Local actor Parker Beus appears as the enchanted prince in the ongoing Music Theatre West production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan.
LOGAN – Every now and then, it’s good to eat your words.
I’m on record as not being a big fan of Disney musicals. But that was before I saw the current Music Theatre West production of Beauty and the Beast.
In a word, it’s sensational.
I guess that I can take some solace from the fact that I’m not completely surprised. Nobody does big, sprawling large-cast musicals better than these MTW folks and this is one of their best.
Besides that, Music Theatre West has a sneaky habit of staging shows good enough to change my mind about musicals that I was absolutely prepared to hate like The Music Man and Annie.
And they’ve done it again.
Beauty and the Beast is, of course, hands-down the most popular of the stage musicals from the Walt Disney Company based on its string of animated feature films.
I can still remember sitting bolt update in a multiplex seat back in 1991 after hearing the first few bars of the soundtrack of the original animated film. That was all it took for me to decide that Beauty and the Beast wasn’t a cartoon with music like some of the previous Disney features. It was a full-blow musical.
And this show is more so now, with a half-dozen new tunes added to its original score. In its present form, Beauty and the Beast rocks, especially the lavish production numbers that director Lindsey Kelstrom and choreographer Stephanie White have arranged.
Ms. Kelstrom has an almost sinful embarrassment of talent to work with. The show’s opening number reveals that the young director is blessed with a choral ensemble with voices worthy of leading roles in the average community theater production.
The dancing is similarly outstanding and the incomparable Jay Richards conducts a splendid orchestra as usual.
Maya Borrowman is marvelous in the role of Belle. She carries the show effortlessly and her lush voice varies beautifully from a whisper to belt-out volumes.
But Beauty and the Beast is definitely an ensemble show and Ms. Borrowman is never alone on stage.
Stand-out performers in this jewel of a cast include Brad Baillio, who plays the buffoon Gaston with just the right mix of male bravado and obliviousness.
Zack Grab is perfect as the enchanted Lumiere, milking Stanton Allen for laughs as the stuffed shirt Cogsworth.
As Mrs. Potts, Karin Gittins touchingly performs the show’s anthem “Beauty and the Beast.”
As always, Celeste Baillio is a hoot as Madame Le Gran Bouche.
Last but certainly not least, Ms. Baillio’s costume designs are completely spectacular.
Also noteworthy was the fact that the Disney allure and the MTW reputation drew a nearly sell-out crowd to the Ellen Eccles Theatre on the opening night of Beauty and the Beast, including a significant number of young girls in their best princess dresses.
Those youngsters were among the first to join the richly deserved standing ovation for the cast and orchestra.
Given all that, I’m happy to eat my words for Beauty and the Beast.
The hard part is swallowing them.
Additional evening performances of Beauty and the Beast are slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Ellen Eccles Theatre on March 5, 7, 10, 11 and 12.
Matinee performances of the musical are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on March 5 and 12.