National Touring Company
Buell Theater
Denver, CO
June 7-12, 2016
Presenting a story that an audience knows and loves is often a tough proposition. In the case of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, most of the people in attendance know the songs and script by heart. It’s a difficult task to make the material seem fresh.
Somehow the cast of this current tour managed exactly that. The cast were enthusiastic and not afraid to put their own spin on this well-loved story.
The actors were well suited for their roles. Belle was spunky, Gaston was handsome and arrogant and Lumiere was charming. Their timing together was perfect and never seemed stale.
The songs were performed perfectly. We felt Belle’s hope and the despair of the Beast. The production numbers were particularly outstanding. While some of the staging has been updated, the cups sequence in the song “Gaston” remains and was still as delightful as it was when the show was originally stages. The spectacle of “Be Our Guest” nearly brought the house down.
A touring show like Beauty and the Beast is bound to sell tickets based on the familiarity of the show and the appeal to children. The quality of this production however will likely bring audiences back every time it comes around.
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