Milwaukee Ballet’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is warm, dreamy
Milwaukee Ballet’s world premiere of “Beauty and the Beast” Thursday evening offered several important life lessons: never snub the poor, give your favorite book to your roommate and hire Todd Edward Ivins to redecorate your apartment immediately.
Artistic director Michael Pink’s take on Belle’s story does not ape Disney, but offers elements that would appeal to young Disney fans — and to families who make “The Nutcracker” an annual event: fairy-tale characters, star turns for many performers, moments of humor and a large number of teen and child dancers.
The Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy children shine as wandering orphans, younger townsfolk and as part of Ivins’ spectacular Rose Wall, with their little faces protruding through the flowers.
Pink has made Belle (Nicole Teague-Howell) a bookworm whose reading has made her both imaginative and empathetic, in contrast to her shallower and competitive sisters (Marize Fumero and Lahna Vanderbush). She agrees to go to the castle of the Beast (Isaac Sharratt) to spare her father Maurice (Patrick Howell) from a throttling for plucking one of the Beast’s roses.
For all the cool design and virtuoso moments in the show, what makes this “Beauty and the Beast” succeed is the decency and humanity expressed by Teague-Howell, Howell and yes, Sharratt as the Beast. In her simple blue dress Teague-Howell not only invokes other Belles, but also Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” a kind and plucky girl. Sharratt’s Beast, with his mane of long hair and vine-encrusted bodysuit, looks like a Cro-Magnon rock star, but comes off as a soul desperately trying to communicate.
Scenic designer Ivins’ other spectacular set piece is the Rose Bed where Belle reads and dreams about fairy tale characters from her book, bringing forth the three little pigs, the big bad wolf, Little Red Riding Hood and the Pied Piper of Hamelin. The end of Act One is a perfect Looney Tunes mashup with all of them dancing together, earning enthusiastic applause.
Some, but by no means all, memorable moments come from Parker Brasser-Vos and Randy Crespo as foppish suitors of Belle’s sisters; Janel Meindersee and Josiah Cook as statues come to life in the Beast’s castle; Timothy O’Donnell as the befuddled wolf; and Zoë Maxwell as an impish Little Red Riding Hood.
Philip Feeney’s original score, performed by the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra under music director Andrews Sill, is lively. Paul Daigle’s costumes manage the neat trick of being colorful while also looking suitably muted in the village scenes. They also make it easy to identify everyone (though, in a nice comic touch by Pink, the sisters have trouble telling their suitors apart).
This “Beauty and the Beast” is suitable for any child who can sit through a movie or “The Nutcracker,” though parents may want to use the program synopsis to explain the expository early scenes.
“Beauty and the Beast” continues through Sunday at the Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St. Tickets: milwaukee ballet.org or call (414) 273-7206.