'Disney's Beauty & The Beast' Takes WCHS PAC Stage This Weekend
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
A "tale as old as time" will enchant audiences this weekend on the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center stage.
The WCHS Drama Department is presenting "Disney's Beauty and the Beast."
Featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, show times are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 for students and $8 for adults. Pre-sale tickets are available for reserved seating. Contact the box office at 574-371-5040.
The story begins on a cold winter night. An old beggar woman asks a prince to let her stay the night in his castle. In return, she offers him a single rose. However, the prince, being vain and uncaring, turns her away. She warns him not to judge a person based on appearances, but he rejects her again. She shows him how beautiful she really is, and turns him into the Beast. His servants are turned into different objects.
The only way the prince can break the spell is to learn to love another and earn their love in return before time runs out.
Audiences then get to meet Belle, some years later. She's an avid book reader, which the townspeople find odd. She has attracted the attention of the narcissistic Gaston, the local hero of her town. He likes her only for her beauty, not how smart she is. Belle's not interested.
Her father, Maurice, an inventor, heads off to an invention fair. Along the way, he ends up in the Beast's castle and meets the servants. Then the Beast imprisons him.
Belle goes to find her father, only to take Maurice's place in the Beast's captivity. Belle falls in love with the Beast, but only realizes her love for him almost too late. A battle between Gaston and the Beast takes place, with one injured and one dead.
Some of the well-known songs in the musical include "No Matter What," "Gaston," "Be Our Guest," "There's Something There" and "Beauty and the Beast."Cast members (in order of appearance) include: Mike Yocum, narrator; Josh Savage, prince/townsperson; Kristin Allen, enchantress/townsperson; Hannah Crane and Alysha Croy, dancers; Cameron Carter, Beast; Ally Ferber, Belle; Colton Johnson, baker/townsperson; Gordon Blair, bookseller/townsperson; Michael Kuhn, LeFou; Jamison Westerbeck, Gaston; Shawn Bianchini, Maurice; Hannah Crane, Brianna Day, Henry Robison, wolves; Eugene Arrington, Cogsworth; Shay Dixon, Lumiere; Celeste Harris, Babette; Grace Bagshaw, Mrs. Potts; Victoria Betances, Chip; Alli Tucker, silly girl no. 1; Kayley Herbruck, silly girl no. 2; Natalie Bryan, silly girl no. 3; Haley Owen, Madame Grand; Jake Kolton, crony no. 1/townsperson; Lawne Francis, crony no. 2/townsperson; Luke Secaur, Monsieur D'Arque/townsperson; and Marisa Vogel, mother/townsperson.
Other townspeople are Elizabeth Ailes, Cristiana Aleman, Shelby Anderson, Hannah Bishop, Quinton Bolduc, Ryan Carmichael, Haley Coffman, Zach Collins, Alex Deeter, Cara Eastis, Zach Elder, Alex Floyd, Jenna Jones, Antonio Mantey, Trenton Marshall, Emily O'Daniels, Nicholle Potter, Emily Readle, Connor Schue, Kristen Schwenger, Kayla Smith, Mark Southworth, Susanna Stichter, Evan Watkins, Liz Watson.
Dinnerware dancers are Hannah Bishop, Hannah Crane, Alysha Croy, Brianna Day, Chelsea Hershberger, Sarah Kerschner, Sydney Pritchard, Henry Robison, Liesl Schroedl and Kiara Stewart.
Director is Dana McAfee, and music director is Scott Avery. Jean Beeson is assistant director and costumes. Scenic design by David Lepor, costumes by Stephen Hollenbeck. Production foreman is Dannielle Robertson, and stage manager is Laura Eberhardt. Choreography by Shay Dixon, with lights by Greg Griffin and Leonard Gagnon.
