BENNETT: Beauty and the Beast
Sunday afternoon I waded through a sea of eager young faces at the Permian Playhouse who were there to see the Kaleidoscope Company’s production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast Jr.”
This attests to the fact that known entities sell tickets.
This familiar tale that teaches that beauty is more than skin deep was presented by the youthful, energetic cast that created a delightful performance.
The director Jami Witt, along with the musical director Brittany Bethel and the choreographer Meija Johnson-Horne kept the eyes and ears filled with well practiced scenes.
The costumes by Faye Armstrong-Paap, Tammy Duke and Rachel Lechuga were spectacular!
The large cast kept stage manager Cody Whitaker busy. The sets were on a turntable and were very effective. However, there were times when the musical accompaniment overpowered the singers.
I especially was impressed with the empathy shown between Belle (Gabriela Lechuga) and the Beast (Cory Maxwell). Gaston (Caleb Williams) was convincing in his swagger. Mrs. Potts (Chynna Terrell) brought a beautiful voice to the signature song, “Beauty and the Beast”.
Lefeu (Jeremiah Leija) was impishly charming. You could not help but be aware of how hard Lumiere (Billy Baker) was working. Talk about energy!
The audience was encouraged to encourage the actors; they even waved lighted red roses at the appropriate moments.
Even a jaded old fossil like me felt a moment or two of tenderness.
Go take the family to see this fun production next weekend. Those eager young faces were not disappointed.
