BWW Reviews: Easy to Fall in Love with Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at The McCallum Theatre

Last night I fell in love ... again ... with Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST! And that was surprise. The Musical holds a very special place in my heart since Broadway's original Belle, Susan Egan, and Broadway's final Belle, Anneliese Vanderpol, are both former students of mine. I was looking forward to seeing the production - but I was, in no way, expecting to be so completely taken in. It was a first class production all the way and was, by far, for me, the best musical theatre production in the McCallum's 25^th anniversary season and the perfect way for them to begin to bring down the curtain on a tremendous and memorable year.

To begin - Hilary Maiberger was a remarkable Belle. She was honest and believable at every turn and has vocal abilities worthy of a Broadway stage. She was, so many times, reminiscent of Susan Egan in both her spoken and vocal delivery. By no means an imitation Egan - but equally "special" in her interpretation. Both of her solo turns, "Home" and "A Change In Me", were compelling and emotionally layered. She provided the perfect anchor for this "cartoon come to life" with a portrayal that was, at all times, honest and grounded and three-dimensional.

There were several stand-out performers in the company. Joe Hagar was a superb Gaston with a strong physical presence and exceptional pipes. His comedic timing was near perfect and he was "flesh and blood" and not "caricature" in his portrayal. Darick Plead's Beast was a strong counterpoint to Belle and his "If I Can't Love Her" was emotionally-charged and heartfelt. He was masterful in bringing charm, boyishness and vulnerability to the Beast and, like Belle and Gaston, played his role from "the heart" and was, thus, always believable. Erin Edelle's Mrs. Potts was warm and winning and her performance of the show's title song was a definitive highlight.

Both Shani Hadjian's Madame de la Grande Bouche and Jimmy Larkin's Lefou missed the mark and were so "over the top" that they were, at times, irritating. Every time they appeared I felt like I was watching a community theatre production with actors in training and they wore out their welcome by the end of the first Act. Their bits seemed contrived and false. And (sadly, built into the show) there was at least one pratfall too many for poor Lefou. Hassan Nazari-Robati (Lumiere), Jessica Lorian (Babette) and James May (Cogsworth) were all well suited for their roles although their performances were unremarkable.

The ensemble was energetic, polished and vocally stellar - although, much of the time, they reminded me of a strong civic light opera chorus rather that a professional company. The dance numbers were showstoppers, every one. The production values were - in a word - exceptional. Sets, lighting, sound and effects were exceptional for a road production and Networks gave the audience a similar, albeit slightly watered-down, visual feast as seen in its Broadway predecessor. And,why not? The creative team behind this tour - director, Rob Roth, choreographer, Matt West, Music Supervisor, Michael Kosarin, and Costumer, Ann Hould-Ward - were the masterminds behind the original Broadway production, winning them numerous awards, and none of their original magic has been lost in the "road show" translation.

Congratulations to McCallum Theatre President, Mitch Gershenfeld, for a tremendous season and for bringing this timeless classic to desert audiences. The McCallum Theatre and Rabobank present Disney's Beauty and the Beast for four more performance - today, Saturday March 23 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sunday, March 24 at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are priced at $105, $85, $75 and $55 for evening performances, and $95, $75, $65 and $45 for matinees. Tickets are available online at www.mccallumtheatre.com, or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787

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