Tale as Old as Time, Told in a Different Way

BYU Beauty and the Beast cast. Photo: Mark A. Philbrick

BYU performs Disney's Beauty and the Beast for the first time, giving the Broadway musical a different look from the animated movie. Rather than the dazzling costumes, props and sets, the actors performed in simple, modern attire on a minimal stage set.

Audience members expecting the same visual amazement as the traditional Broadway staging might have left a little disappointed. The director, George Nelson, explained in his director's notes included in the program that the story, above all, meant the most to him. Thus he wanted to strip away all the razzle-dazzle  and allow the audience to relish in the beautiful love story of two people who grow to love each other and themselves.

The simplicity of the costumes, sets and props pushed the director, cast and crew to be creative. The chorus was put to work, creating sound affects, operating as Maurice's invention, tossing books, acting as a fountain... Honestly, the chorus looked more fun than playing a lead role. Well, except for Gaston, with his Napoleon complex and long blond hair he always flipped. Throughout the show, he stood on a box, a table, a couple stair steps up or was carried on someone's shoulders. Even for his bow, he stood on a box. When he proposed to Belle, he walked on stilts.

Making Gaston different from the big, tall, manly man he thinks he is made his character more comical, especially when he sang about having sons all over six feet tall and Belle replies, "Unbelievable." The chorus, Gaston and Le Fou did impressive acrobatics.

The actors who played the lead roles -- Belle and Beast -- are, in fact, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. So they enjoyed playing opposite each other, as they have in other productions, but not on a BYU stage... until this show. Their chemistry was, of course, great. The romance they portrayed through their characters was heart felt and believable. It makes one think all directors should cast a husband and wife to play romantic couples on stage.

The supporting characters all did a great job. Maurice was a wonderful, loving father; the servants all played their roles perfectly. All the actors did a great job making the lines fresh, not performing the lines with the same way fluctuation as the animated film.

In the articular performance I saw, the mics could have been louder. There were moments where the singing was too quiet or someone's mic wasn't fully on when they were speaking.


Other than that, the show was spectacular! And the best part was it was not visually spectacular. It was creative, well directed and well acted. It delivered the story's message of love in a way that was entertaining and moving. This show was well worth the money. I hope BYU puts on more shows like this, giving musicals we all know and love a unique twist.