Beauty and the Beast is Enchanting at Mercer County
by Aimee Ferenz
The Disney magic is thriving at the Kelsey Theater at Mercer County College through MPOnStage. The magic in question is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, just as it was in the 1991 film. It follows Belle, an intelligent young woman who doesn’t fit into the rigid mold of society. When her father is abducted by the reclusive Beast who lives in the castle outside of town, Belle vows to take her fathers place and live in the castle forever. The castle is filled with enchanted furniture and objects due to a spell that was placed on the beast by an Enchantress many years prior. The Beast must fall in love and in turn have someone fall in love with him to lift the spell before it is too late.
The production staff thrives in bringing this work together cohesively. Director/Choreographer/Set Designer Haley Schmalbach works well with Music Director Sue den Outer to bring the story to life. Schmalbach is assisted by Luke Profy in choreography as well. This success is furthered by the hard work of John M. Maurer and Diana Gilman Maurer who are both Producers and Set Design and Props respectively. Master Builder Jeff Cantor created a beautifully functional set which is painted wonderfully by Terry Perry. Stage Manager Melissa Gaynor and Assistant Stage Manager Jo Wymer maintain the quick pace of the show, mastering scene changes with a crew made up of Jeff Cantor, Dekota Homer, Toast Jenkins, and Anthony Wurtz. Costumer Anthony Wurtz and Wigs/Hair Stylist Christina Parke work together to actualize the characters on stage, successfully bringing famous animated characters to life. Sound Design is by Noah Schwartz and Light Design by Judi Parrish, accompanied by follow spots Daniel Adamy and Maryanne Fiuza. T-shirts for the cast are designed by Kari McDonnell.
The production is led by married couple Ian Bethmann and Sally Graham Bethmann, who play the Beast and Belle respectively. Both have several years of vocal training which electrifies the stage with each melodic passage. Ian Bethmann masterfully lurks his way across the stage, maneuvering the complexity of the Beast with excellent variation and heart. His vocal prowess is tantamount to a Broadway performance which is furthered with his metamorphosis from a broken and angry monster to a loving prince. The Bethmanns’ chemistry on stage is perfectly timed in its thawing, not only making a believable love story but an entertaining experience. Sally is everything I have ever hoped to see in Belle. She is kind yet stubborn, brave yet reserved, and poised yet hilarious. Sally’s musical capabilities shine in this role to which I heard several audience members say that she sounded just like the movie. The performance skills of these two stars bring the entire production to another level and to see them is equivalent to a national tour without national tour prices.
With every good story comes a great villain, this time a chauvinist misogynist named Gaston as portrayed by Pat Rounds. With the kindest intentions, I must say that Rounds is perfect for the role. He commands the stage just as he does those in town with aggressive charm. His lackie, Le Fou (Casey Okamoto) is the perfect comedic break from more serious moments of the show. The two have an excellent connection on stage which bleeds into their relationships with others throughout. For instance, Les Filles La Ville (often called the Silly Girls) are portrayed beautifully by Kaleigh Coyle, Cynthia Reynolds, Lindsay Paige Spitzer, and Jackie Sterlace. These four dote over Gaston throughout the show with cartoony flair, perfectly embodying the “fan girl” aesthetic that usually comes with the role. Our last notable member of town is Belle’s father Maurice, who is played by Edward Liu. Liu exhibits a gentle nature in this role and this continues throughout his gentle voice. His relationship with Graham Bethmann on stage is a heartwarming embodiment of the perfect father-daughter relationship.
The enchanted castle is filled with wacky characters, many of which worked for the Royal Family before the spell was placed on the property. Two of these are Lumière and Cogsworth who are played by Michael Zweig and Michael Hall respectively. These two have manufactured the depiction of these animated characters perfectly by giving larger than life performances. Zweig’s understanding of this flirtatious Frenchman exudes charm all while ruffling Cogsworth’s feathers. This is particularly exemplified during his big song “Be Our Guest”, where Zweig gives one of Disney’s most famous songs an excellent delivery. Hall on the other hand maintains Cogsworth’s rigidity with impeccable timing and style in his delivery. Even though Cogsworth is a concise individual, Hall also rounds the character out very well by maintaining variation in the role within the tight confines of his emotions.
