Disney's Beauty and the Beast - the Broadway Musical

Centre Stage Youth Theatre Company made a welcome return to the stage with their production of ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’, which was directed by Jill Mason. Jill had a clear vision for this production, and it was as if the Disney cartoon had leapt from the screen to the stage. The production utilised excellent animations as backdrops for the scenes. These helped with quick scene transitions, which meant that the pace didn’t let up throughout the production. The cast were well-drilled in the direction and the overall blocking and stage positioning was good throughout. The transformation scene must strike fear in to the heart of any director! In this production, it was executed well, adding to the Disney magic. Costumes were fantastic throughout. Audiences expect to see costumes made famous by the film, and they weren’t disappointed! We had everything from Gaston’s red tunic to Belle’s iconic yellow ball gown. Congratulations to Claire Payton for her work.

Debs Stokes took the helm as musical director once again. The cast performed to backing tracks, with Debs conducting, making sure that they were in time. There were some very good vocals from the cast, and as an ensemble the power coming from the stage vocally was immense.

The choreographer was Kim Woodall. The cast performed the choreography with energy throughout. Highlights include the tankard choreography in ‘Gaston’, and the overall spectacle of ‘Be Our Guest’. The choreography was fun throughout.

The technical elements were of a high standard throughout. The sound balance between the backing tracks and cast was good – everything could be heard. The lighting design was good throughout. The video design was outstanding. It was magical and was reminiscent of the Disney cartoon. There were some great details throughout, including the shadow of the Beast appearing before entering the stage. The storybook during the Prologue was true Disney, and worked very well. Absolutely fantastic work from Simon Matthews.

Taking on the role of Belle was Milly Edwards. Milly proved to be the perfect Disney princess. She was able to show different characteristics of Belle, from the caring side as she looked after her father, to the strong side as she stood up to both the Beast and Gaston. There was a vulnerability to the character, which was pleasing to see. Milly was a breath of fresh air on stage, and she had a strong singing voice. A fantastic performance.

Opposite Milly, was Lewis Robinson as the Beast. Lewis was very good in this role, using his voice and body to invoke the size of the character. He was able to show the change in character well, slowly opening up and softening. There were moments of humour that Lewis brought to the character. Lewis’s vocals were good.

Arran Johnstone was great as the arrogant Gaston. Arran’s vocals were great, and he displayed a great knack for comedy in his interactions with other characters and his looks to the audience. He was ably supported by Eugene Millington, as Gaston’s sidekick, Le Fou. Eugene’s physical comedy was good and he led ‘Gaston’ well.

Charlie Mills and Matthew Hampson created a great double act as Lumiere and Cogsworth. Matthew was suitably pompous and uptight as Cogsworth, and had some great comedic moments. Charlie lit up the stage as Lumiere, with an over-the-top French accent. There was a cheekiness to Charlie’s character, which worked well. Charlie led the ensemble in ‘Be Our Guest, which was an excellent number.

Alice Middleweek played the motherly Mrs Potts. There were good interactions with the rest of the cast, and Alice performed the title song well. Alice sustained the Cockney accent throughout. Chip, Mrs Potts’s son, was played by Oliver Johnstone. Oliver was suitably wide-eyed and innocent, as he encountered Belle. This was an endearing performance from Oliver.

The other enchanted items were played by Tabitha Alcock-Bailey (Madame de la Grande Bouche) and Annabelle Goodwin (Babette). Tabitha was able to show a caring side to Belle. It would have been great to see the opera diva side to the character. Annabelle was flirtatious as Babette and worked well with Charlie.

Finley Hayes gave a solid performance as Maurice. There were glimpses of his eccentricity, which was pleasing to see. Finley showed a fatherly side, and did well vocally with ‘No Matter What’.

The ensemble appeared throughout as Les Filles de la Ville, who were suitably over-the-top in their interactions with Gaston, and Villagers. The ensemble were well-drilled in the routines, which were great to watch. The numbers that stood out were ‘Gaston’ and ‘Be Our Guest’ – both performed with energy and gusto.

Overall, this was a great production. It was visually stunning; there were some very good performances; and the overall direction was secure.

A big thank you to everyone at Centre Stage Youth Theatre Company for their kind invite and their hospitality.

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