Not many high school productions can live up to the high expectations set by their audience. The original Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991, has become a beloved movie by multiple generations and continues to touch the hearts of viewers around the world. Newsome’s drama department has certainly performed up to the expectations set by local spectators through their creative costumes, tuning into their characters, and harmonious voices.

The play starts out with a humorous introduction by one of the play’s lead male roles, Gaston (Zach Garner), as he lays down the rules for the evening all while maintaining his character. He somehow twisted all the rules to relate back to the production being all about him. This idea of bringing characters to life was a steady theme throughout the entire play. All of the cast members were able to establish themselves as their assigned role and make them appealing to their audiences from their costumes to their personalities. Some of the more animated, comedic characters were certainly Lumiere (Sean Martin) and Cogsworth (Michael Cerrito). They were able to take two very pivotal supporting characters and truly immerse themselves into their portrayed roles. Other notable supporting characters include Maurice (Alex Lopez), Lefou (Daniel Milani), Babette (Corinne Posner), Mrs. Potts (Emily Velasco), Chip (David Kraack), and the Wardrobe (Alex Ahrens).

With every supporting character, there is also a main character. Belle (Lillian Kraack) and the Beast (Hayes Ubillos) portray these two in such a way that you know the original leads, Paige O’ Harren and Robby Benson, would be proud. The vocals and emotion put into these impersonations stood out amongst the other cast members. They took these roles and not only tried to act like they would, but truly submerse themselves into the characters. Lines and general qualities would not be sufficient. It was about the facial expressions, emotions, connections, and personalities built to support their portrayal and define who they really were in the play.

It’s easy to put a face on an object and animate it however you would like, but aspects of turning a person into an animated object can prove to have their own difficulties. The costumes were a major assisting part of bringing these characters alive. It was amazing to watch the transformation of people you see everyday walking the hallways into plates, clocks, candlesticks, and many other objects as well. Each costume was personalized to the person playing that specific role down to the last stitch of fabric. The makeup was also phenomenal as none of these students had a blemish on them. The fine details always make a difference between Cogsworth with a painted clock face on his own face, Gaston with the dark eyes, and the Beast with his own fangs.

There were no limits when it came to props used to liven up the stage and backdrops. An elaborate screenset provides the audience with a warm sense of familiarity bringing back childhood memories of the first time they saw the inside to the Beast’s castle. The withered down wooden buildings on the sides of the stage remind the spectators of the first time they saw Belle singing and dancing through the little town while reading her favorite book. The falling petals from the coveted rose given to the Beast by the enchantress gives the viewers chills each time a petal falls showing the limited time the Beast has left to end the curse.  

The melodic voices of the cast members and ensemble were spot on in all the numbers. It’s hard to pick a favorite since all of the characters have incredible talent, but “Be Our Guest” certainly brought many smiles and lots of laughter to the viewers. Dancing water, plates, pieces of cutlery, and favorite dining dishes were full of energy and charisma to enchant the audience with every word and step. The choreography wasn’t a stride out of line either, making the audience want to get up and dance along.

These aspects of the performance make it easy for the viewers to appreciate the message in the play – a thing must be loved before it is lovable and appearances can be deceiving because true beauty is found within. This lesson is conveyed to all ages in the same manner it was 25 years ago, through a fantastic storyline portrayed by an incredibly talented cast. It’s very clear that this production was well-rehearsed down to the very miniscule detail. Hours of rehearsal and practice certainly paid off in the end as the audience raved about the production giving a standing ovation after the very first show.

Now, it’s hard to have a spot-on performance especially on opening night. It’s near impossible. Although the cast had a near-perfect performance, there were some minor implications throughout the production that didn’t hinder the play by any means. Some costume mishaps (such as Belle’s bow almost falling off her dress and Cogsworth swatting off Lumiere’s candle hat) were covered up by some very impressive improv acting. Towards the end when the actors were singing close to each other the michs got a little sensitive too, creating a low-pitched echo sound that obstructed some of the words spoken on stage.

Last year many people didn’t think Newsome’s drama department could do much better than the production of Bye Bye Birdie, but through this year’s production of Beauty and the Beast, they were happily mistaken. With the leadership of Mrs. White and Mr. Bogue, the play was an absolute success. Increasing the amount of shows in three days has pushed everyone involved (cast members, directors, behind the scenes technicians, and many others) to the limit, exposing true character and determination to make sure that every show is just as phenomenal if not better than the last. You can see this amazing production today, Saturday, May 7th at 2:00 or 7:00 PM! Tickets can be purchased online or at the door for $10 (Senior/Student) and $15 (Adult). Make sure you don’t miss out on these last opportunities to see the tale as old as time.