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Beauty and the Beast at CHC
Calvert Hall Theater ran another phenomenal musical this spring with Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Calvert Hall has done it once again in its latest and greatest theatrical production, Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Last year's spring play, Les Misérables, completely blew everyone away with its stellar cast of simply arresting voices. It seemed nothing could top what had been done. In some respects, such as the limited background set design compared with Les Misérables' multiple sets, this was true.
That said, Beauty and the Beast was conducted exceptionally well, mainly because the directors, Mrs. Kelly Kamp and Dr. Jeremy Eaton, carefully crafted an inspiring and emotional production that they displayed in much the same way Disney Studios made the original animated film in 1991. I feel as though this production has much more to compare itself with the original than the live-action remake that came out last year.
The play was supplemented with engaging and elegant music provided by Mr. Kevin King and the pit orchestra and the passionate performances from the actors. Lucas Tudor '19 as the Beast was just so entertaining to watch, seeing how devoted he was to his character made for so many tense moments and emotional deliveries to such solemn scenes. Somehow he managed to express his emotions through all his make up and prosthetics for which I must applaud him and the special effects artist Hannah Brill.
Opposite of the Beast was Brina Rosen '18 as Belle. She radiated in her role as the strong and independent intellectual character that she was meant to be. She sold me on her developing relationship with the Beast with a realistic line delivery. The chemistry between the two main stars kept the story invigorating and fresh, though I have seen this relationship many times before.
Of course, what is a good story without its villainous antagonist and many supporting cast members? Graham Scheper '18 owned his role as Gaston, and reveled in his own smarminess and self-confidence for every second, and Jonah Wolf's '19 Le Fou was something to look forward to. To provide comedic and sensible stability,Andrew Collins' '18 Lumiere, John Moses' '19 Cogsworth, and Haley Metzger's '18 Mrs. Potts all shared the stage beautifully with charming performances to support the story. The back and forth between these three, especially during the "Be Our Guest" musical number, was absorbing and left a smile on much of the audiences' faces. Altogether, these actors and performers brought Calvert Hall yet another fantastic theatrical production to the stage, recognized both locally and beyond.