The two often interact with Mrs. Potts (Jenny Weiner) and her son Chip (Eddie Pfender). Pfender proves to be a wonderful young talent, taking the stage with great energy and a well trained ear for music. Weiner tenderly looks after the various characters on stage and it is this same tenderness that takes the titular song of the show to the moving serenade it deserves to be. She and Natalie Megules, who plays Madame De La Grande Bouche, show off outstanding vocal skills throughout the show all while maintaining their respective characters' personalities. For instance, Weiner is more demure while Megules flaunts her magnificent extravagance from her performance days before the spell. The group is rounded out by Lumière’s love interest Babette who is brought to the stage by Kim Pearson. Pearson is fiery and vivacious in this role, matching Lumiere’s intensity beautifully. Together, these magical objects not only further the plot along but strengthen it with their superb performances. This is exemplified in their fantastic harmonies in “Human Again” which I believe to be the hardest song in the show due to its musical complexity.
The cast is completed by several important featured roles, including Old Beggar Woman/Enchantress, Young Prince, Monsieur D’ Arque, and the Narrator. The Old Beggar Woman/Enchantress is brought to life by Emily O’Sullivan who brings her dance expertise to the role magnificently. The Young Prince, played by Zlatin Ivanov, also shows exceptional skill in his movements throughout the opening number of the show. The Narrator, Jordan Schonberger, explains the situation the audience with wonderful clarity, setting us up for success as we watch the story unfold. Monsieur D’ Arque, featuring Christopher Schmalbach, brings a sinister nature to the stage as he works with Gaston and LeFou to imprison Maurice. While I did not see them personally, I am sure that the understudies will meet the fantastic performance of this cast with great success. They are Katherine Semon as Belle, Kolter Yagual-Rolston as the Beast, and Jermaine Terry as LeFou.
The Townspeople/castle staff are completed by Timothy Boyd, Shelley Bromberg, Stacy Danka, Hope Ghaffoor, Laura Ghaffoor, Lori Howard, Zlatin Ivanov, Neelam Makvana, Emily O’Sullivan, Frankie Pendleton, Kai-Le Pine, Kendal Plumstead, Ethan Shaev, Christopher Schmalbach, Jordan Schonberger, Marc Suznovich, Jermaine Terry, Melody Weiner, and Brian Wurtz. The Featured dancers act as the wolves and are featured in other key moments; they are Hope Ghaffoor, Laura Ghaffoor, Emily O’Sullivan, and Kendal Plumstead. This group brings great passion to the stage throughout the show, but particularly in Gaston’s song and in Be Our Guest. Without the ensemble, the show would be missing a key part of what makes theater so great. They are lively and expressive throughout the show, giving not only a group to outcast the Belle and Beast, but to exemplify the complexity of humanity (or in some cases lack there of).
This cast has phenomenal talent throughout it from the smallest features to the leading roles. It is a delight to see one of my favorite stories come to life in such a beautiful and touching way, especially with Sally Graham Bethmann as Belle. She not only is an excellent performer, but a fantastic role model for the younger audience members. You can see how hard she worked for this moment and how much the standing ovation that I saw tonight meant to her. She is accompanied by performers who are just as passionate as she is, each of which add their own unique qualities to the evening. I am still in awe at Ian Bethmann’s magnificent baritone and the cohesive nature that the enchanted objects create such a beautiful tale. Thankfully, you have until November 24th to see this wonderful rendition of Beauty and the Beast with understudies performing November 10th, 15th, and 23rd. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.purplepass.com/events/296440-disney-beauty--the-beast-nov-8th-2024.
