It’s a tale as old as time … or about as old as the early ’90s, anyway.
“Beauty and the Beast” lit up silver screens as a Disney animated film in 1991 and took its place on Broadway in 1993. As screen-to-stage transfers go, this one had to be something of a no-brainer, with instant classic songs by Alan Menken (lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice), spectacular musical numbers and a swoop of saccharine romance.
The current tour — the latest of many for this perennial blockbuster — is part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series and runs at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh through March 1.
There are special effects galore, immersive scenes and an oh-so-cute cast, which helps cover the forever biggest weakness of “Beauty and the Beast”: its plot.
Starting off with a dramatic, sparkling, strobe-lit scene, we learn that an enchantress cursed a cruel prince (Fergie L. Philippe) by turning him into a beast (and his entire household staff into sentient objects, which seems unnecessary) until he finds true love. Next, we meet Belle (Kyra Belle Johnson), a dreamy young woman who lives in a small town and longs for adventure. Through some not-so-great adventures with her absentminded father (Kevin Ligon), she ends up being the prisoner of the beast — and soon, their feelings blossom like a magical rose.
I’m sure reams of paper and gigabytes of data have been filled with words about the strange aspects of this story. There’s the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing, of course — it’s a little hard to be excited for this weird-but-gorgeous bookworm to fall in love with a guy who kidnaps her forever (for … reasons? Why does he kidnap her forever?). Also, does the fact that he has an ulterior motive — not being cursed anymore — conflict with the whole “true love” thing? How did no one notice that this prince and his entire staff just disappeared one day?
Nonetheless, when the ensemble is tap dancing their way through “Be Our Guest” in top hats and shimmery gold costumes, it’s easy to forget all of those problems.
The actors themselves make it magical, too.
Johnson has the songbird trill of a Disney princess with a richness to her voice that makes songs such as Act Two’s “A Change in Me” soar. Her delivery is often sincere, but she also delivers a wryness that shows off Belle’s wit. Philippe’s Beast is extremely human. He possesses a beguiling innocence that makes him more believable as scared than as scary. And we can’t forget our charming castle subjects/objects, who often steal the show. Javier Ignacio as Cogsworth, Kathy Voytko as Mrs. Potts and especially Ben Sears as Lumiere illuminate the dreary castle with humor and warmth.
But of course, we mustn’t forget Gaston, our main villain. He’s after Belle and will stop at nothing — including getting her father committed, apparently — to get her to marry him. Stephen Mark Lukas projects all of the bravado and campiness that the character requires, being over-the-top hateable and hilarious, especially in his namesake song.
That scene is a good example of the stunning choreography in this show, with big dance breaks that display the grace and flash of the entire cast. Choreographer and director Matt West knows how to entrance an audience, putting together numbers that are, dare I say, cinematic.
Speaking of cinematic, this production may be decades old but it’s kept up with technology by integrating projections designed by Darrel Maloney that make you feel like you’re in a movie. Working in concert with John Shivers’ sound design, it’s an all-around experience. Aided by lighting designer Natasha Katz, flashes of attacking wolves, cozy castle libraries and brightening early mornings in a small town square feel real and breathtaking.
“Beauty and the Beast” was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won one, for costume design. And wow, it is clear why. Anne Hould-Ward’s costumes are spectacular, from the getups worn by the household objects to denote what they are to the ensemble’s 18th-century French fashions to Belle’s glitzy golden wedding cake of a ballgown.
But more about the best part, the Act One number “Be Our Guest,” where all of the people-turned-housewares of the castle come together to show Belle their best hospitality. It’s not every day you get to see a line of giant flatware just kicking and twirling their way through a big production number. And if they were inviting us to be their guests, we ate it up at Tuesday’s opening night performance.
It’s definitely Disney, and it may be more style than substance, but this show still has some magic up its sleeve after all these years.
“Beauty and the Beast” will run through March 1 at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh as part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh Series. For tickets, visit trustarts.org.
