After yet another successful season, Theatre New Brunswick rounded off the year traditionally, bringing a musical rendition of the beloved Disney classic Beauty and the Beast to life. Director Tania Breen pulled all the right strings for this immersive performance on the eve of TNB’s 50th anniversary.
Just out of the audience’s sight was a live orchestra delivering an enthralling atmosphere. They were the first to make their mark on the audience as they played a strong opening theme before the curtains opened to one of Disney’s famous revisionings, followed immediately with the tale in Belle’s hometown of Conques.
Here, we are introduced to Belle, the strong-willed, book-savvy protagonist; Gaston, Belle’s self-appointed love interest who doubles as misogyny in human form; and Maurice, Belle’s eccentric father.
Mesmerizing visual and auditory effects were used to bring impactful scenes to the audience, from the upbeat, happy-go-lucky charm of the village to the fateful moment where Maurice is captured by Beast, which used deep red lighting, loud horn music from the orchestra, and the sudden freezing of the performers right as Beast is about to strike Maurice with his paw to create an astoundingly chilling effect.
A short but memorable scene was Maurice’s encounter with a pack of wolves. After the wolves attacked Maurice with a touch of eerie choreography, they then turned to the audience, snarling menacingly for several moments before the scene moves to Beast’s castle.
For what fear was evoked, however, the play had an obvious strength in its humour. Cogsworth, played by Drake Ferris, brought an amusing stage presence with him, as the bulky clock outfit coupled with his bumbling demeanour had audiences roaring. Gaston’s self-absorbed, inconsiderate personality was expertly utilized to ironically make fun of attitudes towards gender roles, as he fantasizes about Belle cleaning his shoes and sings about how women are useful “sometimes.” The play also didn’t leave out the puns from their adaptation, with some standouts including “if it’s not baroque, don’t fix it,” and Lumière telling Cogsworth how he’s always “wound up” or “ticked off.” Shakespeare would be proud.
Beast, played by Tyler Seymour, was an obvious standout for stage presence, with his large mane and horns, big voice (when necessary), and his ability to capture all of the emotions we see throughout the show: from his frightening aforementioned interaction with Maurice, to his humourous exchange with Belle in which he becomes frustrated that he can’t just tell people to be hungry, and his eventual lovable demeanour after he himself learns how to love (notably when he becomes childishly enthralled with the story of King Arthur).
But of course, it wouldn’t be a musical without any musical performances. The standout for me was the piece that I only imagine is titled “Human Again.” Opening with the voice of the majestically-dressed Lumière, the performance quickly evolves into a mosh-pit of kitchen appliances that weren’t afraid to show off their spunk. From the groups of plates and napkins that treated the audience to synchronized dancing, to the salt and pepper shaker that spun around each other before the latter let out a sneeze, to the corkscrew whose shape went nicely with its ballet-esque dance, many personalities were on display in this performance. This was one of the many enrapturing musical numbers present throughout.
Packed with humour, shock, catchy tunes, and a final scene that I have no shame in admitting made my eyes a tad misty, there’s something for everyone in Breen’s masterclass of an adaptation.
Beauty and the Beast will be playing at the Fredericton Playhouse on April 27th and April 28th and 7:30pm.