 In Scottsdale, PA, about an hour from Pittsburgh, a performance of "Beauty and the Beast" goes up at the Geyer Performing Arts Center, a beautiful traditional theater built in 1900. The timeless tale of the 1991 classic Disney movie becomes reimagined into a musical with both original music from the movie and new music developed for the stage show.
This performance, directed by Tina Lepidi-Stewart, tells the tale of Belle, a woman who is locked away in a castle by a Beast, to stay forever. During her time at the castle, she not only befriends the enchanted house items around her, she learns to love the Beast, thus transforming him and all of his cursed prisoners back into humans. After some short exposition, we begin by meeting Belle, played by Carsyn Rivardo. Carsyn portrays her character with true emotion. Her acting shows depth and understanding of the character and what she feels. Bringing the original tonality of Belle's gentle but distinct speaking voice, Carsyn develops chemistry with every character she meets, both protagonist and antagonist. She reads comfortably on stage and delivers her lines with conviction. The pit, composed of an impressive 14 musicians, helps to put the viewer inside of the world of mystical 18th-century France. We meet fun and animated characters, such as the trio of "silly girls", portrayed by Barb Rolla, Abby Lanzelotti, and Briana Pologruto. These three actresses play off of each other seamlessly, perfectly animating the whimsical and bubbly desperation they feel for Gaston (James Peperak). Their chemistry on the stage reads fantastically, as they add comic relief to each scene they're in. There are a few scenes where we are introduced to wolves, played by some of the ensemble cast. Its clear they worked on their "animalistic" movements, as their portrayals of animals involved smooth movements that added to the realism. The set is simple- until it isn't. In the town, there is very little on the stage. However, when we move to the Beasts' castle, the set becomes a multi-tiered and intricate display that helps envelope the feeling of an old, beautiful, but slightly haunting mansion. Once in the castle, we meet multiple characters who portray the humanoid objects around the house. Within this group, there are many standout and exceptional character choices. Lumiere, played by Elijah Gilbert, and Cogsworth, played by Jessie Glover, stand out particularly for an absolutely stellar performance. The two actors perfectly mimicked the voices of the original characters that we know, bringing the audience back to their childhood, and the children to the movie they love. Jessie and Elijah have fantastic stage chemistry with each other and give the true feeling that they've known each other for a long time trapped in the castle. Both have fantastic singing voices as well, with Elijah being highlighted in the audience favorite, "Be Our Guest". Elijah led the song with ease and confidence, and kept his unique accent throughout the song, which can be difficult to do. Another standout performance is from Babette, portrayed by Aubrey Burchell. This is another instance of an actor who knows exactly how to embody the character. Aubrey put her own spin on the character, but stayed true to its origin. She wonderfully grasped the overall "vibe" of Babette, being bubbly and animated, while staying sultry. Aubrey's performance felt very a la "Bernadette Peters". Lefou, played by Logan Ling, is another perfectly cast and played character. Ling wonderfully captured the whimsical, erratic, yet lovable nature that Lefou calls for. His energy and excitement for the role shines through, and his comedic timing is perfect. But most notably, we are introduced to the Beast, played by Brandon Kerr. Kerr's performance is by far one of the more impressive depictions of the Beast that I have ever seen on stage. He wears the Beasts' hunchback well with his movements. His speaking voice is reminiscent of the original Robbie Benson, but with a personal style wonderfully intertwined. Most importantly, his clarity and tone in his singing is truly something to behold. It brings the Beast to life and inevitably helps to humanize him when emotion is added into song. Kerr's impressive control over his voice is clear. He is also successful with integrating the Beasts' gruff speaking voice into his singing voice. "If I Can't Love Her" is a beautifully performed piece, and a real highlight to the show. Through all of this, by far the most entertaining and impressive number of the show is "Gaston", led by Gaston himself (James Peperak), who accurately depicted the confident antagonist with a healthy dose of toxic masculinity. The choreography (Leyna Wright) involves the iconic dance sequence with bar mugs clacking together. This notoriously difficult number was accomplished seamlessly. The number had a massive applause from the audience, and was a clear fan favorite; well deserved. Other parts of the show I would like to take a moment to highlight include the violinists in the pit (Larissa Marple and Toni Schilb) who captured the real essence of everyones favorite song, "Tale As Old As Time", led by Mrs. Potts (Peggy Bryan)- who did Angela Lansbury justice with her comforting voice. The ballroom choreography in this scene was also eloquently choreographed, and perfectly lands. Madame De La Grande Bouche played by Keegan Kraisinger had beautiful operatic top notes that stood out without being overpowering. The Beast and Belle had a very compelling and emotional death scene, as well as a climactic bout of camaraderie in the end scene featuring the entire cast. If you're looking for a fun night out with the family, a date, or even on your own, consider the theater. Beauty and the Beast runs only for the weekend of June 20th-23rd, so grab your tickets fast, at https://geyerpac.com/. **As always, feel free to leave comments with thoughts, questions, or corrections. - Alice, 2024
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