The Music Theatre West production of the Disney musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is slated to premiere in the Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan on March 4.
LOGAN – A huge cast is already in rehearsals for the upcoming Music Theatre West production of Beauty and the Beast.
That show is, of course, one of the most popular of the stage musicals from the Walt Disney Company based on the 1991 animated feature of the same name.
Although there are many familiar faces in the cast of Beauty and the Beast, MTW managing director Celeste Baillio says that the show’s well-known story and music drew a host of new performers to its audition sessions.
Veteran MTW performers in the show’s cast include Ms. Baillio, hilariously last seen as the drunken Miss Hannigan in the 2020 MTW production of Annie; Stanton Allen from the cast of The Music Man in 2019 as the major domo Cogsworth; Jamie Younker, last seen in the leading role of Marie in the recent local production of The Sound of Music; Elena Shill, fresh from her portrayal of Liesl Von Trapp in The Sound of Music; and Spencer Needham, from the role of Friedrich Von Trapp in The Sound of Music and Winthrop in The Music Man.
Several actresses who winningly played nuns in The Sound of Music are now cast in ensemble roles in Beauty and the Beast. They are Rachel Grob, Kate Neeley, Sarah Bast and Rachel Olsen.
Other MTW veteran in the cast of the Disney show are Mason Blanchard and West Burrell. Both actors performed in the cast of The Sound of Music.
Baillio says those MTW veterans have been joined by nearly 40 performers who may be less familiar to recent MTW audiences filling out the cast of Beauty and the Beast.
In the leading roles, Maya Borrowman will perform the role of Belle; Parker Beus will play the enchanted Beast, Brad Baillo will play the egotistical Gaston; and Alec Foote will perform as his sidekick, Lefou.
Filling the roles of the staff of the Beast’s castle are Zack Grob, Karin Gittins, Mason Bast and Kensie Bast.
Other members of the cast are Nathan Jones, Logan McKenna, Sara Marshall, Rachel Duffin Fillingim, Indiana Judd, Brandon Tremelling, Chrissy Webster, Amber Freestone, Kestlie Harding, Madi Draper, Natalie Osborne, Judy Ludlow, Ginny Teuscher, Morgan Jenkins, Hayley Brown, Chelsi Pulley, ParkerRae Strubhar, Sara McKenna, Marin Miller, Charlie Burrell, Alisha Wilkins, Samantha Jarvis, Aaron Lacey, Andrew Withers, Elliot Phares, Travis Leonhardt, Nathan Larsen and Paul Lacey.
Large casts are among the trademarks of MTW shows, although the local company staged productions of the small-cast shows Nunsense and Little Shop of Horrors during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
As everyone knows, Beauty and the Beast tells the story of a self-centered prince who is magically changed into a monster. To become human again, the Beast must earn the love of a beautiful young woman he has kidnapped.
Baillio adds that audience members whose only previous exposure to Beauty and the Beast is the animated feature are in for a few surprises when they see this musical.
The stage version of the Disney story includes not only the eight original songs from the movie, but also six new musical numbers composed by the late Alan Menken.
Anyone expecting to see the characters of Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and Chip in the MTW show as they were in the 1991 movie is in for a disappointment, however. To simplify the staging of Beauty and the Beast, scriptwriter Linda Woolverton rewrote those characters into human servants who are gradually changing into household objects.
Evening performances of Beauty and the Beast are slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Ellen Eccles Theatre on March 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 12.
Matinee performances of the music are scheduled at 1:30 p.m. on March 5 and 12.