Have a seat and be our guest.
A tale as old as time unfolds for Spring Lake Park High School Theater, as they put on “Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical” April 19-20 and 25-28.
The musical is one of the most well-known around, yet requires a deep, powerful group to pull off.
This year, SLP had just the right mix.
“This is a show that I’ve been thinking about for many years, but you have to have the right group of people to pull it off — it’s extremely demanding,” Spring Lake Park director Kevin Dutcher said. “This year, the stars were in alignment. We have a tremendous number of very strong actors who are also wonderful singers. I knew we had some fantastic seniors who could pull off the leading roles, and by gum I was right — they are incredible!”
The story centers around the heroic Belle, whose selflessness and brilliance carry throughout the show and her encounters with the Beast, guiding toward the thrilling finish.
“What I enjoy most about Belle is her undying optimism,” said Victoria Schmidt, who plays Belle. “She is always such a bright light in dark and scary situations. I admire her bravery, and I think her daring attitude and ambition makes her so unique as a Disney princess. I hope audiences enjoy her slightly sassy attitude towards both Beast and Gaston, along with the overarching love she has for family, books and life!
“Overall, I would also like to say how much this production has meant to me! Everyone from the Tech Crew, Orchestra, Costuming and all my fellow actors. Everyone has truly put their hearts into this show and I cannot wait for audiences to see it!”
In particular, the cast has been working to deliver every bit of comedy to add to the epic tale as possible.
“Rehearsals have been a delight,” Dutcher said. “We’ve been mining the material for all of the comedy that we can find. Almost all of the principal performers been working together for many years; there’s a wonderful sense of fun and camaraderie that adds a whole deeper level of enjoyment to the material.
“My goal was to bring out the humor, to make this the funniest version of the show that people have seen. The kids grabbed onto that concept with both hands. We’ve had a blast coming up with as many comic bits as we could think of. Our audiences will come expecting the classic tale with the gorgeous music and they’ll leave with a smile on their faces!”
Performances are Friday, April 19, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 20, at 2 p.m.; Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m.; Friday, April 26, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, April 28, at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available at www.showtix4u.com/event-details/76525, or at the door for $1 more per ticket.
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