CHICAGO—Once upon a time, on a dark and bitterly cold winter night, an old woman shows up at the door of a prince’s castle. She is willing to give him a beautiful red rose if he’ll let her stay and shelter for the night. The prince takes one look at her tattered and poor appearance and turns her down.
The woman tells him that he shouldn’t be fooled by someone’s outwardly appearance because the inner person is where beauty lives. The prince isn’t persuaded and rejects her entreaty. It was an unkind and not very smart move since the old woman is really an enchantress. She transforms the prince into an ugly beast and his servants into a variety of household objects. She leaves the red rose behind to act as an hourglass. The only way the prince can break the spell is to learn to love and to earn the love of another before the last petals on the rose fall off.
Made for the Theater
Masterfully directed and choreographed by Amber Mak, in keeping with the original direction by Robert Jess Roth, this show is an imaginative treat. But this isn’t just a cartoonish presentation meant for an audience of little ones. Indeed, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater has spared no expense in making this a lavish theatrical gem.
The dazzling set design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec frames the stage with giant leather-bound books, one of which reads “La Belle et la Bête.” That’s the title of the 1740 fairytale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, from which Disney adapted “Beauty and the Beast.” That storybook motif continues as a book is spotlighted on center stage, waiting to be opened by a little boy whose action begins the musical. The pages of the book, which are projected on a back wall by Mike Tutaj, are turned to reveal the inner rooms of the Beast’s castle.
Right from the start, it’s obvious that this carefully, elegantly designed show is not just for children, especially as the more mature members of the audience hollered and clapped their approval right along with the kids.
The ingenious and lavish costume designs by Theresa Ham are truly fantastic. It’s not an easy task to transform real people into life-sized inanimate objects, but she succeeds in turning Lumiere (charming Christopher Kale Jones), the suave maître'd of the castle, into a brightly lit candelabra complete with flaming lantern hands and head; changing Cogsworth (James Earl Jones II), the head of the household, into a funny, smart-cracking mantelpiece clock; making Mrs. Potts (Rebecca Prescott), the maternal head of the kitchen, into a teapot; and enclosing Potts’s son, Chip (Evie Hsu), into a steaming teacup.
The musical score, composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, retains all of the film’s original songs. While all of the musical numbers are feel-good upbeat, the highlight numbers are “Belle,” “Gaston,” and “Be Our Guest.” Indeed, the showstopper is “Be Our Guest,” in which the entire cast high-kicks a spirited can-can dance reminiscent of the 1930s’ Busby Berkeley extravagant film choreography.
Of course, the production is impressive because of its enthusiastic feature performances. Audrey Hare is an engaging Belle, the kindly young girl who takes care of her father and loves books. David Sajewich makes for a hilarious Gaston, the local stud who struts on stage and is so narcissistic and egotistic that he can’t believe that Belle, whom he chases only because she’s the most beautiful girl in town, isn’t interested in him. And a commanding Jason Michael Evans is the terrifying Beast who comes across as gruff and lacking in compassion, but who really has a warm heart buried beneath a cold exterior.
If you want to introduce your children to a musical that offers a powerful moral as to the importance of not judging people by outside appearances, and if you want an inspirational family experience, this is the musical to see. Indeed, as of this summer, this irresistible “Beauty and the Beast” is the best show in town.
