Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School’s Theatre Troupe brought Disney-classic Beauty and the Beast to life last week.
The musical tells the story of the beautiful and intelligent Belle who becomes trapped in an enchanted castle with the monstrous and boorish Beast.
With a little help from the Beast’s castle staff and a musical number or two, Belle and the Beast fall in love and break the curse. As the song says, a tale as old as time.
From the second the curtain rose, the cast and crew captured the feeling of a fairy tale. A minimalist set combined with projected cartoon backdrops allowed the audience to use their imaginations to paint in the rest of the scene. This was helped along by a skilled stage crew who kept the play on track with efficient scene changes.
The show was anchored by the performance of Melody Watkins, cast perfectly as Belle. Beyond a physical resemblance to her animated counterpart, Watkins brought an earnest, vulnerable and spirited energy to the role that made her a compelling character to follow. Even while singing she remained in character, using subtle facial and hand movements to convey her character’s emotions.
Evan Kalmakoff’s Beast took some time to find his feet. He proved to be a great physical actor looming over Belle but never truly felt bestial or dangerous. In the second act, Kalmakoff grew into the role as he explored the Beast’s more awkward and sensitive side.
This made their eventual relationship between Kalmakoff and Watkins feel like genuine young love. The couple was supported by a large ensemble cast of characters, none of whom wasted a moment of their screen time.
An unquestionable audience favourite was the living candelabra Lumiere, brought to brilliant life by Sarah Carter. She harnessed an infectiously energetic persona complete with a French accent she maintained even when singing. Carter’s roguish charm was counterbalanced nicely by Megan Holyk’s stiff and self-serious Cogsworth.
The role of Mrs. Potts isn’t traditionally a large one, but despite that, Klaudia Slosarkova stole every scene she was in. Slosarkova’s motherly spirit paired with a sassy attitude was a delight to watch and got more than a few laughs from the audience.
Outside the Beast’s castle, Kyle Lawrence was on the prowl as Gaston. With seemingly little effort Lawrence ate up his role as a strong, handsome lout who thought of no one but himself. His arrogance was enabled wonderfully by Jasper Gillis as Lefou, who brought an appropriately servile hustler energy to their relationship.
On the musical side of things, the principal actors proved equally strong. Watkins’ powerful voice carried Belle and Home while Lawrence brought a baritone swagger to Gaston and Kill the Beast. Slosarkova once more stole the show with her rendition of a Tale As Old As Time, which gave Kalmakoff and Watkins’ dance number a magical feeling.
Voice projection was an issue for many of the actors in the ensemble. Without the microphones that the main characters enjoyed, they were often hard to hear, especially when loud music would drown them out. This and a few other technical issues disturbed audience immersion but did not break it.
By the end of the night as the cast and crew danced to Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up one couldn’t help but leave the theatre smiling. If this is what PSO’s Theatre Troupe can pull together in an after-school club, I can’t wait to see what they do next year.
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patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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