Giant beast steals hearts in Skylight’s moving ‘Beauty’
When W.C. Fields advised, “Never work with animals or children,” he probably should have included, “or a giant, spectacular puppet.”
An 8-foot-tall, articulated, puppet named Azor is an absolute heartbreaker in the Skylight Opera Theatre production of Gretry’s “Beauty and the Beast” that opened Friday at the Broadway Theatre Center.
Azor’s theatrical power lies in fabulous design and stagecraft, a team of four costumed puppeteers and one tenor/actor whose identity is obscured until the show’s denouement.
Therein lies the magic of fine stagecraft. The four puppeteers who move Azor (a.k.a. The Beast) about the stage and create his clearly readable body language, and tenor/actor Chaz’men Williams-Ali who, heavily robed and wigged as he sings and speaks for the puppet, somehow disappear from the viewer’s consciousness as the puppet’s larger-than-life character develops.
The puppet steals the show, and audience hearts, not with his giant sweeping gestures or stomping feet, but with a sad droop of his head and the gentle extension of one finger.
Skylight’s “Beauty,” a co-production with Opera Saratoga, was directed by James Ortiz, with music direction by Shari Rhoads, and was adapted by Ortiz and Rhoads. Ortiz designed the sets and puppets.
The opera’s story is the fairy tale you’ve known since childhood: beast loves girl, girl eventually loves beast, breaking an enchantment that had tuned a handsome young royal into the beast. Girl and ex-beast live happily ever after.
Soprano Gillian Hollis created a kindhearted, unselfish Zemire (Beauty) at Saturday’s performance, singing her character’s brisk, coloratura arias with grace, ease and a bight, sparkling sound.
Williams-Ali was wonderfully unobtrusive in his role as the voice of the beast. He sang with clarity, warmth and emotional depth, while creating almost no extraneous, expressive movement. When he finally appeared in human form, he was a beaming, charismatic king.
Baritone Eric McKeever sang with power and depth as Sander, Zemire’s father. The connection he created with his pure-of-heart daughter was a big part of the show’s emotional power.
Nicholas Nestorak (Ali), Erin Sura (Fatme) and Sarah Thompson Johansen (Lisbe) created a vocally strong, comically adept supporting cast, joined by ensemble members/puppeteers Alex Campea, Bria Cloyd, Sean Anthony Jackson and Alex Mace.
Fanciful period costumes by Shima Orens, three additional, delightful puppets and a turntable-reliant, constantly morphing, center-stage castle added to the show’s magic.
Rhoades conducted a tightly knit, nicely balanced orchestra of 13 players.