BWW Reviews: BEAUTY & THE BEAST plays PLACE DES ARTS - A Magnificent Gift from EVENKO

Magic was palpable yesterday at Place des arts in Montreal for the premiere of Beauty & the Beast, the north american tour by Networks, powered by Evenko.

Children are in awe by the living objects; adults feel the link to the main characters. This is one of the most beautiful stories of our generation, but also, this touring production is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen for Beauty & Beast. 

The sets and costumes have been adapted by the original team of creatives for the show. The colorful backdrops are magnificent and each scene feels like a painting, or even more so, out of a story book. The costumes have been modernized a bit for our era and we believe it.

Emily Behny, the actress portraying Belle, has a beautiful soprano voice, and just enough belt to support the Ashman/Menken/Rice score. Special mention to Logan Denninghoff in the role of Gaston; his arrogance and vanity are strong enough to make him go from total charmer in the first act to monster in the second act. 

The voices are beautiful, the acting is right on, and the choreographies are tuned to a T. On the other hand, two songs have not made the cut in this version of the show (No Matter What, a duo between Belle and her father, and Maison Des Lunes, an evil plan between Gaston, Le Fou and Mr D’Arque), and have been replaced by short scenes that fall a bit flat. Other than a few mike problems, the show was superb.

Catch the magic of Beauty & the Beast, a classic love story, at Place des Arts before Sunday April 29th.

For tickets: pda.qc.ca / evenko.ca