Beauty and the Beast: Scenes to Remember

After struggline to stay awake through the Broadway production in New York in 2001, I have since been unsure whether it was me or the show at fault.  So, it was with mixed feelings I joined a disappointingly small audience for the opening night of Beauty and the Beast.  This time I left more than satisfied and without a hint of a droopy eyelid.

The costumes are stunning - a human candlestick with flames, a human dresser with opening drawers, a human clock with a swinging pendulum, not to mention the teapot and the very cute Chip the teacup.  Similarly, the set is suitably rand and its various parts work together well, helping to create a sense of adventure and enchantment.

Performances were mostly excellent.  Louise flynn as Belle was totally convicing and despite an occasional anxious upper-register moment, her strong belt provided some lovely vocal interpretations.  The wonderful comic trio of Lumiere (Scott Andrew), Cogsworth (Mark Kilsby) and Mrs Potts (Sue Philips) was inspiring, as was Andrea Lundy's Madame de la Grande Bouche.  Gaston and his hapless sidekick Le Fou (Richard Shaw and Richard Rewa) created an amusing contrast of pomposity and stupidity.

Dean O'Flaherty as the Beast had mixed moments - though strong and convincing in his character and dialogue, his singing didn't always receive the support it deserved.  The orchestra overpowered when, for effect, he sang softly, yet didn't maintain its support when he built to a vocal climax.  Although this was partly due to the sound mix, there was also a thinness in the orchestration that at crucial times left O'Flaherty musically stranded.

Under the direction of Barry Jones, the orchestra, nevertheless,was responsive and energetic, the sound generally crisp and tight.

The numbers Be Our Guest and Human Again provided the requisite glitzy spectacle, with vocal energy, plenty of movement and interesting lighting plots.  Director/Choreographer Dean McKerras should be well pleased with his staging of this big theatrical undertaking, engaging his audience through some memorable scenes.

Technological shortcomings in theatre are unforgiving, and several missed microphone cues and a generally harsh equaliser in the sound mix were intrusive.  But the lighting complemented the stroy and performances very well, with clever special FX, particularly in the excellent transformation scene.  The crew appeared to work well, effecting generaly quick and seamless scene changes.

Definitely a show for the whole family - though the ticket prices will put many off.  Still way cheaper than New York prices, so it seems it was an expensive kip for me back in 2001, and no fault of the show!