Theater Review: 'Beauty and The Beast' by Amity Creative Theatre

By Nancy Sasso Janis

Amity Creative Theater is telling the “tale as old as time” with a big production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast - The Broadway Musical” on their stage at Amity High School. The high school students are under the able direction of Robert and Andrea Kennedy.

All photos by Sydney Sheehan Photography

The beautiful musical features the music of Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, with a book by Linda Wolverton. Of course, it was originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Robert Jess Roth.

Grace Lupoli, a senior from Bethany, is a lovely Belle; she sings wonderfully and has the acting strength to play the vibrant and intelligent young lady. Lupoli appears in her fifth and final Amity production and has been involved in theater since elementary school. This school year she played Florence Colleymore in “The Play That Goes Wrong.”

Spencer Fiske, a senior from Bethany, gives an excellent performance as The Beast, in his sixth and final role at Amity. The young actor is convincing as the gruff, beastly creature in a series of great costumes and it is a special moment when we get to see him again as Prince Adam. His strong rendition of “If I Can’t Love Her” closes the first act.

Declan O’Rourke is Gaston, the vain, egotistical, and ultra-masculine villain determined to marry Belle, and he does well with the demands of this character. Michael Perrone, a senior from Orange, takes all of the lumps in his fifth and final ACT show as Gaston’s sidekick LeFou. Tommy Saxa is quite cute as the (not very) crazy Maurice, an inventor and Belle’s loving father.

What a delight to see the talented Grace Kennedy, a junior from Bethany, in the important role of Mrs. Potts. She gets to wear a manageable teapot costume in her sixth Amity production, and brings out all of the charm in the motherly figure, especially in her interactions with third grade student Brooklyn Adams as Chip. Adams, who makes her theater debut, attends Bethany Community School, Lee Lund Studio of Dance and has spent summers with Center Stage Theatre and Amity Creative Theater summer camps.

Jacob Ebert, an Amity junior, plays the suave character of Lumiere, the enchanted candelabra. He has participated in theater since he was five years old.

Brayden Zhang, a freshman from Woodbridge, is the staid Cogsworth, the stuffy head of household that is transforming into a mantle clock. Zhang played Chief Tui in “Moana, Jr.” at Amity Middle School in 2021. Lily Parady, a junior from Bethany, takes on the role of the grand Madame De Grande Bouche and Kasey Smith, a junior from Orange, is the very French and flirtatious feather duster Babbette in her first Amity lead role.

The nearly two dozen students in the ensemble cover a huge number of roles, from the Enchantress (Annika Lyngdal, a senior from Orange, who also plays a dancing rug,) to dining room objects for “Be Our Guest”) to provincial villagers. The dancers who played the wolves of the forest are impressively frightening in their moves and the napkins have some lovely choreography. Senior Olivia Sceppa, senior Grace Mahon and sophomore Grace Saunders are great “silly girls” as well as other supporting characters. Finn MacDaniel and Carlos Bolio, a Mexican exchange student living in Bethany, as Gargoyles come alive to restrain Belle at the castle.

As usual, there is some challenging choreography by Mrs. Kennedy, with Associate Choreographer Kelsey Sullivan. that the dancers pull off well, especially for “Belle” and the production number of “Be Our Guest.” Dan Hassenmayer once again works his magic with the lighting design with the scenic design by Ryan M. Howell. There was a small lighting error at the beginning of the show I attended that was quickly corrected. Be prepared for brief blinding lights shining in your eyes for the transformation of the prince during the prologue. The various locations are marked with large set pieces but the set changes are accomplished quickly and efficiently. Bubbles fall from above the stage for “Be Our Guest!”

Sarah Ginsberg, a junior from Orange, served as props master. This is a big production in that some of the props for this production were rented from Prop Rental NY, with “enchanted object costumes” rented from Theatre By Design in Texas, designed by Justin Fields. These include fantastical headpieces for the enchanted objects. Overall, the costumes designed by Julie Chevan and Brenda Burt are lovely and well-fitting, without traveling into animation territory. Leah Katz, the co-costume crew chief and student designer, was nominated for best costumes for “Mamma Mia!” at the Sondheim Awards. Wig and makeup design by Mrs. Kennedy works well for all of the characters.

The 21-member orchestra sounds lush and full as they perform the score under the direction of Phillip Dolan. Marcia Rizzotti serves as the musical director of the production, making sure that all of the vocals sound cohesive.

Kim Goclowski was in charge of the lobby design, which transformed the space in front of the auditorium into a French village.

I was happy to be invited to the third performance of “Beauty and the Beast,” which continues through April 1. There was a Saturday matinee that was attended by many young girls in Belle dresses. The rest of the entire run is sold out, with some 5,000 patrons coming through the doors to see the show.

If you are in need of a last minute ticket, they may be able to accommodate you. Come to the box office by 7pm email boxoffice@amitycreativetheater.org or call (203)-392-2019 . Thank you to the BOW for 6 sell out performances.

The cast of Beauty and the Beast took a break from a long Saturday rehearsal to wish Brooklyn Adams our “Chip” a happy 9th Birthday! Tickets on sale at www.amitytheaterdepartment.com...

All photos by Sydney Sheehan Photography

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.