The tale may be as old as time, but the latest musical production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is definitely a new achievement for Lyric Light Opera of the Northwest.
For its third production, Lyric Light Opera picked a beloved Disney story that just ended a successful run on Broadway. It’s got more elaborate costumes and setting challenges than either of the company’s previous endeavors (“Annie Get Your Gun” in 2006, and “Brigadoon” in 2007), and the budding musical theater company met the challenges with aplomb.
The set — especially the castle — was a masterpiece of ingenuity. A section of wall at the back of the stage contained the great front door, and rotating set pieces on either side transformed the whole into either the outer walls or various inside rooms.
And the costumes were equally clever, blending the humans they once were with the “things” they are slowly becoming. (In a departure from the movie plot, the characters in the play’s enchanted castle are not yet fully objects, but are slowly transforming into objects. This is made clear when halfway through the play, Cogsworth, played by Kevin Cobley, comes in with a newly acquired winding key protruding from his back.)
The Beast’s transformation scene at the end of the play was so smooth and magical that it wasn’t till the drive home afterward that I figured out how they must have pulled it off. (I won’t spoil it for those of you who will be going to see the play this weekend.)
As one would expect from a company with “opera” in the name, the singing throughout the musical was top notch. Belle (Elise Campello), especially, had a voice to fit her name beautiful. And Charlene Niemeyer’s rendition of the title song as Mrs. Potts would have given Angela Landsbury (who played the animated teapot in the film) a run for her money.
The one exception to the stellar vocal cast was Belle’s father, Maurice (Bob Nydegger). Fortunately, the role of Maurice doesn’t need a strong singer he’s only got one song, which he sings with Belle. What it does require is someone who can play a convincingly odd-but-lovable father figure. And Nydegger did that quite well.
The only major problem on opening night was a number of technical glitches with sound mics not coming on at the right time, picking up feedback, etc. A couple such moments left me cringing (think fingernails on chalkboard). But through it all, the actors never missed a beat.
If not perfect, the production certainly was charming, genuine and full of heart. Even the minor characters shone with enthusiasm and professional polish (think handspring-turning rug).
Lyric Light Opera’s motto is “Heartwarming, Uplifting Family Entertainment.” With “Beauty and the Beast” it achieved precisely that.
“Beauty and the Beast” continues Sept. 26 through 28 at the Kirkland Performance Center, 350 Kirkland Ave. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 425-893-9900 or visit www.kpcenter.org. For more information about Lyric Light Opera, check out its Web site at www.lyriclightopera.org.
