Book by Linda
Woolverton
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard
Ashman & Tim Rice
Directed by Casey
White
Canberra Philharmonic
Society
Erindale Theatre to
23 March
Reviewed by Len Power
7 March 2019
Based on the classic French fairy tale, a musical ‘Beauty
and the Beast’ was first released as an animated film by the Walt Disney company
in 1991. In 1994 it opened on Broadway
as a live musical with all eight songs from the animated film and an additional
musical number which had been cut from the motion picture.
Original songwriter Alan Menken composed six new songs for
the production with lyricist Tim Rice, replacing Howard Ashman who had died
during production of the film. A huge
hit on Broadway, the show ultimately ran for 13 years. The original Australian production of 1995
had a young Hugh Jackman playing the leading role of Gaston.
Canberra Philo’s director, Casey White, has given the show
an epic production with a huge cast of enthusiastic performers and strong
production values.
Ian Croker’s set design is complex and spectacular and
serves the production very well. The
costumes designed by Heather Palazzi have the right fairy tale quality for the
villagers and her designs for the castle staff who are changing to inanimate
objects is particularly well done.
Leading the cast in a stand out performance is Charlotte Gearside
as Belle. She is totally endearing as
the sensitive heroine and sings her role with passion and great beauty. Liam Jones as her oafish suitor, Gaston, is
physically well-suited to the role and doesn’t shy away from the unpleasant
aspects of his character. However, his singing of the role was not up to the
demands of the score.
Lachlan McGinness gave an uneven performance as the Beast. It was hard to engage with his character as
his facial expressions were obscured by his long hairstyle and frequently
looking down at the floor rather than at the audience. He should command the stage with his big song
at the end of the first act, ’If I Can’t Love Her’, but his vocal ability was
not strong enough to make this song the showstopper it should be.
There was good work by all of the other principals in the
show, including Pat Gallagher as Belle’s father, Maurice, Pippin Carroll as
Lumiere and Tina Robinson as Mrs Potts, who sang the title number of the show with
great sensitivity. Sarah Bevan, Meaghan
Stewart, Glenn Brighenti, Jacqueline McIntyre and Gabriella Heron also gave
finely drawn characterisations.
The large chorus sang well and performed Madelyn White’s simple
but appropriate choreography very nicely, especially the spectacular, ‘Be Our
Guest’ number, which stopped the show.
Musical director, Caleb Campbell, obtained a fine sound from
the orchestra and the cast. The sound
seemed over-amplified for some of the singers, making it difficult to hear their
lyrics clearly. Lighting design by Carl
Makin gave the show a compelling atmosphere.
While the scene changes are complex they still need some tightening in
relation to the lighting cues and cast getting into place quicker.
This is a very entertaining production of a charming musical
that should delight audiences young or old.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on the Artsound FM 92.7 ‘In the Foyer’ program on Mondays
and Wednesdays at 3.30pm.
