Opera House Players, Enfield, CT
Through November 25, 2018
by Michael J. Moran
In her “Director’s Notes” for the OHP production of “Beauty
and the Beast,” Becca Coolong attributes the continuing appeal of this “tale as
old as time,” most recently retold in two Disney films and this popular
Broadway musical, to the fact that it’s “a story of hope, of love, and of
acceptance.” Her diverse cast of 30 singing actors, including a Beast with
dreadlocks, brings it to colorful and affecting life.
With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim
Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, the story has two settings. The first is a
medieval French village, where the bookish Belle (“Beauty”) and her artist
father Maurice are regarded with curiosity by other townsfolk. The other is a
nearby castle, where a prince has been transformed into a Beast for his
selfishness and his servants are gradually turning into household objects. To
recover his and their humanity, the Beast must learn to love Belle.
Kaite Corda is a radiant Belle, with a gorgeous singing
voice and acting chops to match. Frank Cannizzo’s Maurice is a dignified and
doting father. While less impressive than his co-star, Silk Johnson's "the
Beast" has perhaps the show’s most poignant moment, when he releases Belle
from captivity to find her lost father. Tim Reilly plays the self-important
ladies’ man Gaston with hilariously over-the-top swagger, and Harper Laino is a
hoot as his obsequious henchman LeFou.
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| Kaite Corda & Tim Reilly |
Musical highlights include: Reilly’s exuberant celebration
of himself, “Gaston;” a joyous “Be Our Guest,” as Michael Graham Morales’ suave
Lumiere and the Beast’s servants welcome Belle to his castle; a lovely “Beauty
and the Beast” from Stevie Norman’s warm-hearted Mrs. Potts; and Erin Dugan’s
Madame de la Grande Bouche deliciously nailing a coloratura Mozart aria
passage.
Resourceful set design by Francisco Aguas allows for
seamless transitions between the two settings, and musical director Devon
Bakum’s four-member ensemble sound deceptively larger and consistently spot on.
Inventive choreography by Krista Brueno, ingenious costume design by Moonyean
Field, and Coolong’s skillful use of off-stage space at the company’s temporary
home in the Enfield Annex (formerly Fermi High School) further enhance this
entertaining production.
