Beauty and the Beast | Crown Theatre | til 12 October | ★ ★ ★ ★
Once again, a classic Disney tale has sprung to life on the stage of Crown Theatre – bringing a Broadway favourite to Australian audiences.
Beauty and the Beast is an iconic fairy tale with a twist. Our princess Belle is not longing for a prince like many of her Disney counterparts. Belle is on a mission for knowledge and freedom, to support her father’s dreams and find “more than this provincial life.”
The musical opens with the familiar voice of the late Angela Lansbury, known for her role as Mrs Potts in the original animated film. As Narrator, Lansbury introduces us to our beauty Belle (Shubshri Kandiah) and her handsome and arrogant wannabe suitor, Gaston (Jackson Head).
Kandiah, Head and the ensemble set the bar extraordinarily high with their talent, with voices that could be pulled from a big screen Disney production. As they sing through Belle and Me – the opening scenes not only showcase their outstanding voices, but the tight and flashy choreography of the production, with actors weaving through intricate and interactive sets that evolve throughout the show.
The set brings many remarkable moments to Beauty and the Beast, with a haunting light show that brings extra terror to the production’s wolf attacks, and massive set pieces that give the Beast’s looming castle an impressive sense of scale.
It’s here we meet the titular Beast (Brendan Xavier) and his anthropomorphic furniture who share his shapeshifting witch curse. Much like the film, the household objects – led by Lumiere (Rohan Browne), Cogsworth (Gareth Jacobs) and Mrs Potts (Jayde Westaby) – steal the show.
Appearing in fantastic costumes, complete with light-up candles, a wind-up switch and a teapot handle, the trio are joined by Babette (Hayley Martin), Madame (Alana Tranter) and the adorable Chip (Eason Ma) for some of the story’s most magical moments and biggest laughs.
The production is loaded with the film’s iconic songs and stage originals including Home, Gaston, Something There, Human Again and of course Be Our Guest – which is still stuck in my head many hours later.
Having seen similar productions including Aladdin, The Lion King and even Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast feels like a Disney production aimed at a much younger audience. The terrifying Beast is somewhat subdued compared to the original film, but nostalgia may play a role in my preference for those other performances.
With 30 tonnes of flying scenery and 50 tonnes of automation and staging being hauled into Crown Theatre to recreate the French provincial town, and a total of 300 costumes and 119 wigs in the show – there’s no denying this classic story is a spectacular production for musical and Disney fans alike.
Beauty and the Beast is at Crown Theatre from Thursday, 24 July until Sunday, 12 October. For more, head to crownperth.com.au
