If you are one of the lucky ticket holders to the sold-out Beauty and The Beast at Croswell Opera House, you are in for a delightful (and beautiful) evening of musical theater. I’m going to be upfront and say that BATB is one of my favorite musicals, the first in the long, successful run of Disney-on-Broadway hits.
There is great Direction by Sue Smith, wonderful Musical Direction by Dave Rains, and lovely Choreography by Sarah Nowak, together with scrumptious costumes by Pam Krage, spot-on Lighting Design by Tiff Crutchfield, and lovely Scenic/Projection Design by Patrick Lord — the production is of the highest quality. The show moves at a fast clip, scene changes are seamless, and everything looks and feels exquisite.
But this show is nothing without a terrific cast, and you have that in droves (literally in some ensemble numbers). Kristen Fandrey is a beautiful and fine-voiced Belle, and she is a great actor too. Jarrod Alexander ranks among the best Beasts I have seen, and his is a performance that is not to be missed. Peter Crist is hilarious as Gaston while Matthew Johnson is very strong all-around as LeFou. The wonderful David Blackburn steals every scene he is in as Lumiere (which is to be expected), and Michael Yuen is a delightful Cogsworth. But there is more! Maria Porter-Mohler plays a lovely Mrs. Potts, Margaret Hyre is great as Madame de la Grande Bouche, and Abby Dots is very fun as Babette. Mark Hyre is also a terrific Maurice. The rest of the supporting cast and ensemble are very strong.
Mix a beautifully written show, with a fantastic-looking production and this strong cast, and Croswell Opera House finishes out its summer season with true theater magic. The show run through October 1, but it is sold out. Check the box office for cancellations and last minute releases, or check online at croswell.org
Mostly Musical Theatre 