Beauty and the Beast: maybe the tale really is as old as time
The show runs Thursday through Sunday at Hononegah Performing Arts Center.
This weekend, audiences will have five chances to see the Christian Youth Theater (CYT) production of the musical Beauty and the Beast Jr at Hononegah Performing Arts Center, 307 Salem Street in Rockton. Ticket prices range from $13 to $15 in advance, but $17 at the door. Performances are Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. ($10 at the door) and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m., as well as Friday evening at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m.
Hononegah PAC is the traditional venue for CYT Rockford's Broadway-style musicals. We have reviewed and reported on previous shows such as A Christmas Carol, Madagascar Jr, and Annie Jr. and many of the actors appeared in those productions as well.
Aly Loner, who plays Belle, previously starred as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and played Grace Ferrell in Annie Jr and Marty the Zebra in Madagascar Jr. The Beast is portrayed by Ryan Sherman, who appeared as the con man Rooster in Annie Jr and Melman the neurotic giraffe in Madagascar Jr. Nate Kenrick, who plays Lumiere, was previously Bob Cratchitt in A Christmas Carol and Mason the Chimp in Madagascar Jr.
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Since 1980, CYT has become the largest children’s theater organization in the country with more than 38 locations in 25 different cities and enrolling 18,000 students annually in dance, voice, and musical theater classes. Classes will resume in the fall.
The show was based on the 1991 Academy Award-winning animated Disney musical film, with music by Alan Menken (Disney's The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors), lyrics by Howard Ashman (Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin) and Tim Rice (Evita, Aladdin, The Lion King), and script/book by Linda Woolverton (The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland). The show ran on Broadway for 13 years - the tenth-longest run in Broadway history.
About the story
In a quaint French town, the beautiful Belle (Aly Loner) lives with her mother Maureen (Lauren Tibbetts), an eccentric inventor. Belle loves books but not Gaston the woodman (Aidan Howard) who fails to understand why any girl wouldn't want to marry someone as wonderful as himself (one of his songs is titled "Me.") When Belle's mother doesn't return from taking her greatest invention to triumph at the fair (traveling through the dark woods, of course), Belle rushes to rescue her, only to find out that since her mother has trespassed in an enchanted castle, she is now the permanent captive of an uncompassionate beast/man (Ryan Sherman). Belle agrees to take her mom's place for the rest of her life, not that she's happy about it.
Belle soon discovers that the enchantment means the castle's household servants are gradually turning into singing, dancing household articles, much to the delight of the audience though obviously not of the servants. This being a fairy tale, we learn that if the beautiful Belle and the ugly beast can somehow fall in love before the servants are completely transformed into clocks and teapots, the curse will be broken. But what are the chances of that happening?
Beauty and the Beast is one of the few Broadway-style musicals where many of the best roles are household articles and table settings. In that category, memorable performances include those of Solomon Rossman, playing a dry, snooty head butler/clock named Cogsworth (a role previously played by Sir Ian McKellen), and his sidekick Nate Kenrick, playing a French-accented assistant butler/candelabra named Lumiere (a role previously played by Ewan McGregor) who flirts with Babette (Kelly Schemel) the maid/feather duster.
Other notable household servants/household articles include Sofia Guevara, in a role played by Angela Lansbury in the 1991 animated film, who remains surprisingly bright and cheerful considering she is now a teapot and Aleyah Bailey, who plays her daughter, Chip the teacup. Kaylee Kramer plays a lady-in-waiting and former opera star ("the toast of Europe") who is now a wardrobe. There are also ensembles of napkins, knives, forks, spoons, and other table settings.
On the human side, Aidan Howard manages to play one of the theater's most egotistical characters, Gaston the hunter, without appearing egotistical himself, despite being the subject of at least two musical numbers, "Gaston" and "Me." Gaston is supported in his self-obsession by Noah Ceniseros, playing his sidekick LeFou (his name means "The Fool" in French), and by the romantic attentions of Emily Loner, Gabby Negrete, and Jane Castillo, whose characters are collectively and rightfully called the Silly Girls. They also play Napkins.
The show calls itself "a tale as old as time," though the original fairy tale was only published in 1756. But there is something timeless about watching two people learn that ugliness often disguises the beauty within.
Cast
Aly Loner - Belle
Ryan Sherman - Beast
Aidan Howard - Gaston
Noah Ceniseros - LeFou
Nate Kenrick - Lumiere
Solomon Rossman - Cogsworth
Sofia Guevara - Mrs. Potts
Lauren Tibbetts - Maureen
Kelly Schemel - Babette
Kaylee Kramer - Wardrobe
Aleyah Bailey - Chip
Emily Loner - Silly Girl/Napkin
Gabby Negrete - Silly Girl/Napkin
Jane Castillo - Silly Girl/Napkin
Lucy Axe - Napkin
Addi Beard - Fork
MayBell Berkman - Spoon
Mellie Berkman - Aristocratic Lady/Villager
Parker Brockett - Teacup
Addison Butz - Villager
Isabelle Butz - Teacup
Aaliyah Crout - Broom
Sarah Cuevas - Spoon
Lucia DeLay - Spoon
Raemah Dempsey - Napkin/Wolf
Rayce Dempsey - Candlestick
Lydia Derry - Salt
Rebecca Dickey - Fork
Carolyn Dilbeck - Villager
Gracelyn Driscoll - Teacup
Ava Ellis - Broom
Malachi Ellis - Flowerpot
Anna Fager - Wolf/Villager
Lorelai Fishe - Wolf/Villager
Lily Frew - Fork
Dani Gentry - Villager
Isabel Guevara - Enchantress/Villager
Violet Halgren - Villager
Jasper Heckman - Villager
Ethan Helgerson - Flowerpot
Jordan Helgerson - Villager
Zoey Homola - Knife
Harper Hoskinson - Spoon
Ava Johnston - Fork
Paige Kohlmeier - Knife
Molly Matuska - Fork
Grace McLarty - Villager
Ruby Milsaps - Spoon
Scarlett Milsaps - Knife
Lydia Mulder - Fork
Cruz Negrete - Teacup
Livvy Negrete - Broom
Eve Nelsen - Broom
Noelle Nelsen - Flowerpot
Selena Nelsen - Teacup
Adelaide Noble - Knife
Gillian Nothnagel - Bookseller/Villager
Sophie Pauli - Villager
Allison Pfeil - Villager
Talia Rossman - Spoon
Josh Rundblade - Villager
Kaitlynn Rundblade - Knife
Kate Schemel - Villager
Lucy Schneiderman - Villager
Makenah Schwanebeck - Pepper
Isabelle Stauffer - Flowerpot
Isaiah Stauffer - Candlestick
Ila Steines - Teacup
Lillian Thomas - Knife
Olivia Van Hise - Napkin
Genevrie Vanderheiden - Madame D’Arque
Cooper Wellen - Candlestick
Cooper White - Candlestick
Cierra Wichman - Villager
Cole Young - Baker/Villager
Click or tap on the photo below to view a gallery of images taken during a final dress rehearsal at First Baptist Church, Machesney Park.
