Tag Archives: Beauty and the Beast

Two Kentwood residents help bring the magic of ‘Beauty and the Beast” to life

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Kentwood residents Micah McDonald and Adam Wright in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre's "Beauty and the Beast." (Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre)
Kentwood residents Micah McDonald and Adam Wright in Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” (Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre)

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

When Kentwood residents Adam Wright and Micah McDonald headed into auditions in early fall, they both had their sights set on Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s children production of “Holes.” Instead, they ended up being dancing dishes and flatware in the company’s presentation of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”

 

“This summer, I actually was doing another show [the summer repertory production “Into the Woods”] and everyone was talking about ‘Beauty and the Beast,’” said McDonald, who is a 2016 graduate of East Kentwood High School and is pursuing theater at Grand Rapids Community College. “I knew I wanted to be in another show at Civic and they had double auditions for ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Holes.’ I was thinking ‘Holes,’ but I kind of wanted to be a part of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ because it had been a part of my childhood, and I ended up getting a part.”

 

Wright said he went into auditions looking for a possible role in “Holes,” but instead landed in “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” along side his friend McDonald, who the two shared the role of the prince in “Into the Woods.” Along with being a wolf, townsperson and dancing dish, Wright again portrays a prince, this time the young, selfish prince who is turned into the Beast.

 

“It was kind of hard becoming that prince,” said Wright, who is a sophomore at Caledonia High School. “It was difficult in that the young prince is such a nasty person, stern and very hard on people.” A trait that Wright simply does not have.

 

McDonald is also in the ensemble, portraying a villager along with a gargoyle and a candlestick during the “showstopper —according to both McDonald and Wright —number of “Be My Guest.”

 

“There is so much going on,” McDonald said of the “Be Out Guest” scene. “It was so hard to learn but it all came together. The scene is extremely entertaining and so much fun and the crowds reaction has been amazing.”

 

In fact the cast has been overwhelmed by the positive reaction of the audience and community. “In a preview, we had more than 25 seconds of applause,” Wright said.

 

“We have had sold out shows and the crowds, their reactions, laughing at everything,” McDonald said. “It really has been a good time for everyone. The audience is so engaged and there have been so many little kids helping to bring the magic of the story to life.”

 

In fact the reaction the Civic Theater production has been so overwhelmingly positive that tickets are limited. Check online, at grct.org for availability.

 

McDonald, who got the acting bug at East Kentwood High School as a junior when he performed in “Cats” under the directorship of Scott Mellema, said he hopes to pursue Christmas musical theater in New York. But no matter where he goes next, being part of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” will be a special memory for him.

 

“I partially wanted to be a part of this show because it is a part of my childhood and it gave me the opportunity to relive that part.”

 

And for Wright as well, the production has been an experience he will not forget. “It truly has been magical being apart of a truly amazing cast and having the opportunity to bring my childhood to life,” Wright said.

It’s a tale as old as time as GR Civic presents ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’

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Costume and props designer Kathleen Johnson with actor Jason Morrison, who plays Cogsworth.
Costume and props designer Kathleen Johnson with actor Jason Morrison, who plays Cogsworth.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

It can be challenge to take a well-known animated film such as “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” and bring it to a theater stage.

 

“How do you create the flames in Lumiere’s hands as he raises and lowers them,” said Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Allyson Paris, who is directing Civic Theater’s production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”Or how does Mrs. Potts push the tea cart when she doesn’t have any hands?

 

info“And then there is Chip. He is suppose to be small but still has to move around the stage. You have to solve all of those problems as you are putting on a show.”

 

Kathleen Johnson with the Cogsworth costume.
Kathleen Johnson with the Cogsworth costume.

Apparently many want to see just how Civic Theatre does create the magic as tickets for the upcoming show are selling quickly, according to Grand Rapids Civic Theatre Director of Development and Community Relations Nancy Brozek. “So if people want to see the show, they are going to want to snap up tickets soon.”

 

As to solving the problems Paris mentioned, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s costume wizard Robert Fowle knew just who to call to help build some of that theater magic, friend and colleague Kathleen Johnson.

 

“Building costumes for a production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has been on my bucket list,” said Johnson, who has more than 16 years of experience in musical theater, dance, radio and film as a costume and prop designer.

 

Originally from Grand Rapids and now based out of Chicago, Johnson saw the potential of using her background in mascot building to help create costumes designed for mobility.

 

“When you construct a costume for a mascot, it has to be done so that the person wearing it can move easily,” Johnson said. “The same is true for the costumes on stage. The actors have to be able to move easily while wearing the large costumes.”

 

Cogsworth's human clothes much match his clock costume.
Cogsworth’s human clothes much match his clock costume.

Once the “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” show was cast, Johnson said she measured all the performers and headed back home to begin construction of the various pieces such as the wardrobe for Madame de la Grande Bouche which had to have a drawer that opens along with doors to show offer her “jewelry.”

 

To help reduce the weight of the costumes, Johnson turned to a variety of foams used in mascot construction which are also much easier to mold into “dancing” dishes and “entertaining” flatware.

 

There are still challenges for the actors wearing the costumes as Jason Morrison who plays Cogswoth pointed out.

