Theater Review: "Beauty and the Beast" by Summer Theatre of New Canaan

By Nancy Sasso Janis

During my eleven years as a theater reviewer, I have seen many plays and musicals numerous times. It is not unusual that I review more than one production of a particular show in the same season; the anniversary year of “The Wizard of Oz" comes quickly to mind. However, I cannot recall a time when I saw two productions of the same musical on the same weekend.

For their twentieth anniversary season, Summer Theatre of New Canaan has produced a sparkling production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” produced in the beautiful New Canaan High School. The professional theater normally performs on an outdoor stage, but for this production have returned to the high school where they had their production of “Peter Pan” in 2006.

Equity member Melody Meitrott Libonati, the artistic director of the company, directed this big production of a very big musical. Libonati is also the founding director for the Performing Arts Conservatory of New Canaan where she and ten professional teaching artists train and guide both students and adults. Edward Libonati is the producer of the show.

The classic Disney tale has wonderful music by Alan Menken, book by Linda Woolverton, and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. The music director and conductor for this impressive production is New York-based pianist Nick Wilders. “Be Our Guest” is a huge production number complete with streamers shot across the stage, followed by a beautiful rendition of “If I Can’t Love Her” by the Beast (Shafiq Hicks.) In the second act, a delightful “Human Again” is followed by a charming “Transformation/Finale.”

There are 31 actors in the cast, 13 professional musicians in the orchestra and another staff of 20 in the creative and production team.

Equity’s Ella Raymont gives a very strong performance as Belle in her tenth show with STONC, most recently as Catherine in “Pippin.” Hicks masterfully portrays the Beast, with a massive stage presence and wonderfully full vocal range. He returns to New Canaan after playing Agwe in my first STONC production of “Once On This Island” in 2022.

Equity member Jordan Goodsell, a New York-based actor, director and musician, fully embodies the character of Gaston, with muscles to spare and plenty of stage presence. Raissa Katona Bennett of Norwalk, who has appeared on Broadway as Christine Daee in “Phantom,” makes a lovely Mrs. Potts, singing the title song beautifully. Young Malcolm Durning bounces around the stage in the role of LeFou. Trained soprano Gina Harnzlik is perfectly cast as Madame de la Grande Bouche.

Equity’s Stephen Petrovich, who as a touring actor has performed in 47 stages and six Canadian provinces, shines in the great role of Lumiere.

Veteran Equity actor Howard Pinhasik gives a heartfelt performance as Belle’s adoring father Maurice and he covered well when his large invention didn’t quite work as it should. Young Elon graduate Alex Pouloutides is a lovely feather duster Babette and Equity member and long-time STONC performer Brian Silliman fully commits to the fun role of Cogsworth the grandfather clock. Carlos Velasquez-Escamilla, who I remembered from his role of Henri Cratchit at Sacred Heart University with John Ratzenberger, makes his debut with this company as an adorable Chip.

Equity performer Graham Ethan Morier plays Monsieur D’Arque and serves as the dance captain. Michelle Arostky, Camille Capers and Andy Diaz play the Silly Girls.

In the talented ensemble are Joe Caskey, Sarah Juliano, Easton Edwards, Adam B. Shapiro, Max Boone, J. Travis Cooper, Miles Lagrick, Lily Anderson, Athan Brady, David Hoffman, Sydney Jackson, Madeline de la Parra, Luke Ryan, Joseph Turner, and the adorable Annabelle Hubertus.

Kudos to Lauren Honderd for flying on the stage in the role of the Enchantress under the direction of ZFX Flying. Anna Holbrook provided the narration.

The classic fairy tale scenic design by Gateway Productions is huge, encompassing even outside the stage area. The main castle piece rotates 360 degrees easily and includes steps for the characters to climb. It is so big that it got stuck on one of the curtains for one of its entrances.

Costumes by 3D-Theatricals are beautiful, especially the enchanted ones. Belle had trouble with one quick-change at the matinee I attended, but I could totally relate to such difficulties. There are even costume changes just for the curtain call.

None of the challenges were apparent to the large numbers of young children in the audience for the matinee that I attended. They were out in force, some in costume, with the adults who love them, and they were enthralled during both acts for more than two hours.

Be sure to buy your tickets at stonc.org before it's too late. The show runs through July 30 with performances at 7pm on Friday and Saturdays and matinees at 2pm on Saturday and Sundays.

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.