By Malley Powell
If you’re still bubbling with glee over Kate Middleton and Prince William’s royal life together, you’ll be interested in this old-fashioned noble tale of looking beyond the exterior and uncovering the soul within. Adapted from the French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is about to arrive on the Chelsea High School (CHS) stage.
The classic tale depicts a spoiled prince whose rotten attitude causes him to be cursed by an Enchantress and transformed into a hideous, ugly beast. From a nearby town, the beautiful Belle searches the woods for her lost father. She stumbles across the castle where the Beast is holding her father prisoner. Through a series of events, Belle agrees to live in the castle with the Beast in exchange for her father’s release.
All the while, the curse is taking its toll on the magical objects around the castle. The Beast is running out of time. Will Belle be able to see beneath his rough outward appearance and find love with the Beast before the spell that traps him in the body of a beast will bind him for life?
The show’s technical director, Chuck Griffin, said that he was advised never to do “Beauty and the Beast” as a high school show, simply because it’s too complicated and the set is too enormous to attempt to fit in a small space. However, Chelsea High School’s theater advisor, Katherine Altman, was willing to put in the time and effort to make such a large-scale show possible. This meant that the show was cast three months earlier than usual (in June instead of September). The cast also began rehearsing and, along with the crew, building the set over the summer break. The students’ dedication to make such a grand show possible all stems from the incredible supervisors and heads of the project.
Sophomore and actress, Annie Nickel, said that Theater Guild has impacted her life. “Theater got me through a really rough time in my life,” she said. “We are a big, close family that keeps one another sane, and I don’t know what I would do without it.”
Grace Boote, also a sophomore and actress, agreed with Nickel. “This is definitely the closest cast we’ve ever had for a musical. Coming to rehearsal is nice because it’s your family and your friends all swirled up in one room,” she said.
Because the show is so monumental, the overall look is very important to the show as a whole. Christine Landis is the brave soul who not only took over costuming 27 cast members (all of whom have multiple costumes), but is also choreographing every musical number. From “Be Our Guest” to “A Tale As Old As Time (Beauty and the Beast),” Landis has implemented moves and dances that complement every actor’s dancing ability.
It isn’t only the actors and stage crew who have dedicated hours upon hours a week to perform this show. The audience will also support the high school students who sit just below the lip of the stage to musically accompany the actors. The pit orchestra will be conducted by Rick Catherman, CHS’s own director of bands.
New this year, there is a wonderful opportunity for the young princesses and princes of Chelsea to come to “Tea with Belle” and have “Bites with the Beast.” Belle and the Beast will be readily available to talk with young royalty and pose for snapshots to remember it.
This majestic event is at 11 a.m. on November 14. Tickets for “Tea with Bell” and “Bites with the Beast” are $5 for adults and $15 for children.
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will be performed at the Chelsea High School Auditorium, 740 North Freer Road, on Nov. 13-14 at 7 p.m., with an additional matinee on November 14 at 1 p.m.
Discounted tickets are available in advance at Chelsea Pharmacy ($8 for students and seniors, $12 for adults). Regular price tickets will also be available at the door ($10 for students and seniors, $15 for adults).
