Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, January 16, 2009

Village Theatre's 'Beauty and the Beast' works in perfect harmony in Everett

By Theresa Goffredo
Herald Writer

 Lumiere was wickedly funny. Belle and her bellissimo voice were beautiful. The Beast frightfully charming. Gaston's ego loomed as large as his head. ­Cogsworth's comic timing clicked like a finely tuned clock.

As you know, there are lots of big characters in "Beauty in the Beast" with castle-sized personalities. All of them, however, were allowed to shine, shine, shine in Village Theatre's production of the Disney classic "Beauty and the Beast."

It wasn't just the characters that were flawless. From the wonderfully intricate, 3-D looking set design (Alex Berry), to the gorgeous costumes (Deanne Middleton), to the brilliant directing and choreography (Steve Tomkins) to the music -- ah, the music (Alan Menken) -- Village Theatre's "Beauty and the Beast" was, start-to-finish, enchantingly exquisite.

This could very well be Village Theatre's "it" show of the 2008-09 season. Missing it will make you feel a little cursed. "Beauty" plays through Feb. 1 at Everett Performing Arts Center.

The curse, as any kid under 10 will tell you, is where it all begins. And it's this beginning that you have to pay close attention to. If you avert your eyes for just a second, you may not see the amazing transformation taking place on stage as the enchantress turns the heartless prince into a hideous beast. There's lots of magic going on up there.

As the tale goes, the spell includes all the members of the castle who have been morphed into speaking objects: Cogsworth (Ian Lindsay) is a clock; Mrs. Potts (Bobbi Kotula) is a teapot; Babette (Haley Ostrander) is a feather duster, and so on.

Meanwhile, the bright and beautiful Belle and her clever father Maurice (John X. Deveney) are basically cast-offs in their small town because they are viewed as odd. Belle is especially longing to get away as the pesky and persistent Gaston hounds her.

Eventually, Belle finds herself trapped in the Beast's castle. She's initially drawn to the "creatures" but avoids the Beast. In the end, Belle discovers there's much more to the Beast and that he is the adventure she had been searching for.

Award-winning Jennifer Paz is a breathtaking Belle. In the song "Home" her voice will carry you like a promise. "A Change in Me" is equally stunning. Paz has been in Village Theatre's "The King and I" and played the title role in "Evita." If you haven't seen or heard her, the power of the petite Paz is startling, though those scenes of her being tossed around like a rag doll by the enormous Gaston bordered on scary.

Troy Wageman nailed the over-the-top ego of Gaston. The song-and-dance stein-clinking number dedicated to Gaston was perfect, with the lodge scenery all antlers and fur and Gaston all handsome and hugely full of conceit. But watch out ladies, Gaston turns awfully uncute in the end.

Just as he played Juan Peron to her Evita, Eric Polani Jensen plays the Beast to Paz's Belle. Jensen delivers a winning combination of charming and cruel. His rendition of "If I Can't Love Her" made us swoon and his purple outfit with the puffy shirt made him look sumptuous, despite the fur.

Other musical beauties include the title number, "Beauty and the Beast," "No Matter What" and the money number "Be Our Guest." In this song, the tableware were done up in skin-tight gold lame sheaths, the salt and pepper shakers did a tap dance and the champagne bottles popped their corks. It was also in this number that Lumiere stole the show. Footlight award winner Nick DeSantis lit up the audience as the effervescent Lumiere, with his fantastically faux French accent, rapid-fire puns and footloose antics. A four-star performance, mais oui.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA