Beauty and the Beast: a new take on a timeless classic
Last week, Year 10 Drama and Music got the opportunity to watch Beauty and the Beast written by Linda Woolverton and directed by Robert Jess Roth at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney. This is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful piece of theatre that can be enjoyed by all. This musical was extravagantly beautiful with a stunning set and costuming, all adding to the beautiful story we all know and love. This musical is full of spectacular surprises at every turn that will leave the whole family wanting more.
The musical is set in a small town in France where Belle, an intelligent young girl, lives. Long before this in a nearby kingdom, a young man was cursed as result of his greed and selfishness. He and all his staff rot away waiting for the curse to finish them or until the prince-turned-Beast finds true love and receives true love in return. After an accident, Belle become trapped in the castle, and with the help of the enchanted servants they draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his shell in hopes that true love is formed, but will it be enough to break the curse? The musical demonstrates themes of love and greed and highlights to the viewer the importance of not judging a book by its cover.
The cast truly brought this enchanting musical to life. We had the pleasure of seeing Shubshri Kandiah as Belle and Brendan Xavier as the Beast. Kandiah was spectacular as Belle and had a faultless performance. Her portrayal of Belle was exquisite, and she brought new life to the classic songs we all know and love such as the song ‘Belle.’ Xavier as the Beast was excellent; he took on the strength and cold-hearted nature of the character but showed us the softer, more insecure side of it as well. He made such an unlovable character somehow lovable. My one fault of his performance is he lacked a bit of intensity and I felt as though he was missing some of the energy shown by the other members of the cast. Despite this, the casting for Belle and the Beast was amazing and added so much to the musical. Overall, the casting for everyone was exceptional, together creating the magic of the musical.
The musical’s charming set certainly took you away to the magical kingdom. It was believable yet simplistic, adding to but not overpowering the actors’ performances. The costuming was enchanting and had so much work behind each detail. The costume for Chip and the servant’s outfits as well as Belle’s iconic yellow ball gown were so intricate and beautifully made, truly drawing the audience into the fantasy. This was partnered with the incredible use of lighting which added to the mood and atmosphere of the scene further highlighting the amazing features of the set and costuming.
Beauty and the Beast is an incredible musical, taking a new spin on this beloved classic. With its stunning music, costuming, sets and cast, this musical is beyond worthy of 5 stars. The performances from Belle were beautiful not to mention the servants and all the amazing other singers and dancers that blessed the stage with their talents. The Beast was also beautiful, though he did lose some of his intensity throughout the performance and did seem to lack some of the energy shown by the other members of the cast. Despite this, the performances truly took you away to a whole new world, and I’m sure all the audience could agree to being at the edge of their seats the entire show. Overall, it was truly such a beautiful and heart-warming musical, and a stunning reimagining of this beloved classic.
Eliza-Grace B., Year 10