Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. is simply a delight of the senses! It takes you away to the enchanting world where one minute you are at the edge of your seat, fearing for the beloved protagonist, laughing at the antics of the antagonist, crying for the injustice of life, to finally the relief that all is well in the world and justice wins out.
A tale as old as time…this story hails back to 1740 with a French writer, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont wrote down this fairy tale that has variations that have been around for possibly thousands of years. The first film of Beauty and the Beast was made in France in 1946 by Jean Cocteau. Disney released the film in 1991, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, It later premiered in 1994 on Broadway.
The Plot of Beauty and the Beast Jr.
Nearly everyone knows the story but to recap: A enchantress visits a handsome but selfish and spoiled prince. She puts a spell on him that turns him into an ugly beast. He is given a rose. He must learn to love and to be loved before all of the rose petals all fall off. If he does so he will be transformed back to who he was before but if he doesn’t then he will remain a beast forever. A beautiful but unusual girl (she loves to read), Belle, looks for her father who has wandered off into the woods. The Beast finds him in his home and imprisons him, selfishly thinking that he has come to spy on him. Belle finds his father at the Beast’s castle and demands that he release her father and keep her instead. Most fairy tales have happy endings and this is no different. Belle, who is sensitive and caring enough to see past his looks and crudeness, falls in love with him and he with her.
Performances
Juno Brosas (Belle) has an incredibly powerful and beautiful voice. Her flexibility in acting is obvious not only due her vocal skills but her ability to dance, floating constantly between scenes. She successfully plays the reticent bookworm as well as the strong woman who is protecting her father. Her foil is the hilariously funny and seriously egotistical Gaston (Evan Koons), the antagonist. Koons does a magnificent job of being a buffoon who is constantly posing. Koons voice, like Brosas, is magnificent.. His poses are side-splitting. Talking about Gaston–his wardrobe! Wow!
The other antagonist and Gaston’s right hand man is Lefou (Josh Galloway) accentuates Gaston’s ridiculousness in a humorous manner which is a pleasure to watch. Belle’s father, Maurice, (Bobby Montaniz is the most serious of all the characters even though the townspeople think that is insane. Montaniz convincingly plays the kind, inattentive and oblivious dad and inventor even though his part was relatively small. The ensemble actors are energetic. Their voices were harmonious and they truly look as if they are having fun. A favorite scene is at the tavern where Gaston and Lefou make a plan for Gaston to win Belle. The entire ensemble sing and dance with what looks like pewter cups that they seamlessly are clinking in a delightful melee.
Puppets and Puppeteers
The puppets and costumes for the furniture are incredible! Thanks to Kevin Frisch and The Frisch Marionette Company. Lumiere (A. James Jones) moves all of its lit candles and its face makes one question if it is actually a lamp or a real person. Cogsworth (Gabriel Kanai Nakata) is another incredible puppet who walks, talks and is in control, well, at least most of the time.
Who doesn’t love Mrs. Potts (Lena Andrews) and Chip (Parker Patton)? Mrs. Potts is a giant, lit up teapot that seems to be able to make expressions! Chip is naturally a smaller cup but who also has a personality of its own. The constant sweeping feather duster, Babette (Casey Merren) is fun to keep an eye on.
The two surprising pieces of the house, Madame De La Grande Bouch (Madeline Stern) who is the cupboard and the rug (Colton Slade). Stern can belt it out. Her voice was commanding and her performance was hysterical. The rug, whose costume is what looks like a rug engulfing his body, is incredible. He runs; he lies down; he acts like a chair so quickly one is astounded. The puppeteers wear time appropriate costumes, as well. The lighting helps focus on the puppets and not the puppeteers.
Design Elements for Beauty and the Beast Jr.
Noelle Wedig-Johnston (Costume Design) and Candace Leyland (Wig Design) outdid themselves. There are 30 actors with the majority being in period costumes. Then there is the Beast with his head, lower legs and hands are furry and beastly. There are two moving statues that are reading books and then there are a minimum of three actors that look like ghouls. All the costumes are extremely professional and varied. But Gaston’s costume! It definitely accentuates his body and the poses that he makes.
Lighting Design, Ben Gantose, and Scenic Design, Tyler Gabbard, is superbly done. There is the castle (inside and out), the town, the forest and the tavern. Huge sets move easily to meet the needs of that particular scene. The lighting switches between focusing on the puppets, the actors and/or the set design. It is a feat to accomplish. The music (Music Direction, Jamey Strawn) is beautiful and accentuates the actors’ voices beautifully.
Director and Leadership
As always, so many others play an important part in making a production like this great: Director and Associate Artistic Director, Maddie Jones; Director of Production, Dani Lobello; Technical Direction, Maggie Foley and Andrew Nunley; and Production Stage Manager/Assistant Director, Jadi Davis. Thanks to all of them for making this an outstanding musical.
It is simply amazing how many pieces of genius Roderick Justice (Artistic Director/Choreographer) puts out each year. How lucky are we in Cincinnati for such incredibly gifted and creative actors, technicians, and behind the scenes support staff? This city has so much talent!
Performance Dates and Upcoming Shows
I encourage you to enjoy this adventure. With or without children. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. remaining performances are:
- Sunday, October 13, 2:00 pm, 7:00 pm
- Friday, October 18, 7:00 pm
- Saturday, October 19, 11:00 am & 2:00 pm
- Sunday, October 20, 2:00 pm
- Homeschool Performance: Monday, October 21, 1:00 pm
Upcoming events are:
- Santa Claus: The Musical, December 7 – 16th, 2024
- Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, February 15 – 24th, 2025
- Disney Frozen Jr., April 25 – May 4, 2025
To get tickets, go to: https://thechildrenstheatre.com/
