It was a French fairy tale. Then it was a Jean Cocteau movie. Then it was a big hit with Disney. (I might be glossing over some history, but this is “a tale as old as time.”) This summer the Alan Menken musical theater adaptation of the classic fairy tale makes it to Hartford as The Hartford Players present Beauty and the Best next month.
A girl’s father is imprisoned in a castle. She goes off to rescue him, but she gets captured by the master of the castle: a monstrous thing that had once been a man. He can become human again if she learns to love him.
The Hartford Players were founded by a couple of lawyers back in 1998. They enjoyed theater and wanted to stage some of their own in and around Hartford. Nice to see the company continuing to bring fun pop theater to the surrounding area. It’s a good time of year to head out and explore some of what the area immediately beyond Milwaukee has to offer. There are some enjoyable road trips to be had. For those who love the 1991 Disney musical, this might just be a pleasant evening’s excursion.
Hartford Players’ Beauty and the Beast runs Jul. 15 - 23 at the Schauer Center on 147 N. Rural Street in Hartford. For more information and ticket reservations, visit the Hartford Players online.
