characters are the source of considerable comedy. Lumiere and Cogsworth are especially adept at physical comedy, but the script provides good bits for all them to display their talents.

The repartee among the clock, the candelabra, the teakettle, and other characters is full of puns—both visual and verbal. Lumiere, the candelabra, mentions being “cut to the wick,” while the clock, in referring to a style of decoration says with a laugh, “If it’s not Baroque, don’t fix it.” One of the characters at the castle used to be an opera singer—a rather conceited and bragging one—before the spell was cast. Her French name, “Madame de la Grande Bouche,” translates as “Lady with a Real Big Mouth.” Appropriately enough, she has become a piece of furniture, specifically, a “vanity” bureau complete with mirror.

The servants are also anxious to break the curse. The flirtation between Lumiere and Babette is both hilarious and poignant. Lumiere speaks with an exaggerated “Ooh-la-la” French accent as he shimmies and gesticulates his love—and lust—for Babette, the feather duster.  She tickles his fancy, he says and sneezes, but there is not much he can do about it with candlesticks for arms.  These two, like the other servants, all yearn to be human again.

Learning that her father is lost, Belle goes to find him and, in her turn, arrives at the castle. When she learns that her father is a prisoner, she offers to trade places with him. The Beast (Matthew Rein) at first refuses, then accepts the offer on condition that she can never leave. Thus begins a relationship that the servants eagerly hope will break the spell – but the course of true love is, as always, fraught with difficulties.  There are calls to “Kill the Beast” and the castle is attacked by a mob of villagers, led by Gaston, of course. Not the least of their troubles, however, is the Beast’s entitled, tyrannical manner in contrast to Belle’s kindness and fierce independence.

On the way to the happy ending, the cast shows its talents in several wonderfully choreographed musical numbers, including ensemble pieces with the townsfolk – notably “Gaston.” The Beast’s servants also shine – particularly in “Be Our Guest.” All the main leads – especially Gaston and Belle – have strong voices, and each has one or more solo pieces. The accompaniment is pre-recorded, which should help provide a welcome degree of consistency from one performance to another.

The music itself, while enjoyable, is not especially memorable, especially in comparison to songs from earlier Disney musicals. There’s no equivalent of “When I Wish Upon a Star,” “Some Day My Prince Will Come,” or “Heigh Ho, Heigh, Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go” that people will exit the theater singing to themselves. But in the context of the show, the lyrics are fun and the music works. What really pulls it all together is the sparkling choreography by Natalie Hagan, along with the costumes and the energy and enthusiasm of the cast. The ensemble dances are fabulous. The audience at the production’s opening night cheered enthusiastically, and the standing ovation at the final curtain felt as if it was truly earned instead of just a conditioned reflex, as happens all too often these days.

The performance gets an extra dash of energy from the presence of several younger actors. Prominent among them is Divya Shajwani, who plays Chip – Mrs. Potts’ child, transformed by the spell into a chipped teacup sitting on a table. She has only a few lines, but she projects great charm.

Other young actors – who among other things portray the pack of wolves lurking in the forest and a set of salt and pepper shakers – include Caroline Curran, Camden Hubbert, Clover King, Henry Mann, Mila Shepherd, and Claire Williams. Olivia Coppage and Carly Mourlas play two slightly older village children. S. R. Mohan and Grace Sutherland are appropriately gushy as two village girls who, taken in by Gaston’s charms, have a crush on him and weep and wail convincingly when they hear he wants to wed Belle.

Other adult cast members are Heather Campbell, Chris Hansen, John Mann, Bob McGrory, Steffi Rickerts,  Heather Robuck, Maryann Shoge, and Suzanne Thuecks. As is common in local theater, most play several different characters as well as joining in the chorus and dance ensembles.

The set is simple but very effective. A video screen at the back shows images of the village, the forest, or rooms in the castle. A couple of reversible panels at the front are quickly changed for different scenes, so there are no lengthy scene changes that slow down the pace of the show. There’s a tower at one side, on top of which is the rose, and a few pieces of furniture that can be easily shifted as necessary. The table that Chip the teacup appears to rest on is especially clever. Only the actor’s head is visible above a white table cloth. The table is on a cart with wheels and easily follows Mrs. Potts around.

The red rose that holds the curse is visible throughout the play, sitting on top of the tower. And, by a magnetic special effect, it sheds its petals, one by one, during the performance. This isn’t easy to spot from the audience, mainly because the rose is on a different level from the main action. But it’s worth keeping an eye on it to see if you can catch it happening. The set and major prop pieces were designed by Butch Clark, Steven Arnold, Nic Carter, and the director, and were constructed by Carter, Clark and Benji Price.

The costumes are stunningly elaborate and varied, especially those of the castle staff. They include characters dressed as furniture, dishes, knives, forks, spoons, even a corkscrew. There must be a lot of quick costume changing going on behind the scenes! Heather Roebuck, Heather Campbell and Cory Palmer deserve special recognition for creating a distinctive look for this production. Also kudos go to Maya McGrory, who oversaw the stage combat; and to Michael Casey, the production’s musical director.

We’ve mentioned that Belle and Maurice are real-life daughter and father. The show’s “family affair” doesn’t end there. Shannon’s husband, Nic Carter, is the Garfield’s Theatre Manager and helped design the set and run the sound and lights. Stage manager Marlo Coppage is the mother of Olivia Coppage, a member of the teen ensemble. Max Hagan, who plays Gaston, is married to Natalie Hagan, who plays Babette the feather duster and did the choreography. John Mann, who plays the proprietor of the local insane asylum, is joined in the cast by his son Henry, who plays a wolf, a fork, and a gargoyle. Father and son also sing and dance in the ensembles. Bob McGrory, who is a baker, a spoon, and one of Gaston’s cronies, is the father of Maya McCrory, who plays Mme. de la Grande Bouche and the enchantress. And stage manager Katie Shajwani is the aunt of Divya Shajwani, who makes her Garfield debut as Chip, the Teacup. All in all, it’s a wonderful family-friendly production

The Garfield’s production of the Beauty and the Beast musical is in many ways the most impressive overall production we’ve seen on a local stage – and given the high quality of many previous productions, that says a lot. Anyone who enjoys theater should make it a priority to see this one – you will not regret it.

Beauty and the Beast opened at the Garfield on Friday, Dec. 6 and runs through Dec. 21, for a total of 11 performances. Note that the schedule is different from the normal pattern. Two Thursday evening performances have been added and all evening performances are at 7 p.m. rather than the usual 8 p.m. This makes a lot of sense considering the busy holiday season, the weather, and the number of school-age performers in the case. Performances run just under 2 1/2 hours, with one 15-minute intermission.

Friday, Dec. 13 – 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 14 – 7 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 15 – 2 p.m

Thursday, Dec. 19 – 7 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 20 – 7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 21 – 2 p.m. and  7 p.m.

Note – there is no Sunday performance the final weekend.

Ticket prices are $25 for general public, $15 for students. (Plus a small Eventbrite fee if bought online.) For more information and reservations, call the theatre box office at 410-810-2060