Review: A Tale As Old As Time Framed in a New Retelling: MSMT Launches TYA Series with Robin & Clark's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

The fact that the classic fairytale of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is said to be "a tale as old as time" did not stop the musical writing team of Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark from deciding to tell their version of the ancient story by framing it within a modern one. Their heartwarming, sweetly funny version, enlivened by song and dance, which launches MSMT Theatre for Young Audiences 2021 season, makes for a magical and engaging entertainment for the entire family.

Written some twenty-five years ago, this lean, tightly scripted fifty-five-minute version retains a freshness that is both contemporary and charmingly quaint. The premise is that a schoolgirl (Cindy) has written her own version of the classic and convinces an acting troupe to present her play, in which she eventually gets to portray a pivotal role. This allows the customary Robin & Clark dual perspective of being IN the tale and stepping outside it to comment. The songs alternate between romantic melodies with poignant lyrics and witty parodies with wickedly funny lyrics.

Taylor Greatbatch directs with a sure hand, keeping the pace taut, the humor bright, and the tender moments at just the right sweetness. Ruchir Khazanchi is the accomplished music director ably leading the offstage ensemble of Kyra Teboe on second keyboards and Mark Fredericks on drums. Mikayla Jane Clifford provides the appealing choreography that includes a romantic waltz for Rose and Chadwick and a lovely ballet sequence, performed elegantly by Maggie McCowan and Lathan Roberts. Betsy Puelle creates an attractive set comprised of a frame of stone pillars, gargoyles, and hanging Gothic arch caps, with moveable units for the Beast's trellised Rose Garden, and the humble interior of Rose's village home. Travis Grant creates an elegant 17th century period look in his costumes, with a convincing transformative look for the Beast and a stunning rose petaled ball gown for Beauty. Greg Carville cleverly manages mood with his lighting design shifting from the warm neutrals of the village to the dark, eerie, and romantic tones of the Beast's world, while Nate Dickson handles the auditory aesthetics with skill. The stage managers are the efficient Kat Brown, assisted by Katy Sullivan.

The role of Rose (Belle), which is being shared by Natalie Nicole Bellamy and Maggie McCowan, was played at the opening performance by Natalie Nicole Bellamy. She brought a strong sense of identification with the heroine, a lovely, wistful presence, and a sweet soprano to the part and was especially touching in the final "It's Too Late To Say I Love you." As Chadwick/Beast, Kevin Lacey brings a well-schooled tenor capable of the contrasts of his music, and he captures the physicality and fierce façade of the Beast, while projecting a believable lovableness within. Matthew Hakel plays Rose's Papa (and Cogsworth), succeeding at creating the impression of old age through his extraordinarily facile and limber dancer's flexibility, while Rebecca Carroll and Caroline Quinn make Rose's vain sisters, both spunky and silly and then double as the Wardrobe and Mrs. Potts respectively. As the butler Maxwell/Lumiere, John Rouleau makes a strong impression both vocally and comedically and contributes a highly witty "Rules of the House." John Pletka plays Studley (Gaston) with just the right obtuseness and conceit and navigates the florid passages of his "theme song" with clever style. Mikayla Jane Clifford is a commanding presence as the enchantress, and the central figure of the contemporary schoolgirl, Cindy, is again double cast with Sophia Scott and Lizzie Hall sharing the honors. As the opening performance, fourteen-year-old Sophia Scott played the co-ed with breezy confidence and energy and demonstrated her vocal gifts in the reprise of "Imagination" toward the end of the show.

The audience of children and their families ranging in age from toddlers to octogenarians were palpably engaged in the play, with the children delighting in the moments when they were asked to interact with the script and the actors and the older folks laughing at nuances the younger ones may have missed and enjoying- quite simply- the experience of seeing their charges smiling and animated. And then there was the concluding moment of transformation - as Beast becomes Chadwick and he and Rose declare their love while the cast proclaims, "Beauty and the Beast/They'll live forever more." Brief and sudden and seemingly miraculous, it offers the happy ending that defines a fairytale, at the same time that it seems to express the collective longing of an audience for a tale that will never grow old.

Photos courtesy of MSMT, (Production Photo - Madeline Bonahue; rehearsal photo, Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold, photographers

BEAUTY & THE BEAST plays for four performances on August 12, 2021, at the Pickard Theater, 1 Bath Rd., Brunswick, ME 207-725-8769 or www.msmt.org

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