Everyone’s favorite representation of Stockholm syndrome takes the stage this year at Edmond Memorial High School in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” Elaborate wardrobe pieces, incredible vocals and beautiful set designs all came together to make EMHS’s rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” a magical experience for the viewers.
“Beauty and the Beast” follows the story of Belle, a young girl with an obsessed with books. She is being pursued by the town’s favorite bachelor, Gaston, yet has no interest in him at all. One day, her father disappears in the woods and Belle tracks him down to a supposedly abandoned castle in the forest. However, the castle contains objects that can speak and a terrifying beast as the master of the castle. The beast imprisoned Belle’s father for trespassing, so Belle takes his place so her father can be free. As Belle comes to know the beast, she eventually falls in love with him.
I could talk forever about the casting of this musical and all of the actors’ performances. From what I know of the cast members from previous performances, there was no one better fit to play Belle than Berlin Flurry. Her vocals shone in many of the numbers, especially in the song “Change in Me” from the second act. As far as acting goes, she perfectly played Belle’s sweet yet fierce personality.
Beast was played by Braden Flud, who did an incredible job of showing emotion despite the costume of hair. I was shocked to learn that there was no voice changer to make his voice as the beast deeper. His singing was clear and beautiful despite the deep voice and bulky costume.
Additionally, all of the fan-favorite duos of “Beauty and the Beast” were cast and played to perfection. LeFou and Gaston, played by Seth Rosacker and Colin Nye respectively, played this dynamic duo, with LeFou being the main comedic relief throughout the musical. The iconic duo of Lumière and Cogsworth were perfectly embodied by Tate Rosacker and Connor Halley. Mrs. Potts and Chip, played by Evan Bayer and Nathaniel Reeves were an adorable mother-son duo as well, with Chip being played by a student at Central Middle School for a more realistic element.
One of my favorite parts of every EMHS performance is the intricate set and wardrobe pieces. This musical featured one of the most beautiful sets I’ve seen from EMHS so far. From the bright setting of the small village where Belle lives to the gloomy castle where the beast lurks, all of the set pieces were grand and brought the musical to life. I especially enjoyed the iconic rose that realistically dropped petals just like in the movie.
The wardrobe was incredibly enchanting from the villagers in the song “Belle” to Belle and the Beast’s final outfits in the ballroom setting. Belle’s iconic yellow and gold dress was nothing less than absolutely stunning. The audience gasped when she first entered the stage in the dress, and I gasped right with them. Additionally, objects like Clogsworth and Lumière were adorned with sparkly, elegant outfits that brought the characters to life.
The energy in this musical was unmatched from beginning to end. The show was opened by the pit orchestra with bouncy instrumentals from the song “Belle.” The orchestra breathed so much life into the musical, mainly with the perfected instrumentals from “Belle” and “Tale as Old as Time.”
The ensemble added so much to the songs, especially in the songs “Belle,” “Gaston,” “Be Our Guest” and “The Mob Song.” They provided emotion to the songs through the background singing. Another one of my favorite additions by the ensemble was the wolves that attacked in the forest. The wolves portrayed the attack through dance instead of a fight scene, which added diversity to the musical as a whole
“Gaston” and “Be Our Guest” were clear fan favorites as both received standing ovations during the performances. I loved all of the musical numbers, especially “Gaston” which featured a cute ensemble dance with the beer mugs in the tavern. In my opinion, “Be Our Guest” was a little too drawn out, which was around seven minutes long.
Overall, the EMHS theater arts program can check off another incredible performance this year. They did a beautiful rendition of a childhood favorite, making it even more magical in some parts than the original.
Contact Macey Thaxton at [email protected]
