"Disney's Beauty and The Beast" Magic comes to life

Photo

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

The long-running Broadway smash morphed into a touring juggernaut and then, in recent years, a staple at high school and community theaters.

Still, most people’s first exposure to it is the 1991 movie.

So what’s it like when a young princess sees it live for the first time?

“It’s like magic come to life for them,” said James May, who plays Cogsworth the Clock in the “Beauty” tour, which comes to Powers Auditorium on Friday.

“Depending on the venue, [young girls] can come to the stage door to meet [lead character] Belle,” said May. “There will be little girls wearing Belle dresses, and some of them are awestruck. They get shy and nervous meeting Belle.”

May has been with the tour for two years, but “Beauty” has been part of his life for much longer.

“I personally grew up watching it,” he said in a phone interview from Texas. “It means a lot to me. There was a nostalgia element, and now it’s my livelihood.”

And with its ever-renewing popularity, May admits it’s a good show to be on for job security. “You never know how long Disney will want it out there, but this could go on a long time.”

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” is the tale of a young woman named Belle who meets a beastly creature who is really a prince trapped by a spell until he can learn to love. It’s a tale of redemption with a story-book ending, colorful characters and award-winning music by Alan Menken with lyrics by Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman.

The original creators of the Broadway production came back together for the current tour, including Director Rob Roth, choreographer Matt West and costume designer Ann Hould-Ward.

“It has been wonderful to bring the entire original design team back together to work on this new production,” said Roth, in a news release. “As a director, it’s rare to have the opportunity to revisit your work 15 years later. Hopefully, I’ve grown and developed as an artist, along with my collaborators, and we can bring 15 years of experience to this new production.”

May said the touring production takes a more suggestive and creative approach.

“The castle looked like a castle in the Broadway production, with bricks and stone and turrets,” he said. “But in our show, there is a large element that looks like a stained-glass window, with staircases that move around. It’s very ethereal and unique. But the heart of the story stays the same.”

Director Roth elaborated on the intent of the set.

“The theme of ‘Beauty’ is about seeing past the exterior and into the heart of someone,” said Roth, “and this is reflected in the design for the show, which is about transparency and layers, seeing past one thing and into another.”

May said audiences seem to love it.

“I gauge audience enjoyment by laughter and applause, although that’s not always true because sometimes they can quietly be smiling their faces off,” he said.

“But even parents who don’t think they’ll like it end up loving it.”