Casey Okamoto to Portray 'LeFou' in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Count Basie Theatre

Somerset resident Casey Okamoto will be playing a featured role in Phoenix Productions' upcoming April revival of Beauty and the Beast. This show will take place at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank for a two-weekend run beginning April 29th.

Okamoto is a well-known member of the Somerset community. He is a Quality Control Assistant Manager in Somerset's own House Foods, and graduated from Rutgers University in 2004. Casey has stage managed at Villagers Theatre in Somerset, and made his Paper Mill Playhouse debut in the chorus of their 2015 production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Casey is a familiar friend to the Phoenix family, having been in 11 Phoenix shows, amongst them Patsy in Spamalot, Ching Ho in Thoroughly Modern Millie, and the Tenor in the Barber Shop Quartet for The Music Man. Equally talented on the stage and off, Casey has been known for his extraordinary skill set.

"I met Casey when I was working crew for Phoenix's 2011 revival of Hairspray", says Mikayla Petrilla, a Phoenix performer. "His work ethic and professionalism is unparalleled, and I thought I couldn't be more impressed. I was wrong. Seeing him on stage in Phoenix's revival of The Music Man showed me how versatile and talented he was. Plus, he can always put a smile on your face!"

In Beauty and the Beast, Casey plays LeFou, Gaston's loyal, energetic and bumbling sidekick. "Lefou just wants to be liked by everyone, which is very me," explains Casey on his character. Unlike Casey, however, LeFou "goes with the flow, and is the ultimate follower - I just take all of my experience of watching cartoons as a kid, and put my own take on him." In light of the live-action movie being released last month, Casey made the choice not to see the film prior to Phoenix's April revival. "I've heard incredible things, but I want to make sure that my version of Lefou is my own."

This classic story of everlasting love tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town who doesn't quite fit in, and the Beast, an arrogant young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will cease,and he will be transformed into his former self -- however, if time runs out, his castle and everyone inside will be doomed for all eternity. This "tale as old as time" offers a great opportunity to bring your entire community together for family theatre at its best!

Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature and nominated for nine Tony Awards, Disney's Beauty and the Beast includes all of the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman ("Be Our Guest", "Beauty and the Beast") , along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice ("Home", "If I Can't Love Her", and "A Change in Me" being just a few).

Phoenix's revival of the Disney musical premieres shortly following the success of the movie, bringing the story to life on the Count Basie stage, with sets, costumes, and a live orchestra. Performances of Beauty and the Beast will begin the final weekend of April with a Saturday, April 29th evening show at 7pm and Sunday matinee at 3pm. The second weekend will have performances Friday, May 5th at 8pm, a two-show day Saturday May 6th with a 2pm matinee and 7pm evening show, with its run concluding on Sunday May 7th with a 3pm matinee. Tickets are available at the Count Basie Theatre Box Office and can be purchased in person at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, N.J, by phone at 732-842-9000, or online at www.countbasietheatre.org.

Phoenix Productions is a non-profit community theatre organization that has produced more than a hundred full-scale revivals of Broadway musicals since 1988. For more information on Phoenix Productions or upcoming shows, visit www.phoenixredbank.com.