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Monday, January 10, 2005
Beauty and the Beast
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW: “Beauty and the Beast.” Through Sunday, Jan. 16
With its refreshing twists on conventional fairy-tale wisdom, “Beauty and the Beast” returned to the Fox Saturday in a bare-boned but solidly executed and spunky production mounted by Theater of the Stars.
Hardly a down-on-her-luck Cinderella whose dreams come true thanks to a handsome prince, or a Sleeping Beauty transformed into a waking princess, also thanks to, three guesses, a handsome prince, this tale’s down-to-earth heroine is alive, well and thriving, even though — gasp — she’s single and reads books.
She’s considered something of a geek by her 18th-century (or thereabouts) French townsfolk, charming and musical as they may be, at least according to the Walt Disney 1991 animated film and ensuing Broadway show.
As she tells her ugly, furry co-star, Belle knows “how lonely it can be” to be different, in one of the more touching moments of this new production starring Christy Carlson Romano, who just left a 10-month run in the role on Broadway.
Also known for the voice of “Kim Possible” on the Disney Channel, Romano is joined here by a number of “B&B” veterans, both of the original Broadway production and of the national tour.
Based on Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont’s “La Belle et la Bête,” Disney’s version takes off when Belle’s eccentric father Maurice gets lost in the woods and ends up a prisoner in an enchanted castle, the master of which has been transformed into a rude, ugly beast for a past ugly deed.
His servants have also been transformed, comprising a veritable riot of talking objects from a stuck-up clock (Cogsworth), to a Maurice Chevalier-style candelabra (Lumiere), to a teapot and her teacup son (Mrs. Potts and Chip). Under the terms of the magic spell, all will remain stuck as objects until the Beast experiences mutual love.
Belle arrives on the scene and persuades the Beast to let her dad go, in exchange for her remaining at the castle. One thing leads to another and all kinds of magical metamorphoses ensue by story’s end.
If you’re looking for a Disney special-effects extravaganza, look elsewhere. This production is bare-boned, relying on Linda Woolverton’s clever book, Alan Menken’s richly melodic score, some clever staging and mostly high-quality performances.
Burke Moses has the Beast’s quirky head movements and burly bad manners down pat, his creamy rich baritone revealing the warm, vulnerable human beneath. Tony Lawson, also strong musically, is superb as the breast-beating egomaniac Gaston, and Rob Lorey’s Lumiere is comedic timing at its finest, as is Michael Fitzpatrick’s stuck-up, Brit-speaking Cogsworth.
Romano makes a highly believable, sympathetic young Belle, her fine acting compensating for vocalizing not always up to the level of her colleagues’.
As perhaps the first ever African-American Mrs. Potts, local star Bernardine Mitchell is an interesting casting choice for a part usually played with a British “spot-of-tea” accent.
Local fourth-grader Mark Gay as her son Chip smiles and quips sweetly and consistently. Additional cast standouts include Ray Demattis as Maurice, and Patrick Garrigan as the ever pratfalling and much abused Lefou, Gaston’s faithful servant.
Kudos to director Drew Scott Harris for the company’s infectious esprit de corps and to musical director Tom Griffin and his above-par pit band.
Sound levels are occasionally painful — bring earplugs; otherwise, an enchanting journey for all ages.
THE VERDICT: No need for frills when the core ingredients are so strong.
THE 411: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Through Jan. 16. $20-$52. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-817-8700; www.ticketmaster.com
