Beauty and the Beast performance stunning
A “tale as old as time” came to life with stunning grandeur during Governor Simcoe’s dazzling production of Beauty and the Beast.
This performance was every bit as stunning as the movie itself. Seamless set changes, striking vocals, and high energy dance numbers swirled together to deliver a truly magical experience.
This timeless story tells of a young woman, Belle (Jocelyn Black), who lives in a small French village with her eccentric father, Maurice (Mitchell Epp). She yearns for a life beyond the confines of her town, and turns to books to help escape her mundane surroundings. In the nearby woods, unbeknownst to them, lives a cursed Beast (Brandon Ames) and his servants, who are doomed to live as household objects. When Belle’s father is kidnapped, she takes his place as the Beast’s prisoner. To both Belle and the Beast’s surprise, however, they begin realize: there may be something there that wasn’t there before.
The lively, fast-paced nature of the musical may have presented potential problems in the need for versatile costumes and quick set changes. The cast and crew more than rose to the challenge, however, and kept the production moving fluidly. And, in what may be record-holding time was Ames’ on-stage transformation from Beast to man in under a minute. Ames emerged as Prince Charming, looking utterly composed with his mike still perfectly in place.
Black’s breathtaking vocals and passionate delivery made her portrayal of Belle utterly captivating. Complete with stunning costumes — her blue dress, the gorgeous red cape, and of course, the yellow ball gown — she perfectly captured the essence of Belle.
Gareth McIntosh played Gaston, the local chauvinist and Belle’s relentless suitor. McIntosh’s performance was a crowd favourite, winning him the heart of every audience member. His presence dominated the stage, and his vocal performance was equally stunning, staying perfectly on pitch even when hoisting characters overhead.
All members of the household staff delivered truly exceptional performances, led by the iconic duo Lumiere (Mathew Taylor) and Cogsworth (Jonathan Fogg). Taylor’s outgoing French charm contrasted perfectly with Fogg’s reserve, and the banter between the two had the audience in tears with laughter.
The iconic final dance between Belle and her prince returned all 66 members of the cast to the stage for a heartwarming final scene that brought with it a wave of nostalgia. The beautiful lighting, signature costumes, and live orchestra music all came together to deliver an unforgettable experience. The electric chemistry shared by the entire cast truly radiated as they sang the wonderfully familiar final song.