Eleven years after opening on Broadway, "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" has become an impressive theatrical juggernaut. This month alone, more than 100 theater companies across America have been certified to stage the show, including Fairfax's American Music Stage, finding both spirit and humor in the musical.
This is not just "Beauty and the Beast," the familiar fairy tale. This is " Disney's Beauty and the Beast," with the name of the entertainment behemoth firmly affixed. The mouse house based this stage version on its celebrated 1991 animated film and maintains tight control over every production. American Music Stage doesn't have the resources to create the spectacle for which the show is famous, but it appears it has gotten imaginative costumes and even props from Disney. AMS, with a 10-piece orchestra, uses a skillfully written, Disney-supplied downsized version of the score, which still creates a lush, full sound.
Most theatergoers only want to know if the show is worth seeing and if their kids will enjoy it. The answer to the first question is yes and the answer to the second is, it depends. Director Pat Saavedra and the large cast and company create an enjoyable 2 1/2 hours of enchantment. There are lovely songs, rudimentary dance numbers, a fair number of laughs (the kids love the Beast), a worthy message that real beauty is found within and genuine emotion. But with a second act that doesn't begin until 9:45 p.m., younger family members may fall asleep just as this production hits its stride.
Briefly, this is the tale of a prince who is turned into a beast as punishment for recognizing only surface beauty. His castle is under a spell and his servants are transformed into such objects as candelabra, a clock and a teapot. A series of events puts a beautiful maiden in the castle, where she begins to see the beauty of the beast's transformed heart behind the hideous exterior and he is returned to princely form.
American Music Stage abandoned the Ernst Theatre in Annandale, leaving behind its ghastly acoustics, and is now performing at the larger Heet Auditorium at Paul VI High School in Fairfax. The sound is infinitely better, even if AMS seems to have brought along the same faulty microphone system and asleep-at-the-switch technicians, resulting in spotty vocal amplification. But Rosemary Dyer's orchestra sounds magnificent and, when mics are working, the singers do too. Unfortunately, the lighting design is poor, heavily reliant on spotlights that blast the performers with harsh light and create terrible shadows. And the stage is dark much of the time, the actors working in gloom.
Michael Nansel is commanding as the Beast and the show's intensity ratchets up considerably when he begins to dominate the story halfway in. His rich baritone captivates, even from under the massive Beast's headgear. Nansel communicates deep humanity in his tour de force performance of "How Long Must This Go On," which he turns into an operatic-sounding aria, and he ends act one with a moving "If I Can't Love Her." Iliana Inocencio is a vibrant Belle, the Beauty, bringing intelligence and spunk to the character, her mezzo-soprano voice rich and clear.
The supporting cast is lively, with standouts including Cathy Kidwell as Mrs. Potts, the grandmotherly teapot who performs the lilting title song, and Walt Smith as Belle's father. Smith and Inocencio set a tender tone in the lovely ballad "No Matter What" at the top of the show. Martin Bestimt channels Maurice Chevalier as Lumiere, the singing candelabra who leads the company in a rousing "Be Our Guest." And little M. Clement is one of the cutest sights you'll ever see onstage as a talking teacup, with a piping voice and a disembodied head.
The first act seems slightly disorganized, but the cast gels after Nansel takes over the stage. By the time the show ends with tears and cheers, this is a cohesive, moving mix of music and message.
The show ends this weekend at Heet Auditorium, Paul VI High School, 10675 Lee Highway, Fairfax. Showtime is 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee For tickets and information, call 703-425-7529 or visithttp://www.americanmusicstage.com.
