Review – Beauty and the Beast 2006

“VOS Hits Right Note in Beauty”

By:	Adrian Chamberlain, Times Colonist
For:	Beauty and the Beast
Who:	The Victoria Operatic Society
Where:	McPherson Playhouse
When:	November 2006
Rating:	4 stars out of 5

Published: November 26, 2006

The Victoria Operatic Society has staged notable success in recent years, including an enjoyably gory Sweeney Todd and a rip-roaring Crazy for You. Now, with a gorgeously costumed Beauty and the Beast, the VOS has done it again.

This is the stage v version of the popular Disney film, so the music and book are pretty goody stuff, even by musical theatre standards. The plot is familiar to most. Belle (the beauteous one) is considered the village-smarty pants because, um, who likes to read books. Thanks to the shenanigans of her eccentric dad, she becomes embroiled with the Beast, a former prince transformed into a Picasso-esque minotaur because he was rude to a passing enchantress.

There’s a solid cast here. However, in this production the star – curiously enough – is costume designer, David Hardwick. I’m told he spent more than 18 months creating these outfits, and it certainly shows. The costumes are a formidable challenge, with talking and dancing clocks, candelabras, teapots, chests of drawers and, of course, an adorable little teacup named Chip (cutely played by Hunter Watson opening night). Hardwick has concocted a wealth of elaborate costumes that not only work wonderfully, but look terrific. It truly is a coup, with scenes such as the banquet sequence, Be Our Guest, becoming a visual feast.

Principal and supporting roles are well cast and played. On Thursday, Kira Tozer displayed one of the stronger voices as Belle. She sang the big showstoppers in a pop style, yet the song I found most affecting was her simple rendition of A Change in Me, a lesser-known piece not even included in the original Broadway production. Dwayne Gordon has to belt out is songs while sporting a hairy monster mask. He did rather well, making the Beast’s speech suitably formidable-sounding and singing with an emotional intensity that dipped only occasionally into histrionics.

VOS veteran Stan Davis sings will and is amusing as the over-muscled Gaston. He’s well paired with sidekick Isad Etemadi-Shad, who is clever in the character role LeFou. Other notables include Jaymes D. Goodman, who was excellent as Cogsworth the clock, and Craig Wilson as Lumiere the candelabrum. On this night, no one sang better than Debbie Robinson who, as Mrs. Potts, is showcased fro the title song.

The choreography is strong, with large scenes such as Belles’ banquet and the rollicking tavern sequence being played out with a welcome intricacy and oodles of chutzpah. The lighting is a different matter. This production’s biggest downfall is a twilight effect that often made it difficult to see faces properly. There’s a big difference between creating a dusky atmosphere and leaving your principals in the dark. It’s a shame, as Misha Koslovsky’s sets are spectacular, boldly filling the entire theatre space.

The man-to-beast-and-visa-versa transformations are skillfully done, but I could have done without the battery of strobe lights (epileptics be forewarned, this production is your worst nightmare).

Overall, it’s an entertaining production with considerable appeal for youngsters and adults alike. Sure, the themes (beauty is only skin deep, it’s OK to be different, etc.) aren’t particularly earth-shattering. But this Beauty and the Beast is plenty of fun, and the VOS’s hard work has resulted in a truly professional standard.