Photo by Matthew Murphy
The live-action touring musical adaptation of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast might not be haunting in all the appropriate places. The strangest example of this is Chip, the boy who has been magically turned into a teacup. The effect chosen with for this on the live stage looked a lot like a boy’s severed head on a tray. It was haunting, but not intentionally. There was an echoing emptiness about spoken dialogue that didn’t quite carry itself with perfect clarity through the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. What was so charming in the cinematic magic of early-’90s animation felt cold and distant onstage. The dreamy, concave phantasm of the stage action played with light and shadow in a way that could feel kind of sinister even during cheerful moments.
That being said, elements of the 1991 film bled through the remotely staged immensity of a production featuring bright costuming and big, splashy dance numbers. The love story at the heart of all the flash is as beloved as ever. A live orchestra can reach into the music with life and passion that carries quite well throughout Uihlein Hall. Jillian Butterfield’s voice is radiant as it sings through the life of a woman destined to fall in love with the beast. There’s a respectable amount of power singing through the characteristic growls of her love interest, played here by Ryan Everett Wood. Yes, there are nice visuals, but the only reason to see this show live is the music.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast rolled through town for one week only. The next big Disney-related show at the Marcus Center is brought to the stage courtesy of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, which presents “Disney In Concert” April 24-26. For more information, visit mso.org.
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