Beauty and the Beast
Elaborate Enchantment
By Sally Lubetich
The Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, directed by David Post is a talent extravaganza!
The eighty-six-member cast of very talented kids gives life to this production, which was first done as a highly successful animated feature. The songs and story will be very familiar to children who have seen the cartoon. But something very special happens when a cartoon comes to life. It has a pulse, it breathes, and it has a momentum that can only be experienced live.
Savanna Balfour is marvelous as Belle. Her talent shines throughout the performance. Brad Anderson is frightfully good as the Beast. His songs are beautifully sung and very moving. Jack Eiford is a riot as Gaston the conceited and nefarious rival for Belle’s affections. Candice Lundy (Mrs. Potts), Zoe Sheubkopf (Cogsworth), Kaleb VanRijswijck (Lumier) and Abrah Fridberg (Babette) are terrific as the enchanted and enchanting castle staff. There are so many noteworthy supporting performances, from Gaston’s minions singing “No one looks like Gaston” to the entire silverware drawer’s rousing number “Be Our Guest”. Even the vaudeville style skits that are done during scene changes keep the audience entertained.
This isn’t just a “princess” story. There is an amazingly choreographed fight scene between The Beast and Gaston that will take your breath away. Certain elements of the play may be frightening to small children. But this production is so beautifully done that the scary moments serve to enliven the story all the more.
With its rich ornate décor, The Mount Baker Theatre is the ideal venue for this production. The elaborate set, designed by Steve Craig, transforms from village, to castle, to deep dark woods with the help of a top-notch stage crew, led by Stage Manager Lacey Oleson.
This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to live theater.
Beauty and the Beast runs for three show only. Friday, June 5, 2009 at 7:30 pm and Saturday June 6, 2009 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. Call 360-734-6080 or online at www.mauntbakertheatre.com for tickets.