 

“We have no peripheral vision, so we can’t see straight down or tell where we are walking,” Morrison said, adding that there will be assistants for the actors to help them move around backstage. “Also, I have to be careful as Cogswoth has a key sticking out his back so when turning I do not hit someone with it.”

 

Draws open, keys turn and Johnson has even planned out just how Lumiere’s candlestick will light when he raises his hands.

 

“Most people think of the fans that blow up the paper flames to make it appear like the sticks are burning,” Johnson said. “I have something a little better that will make them look like real candlesticks.”

 

As to how that theater magic happens, Paris said people will just “have to be our guest and come and see the show.”

Calvin Christian tells a tale as old as time, ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast’

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Calvin Christian High School would like you to be their guest as the high school’s Dramatic Society presents “Disney’s Beauty & the Beast” this weekend.

The production is set for Feb. 25 – 27 at Godwin Heights High School, 50 35th St. SW, Wyoming. Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday.

The musical is from Disney’s animated 1991 film based on the French fairytale. A selfish prince is turned into a beast by a beautiful enchantress and his servants become common household items. The spell can only be broken by a maiden who can love the Beast beyond his apperance. Meanwhile, in a village not too far away, Belle is an odd duck but the most beautiful girl in her village. Gaston, the man everyone wants to be, has plans to marry her. But before Gaston can get Belle to say yes, she runs off to save her father from the Beast. Belle and the Beast are destine to meet, but will Belle be able to love the Beast and break the spell?

“This is a show that I have been interested in producing for awhile,” said Marilee Marsman, who is directing with Karel Malefyt as the musical director. And is it any wonder why? Besides the entertaining characters that include Cogsworth (the clock), Lumiere (the candlestick) and Mrs. Potts (the teapot), the musical is full of familiar songs including “Be Our Guest,” “Something There,” and the title track sung by Angela Lansbury in the original film, “Beauty and the Beast.”

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre announces its upcoming season will include “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”

Standing: Ashley Bylsma as Ward, Jared Ebels as Lumiere, Stephenie Griffin as Babs, Lucas Potter as Cogsworth and sitting, Katie Tanja as Chip and Lauren Gibbered as Mrs. Potts
Standing: Ashley Bylsma as Wardrode, Jared Ebels as Lumiere, Stephenie Griffin as Babs, Lucas Potter as Cogsworth and sitting, Katie Tanja as Chip and Lauren Gibbered as Mrs. Potts

More than 70 Calvin Christian High School students are participating in the production which includes cast members, back stage crew and musicians. Performing as Belle is Bethany Morse and as Beast is Scott VandenBerg. Rounding out the cast are Gabe Lamer as Gaston, Lucas Potter as Cogsworth, Jared Ebels as Lumiere, Ashley Bylsma as the Wardrobe, Lindsay Elliott as Lefou, Stephenie Griffin as Babette, Lauren Gibbard as Mrs. Potts, Katie Tanja as Chip and Josh Watkins as Maurice.

“The group really becomes like a family,” Marsman said. “It is really awesome to see them grow together and encourage each other.”

Tickets for the show are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available at the Calvin Christian High School office, 3750 Ivanrest Ave. SW, or at the door. For more information, call 616-538-0990.

Pull up a chair as Grand Rapids Civic Theatre proudly presents its 2016 – 2017 season

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The cast of the current production of "Sister Act," rehearse. "Sister Act" runs through Feb. 26 - March 20.
The cast of Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s current production of “Sister Act,” rehearse. “Sister Act” runs through Feb. 26 – March 20.

Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

 

With a mixture of returning favorites and Grand Rapids Civic Theatre premieres, Civic Theatre offers a season focused on the theme of equality with its 2016 – 2017 lineup.

 

“We kind of go through the selection process, put together the season and a theme just comes from there,” said Civic Theatre Artistic Director Bruce Tinker.

 

This year’s lineup ranges from David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2011 Tony Award-winning play “Good People,” about the disparages in class and social economics to the powerful musical “Ragtime,” a look at the equality of justice under the law.

 

“It’s our 91st season and I really love all of the selections,” Tinker said. “There a lot of first-time productions along with some returning like ‘Ragtime,’ which is one of my favorite musicals. The music is just gorgeous.”

 

Tinker, who directed Civic’s 2004 production of “Ragtime,” said he looks forward to reacquainting himself with the musical that delves into the hopes, dreams and struggles of the immigrants settling in America in the early 20th Century. The show runs Feb. 24 – March 19.

 

The season starts with “Good People,” Sept. 9 – 25, a look at class, poverty, wealth and privilege as Lindsay-Abaire contrasts the life of a single mother living paycheck-to-paycheck against her ex-boyfriend who successfully gets out of the neighborhood and becomes a prominent doctor.

 

“This is an incredibly timely piece,” Tinker said. “Lindsay-Abaire doesn’t write about heroes or villains. He writes about people. No one is great or awful, they are just human trying to make the right choices for them and their family amidst high pressure stakes.”

 

Civic Theatre then goes big in November with its premiere production of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.” “It was one of those things we had to wait for the right timing,” Tinker said of the company having never staged a production before. “It’s a great show for celebrating the holidays.” “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” which also contains an underlying message of acceptance, runs Nov. 18 – Dec. 18.

 

Dedicated to featuring a classic in every season, the Civic Theatre’s reading committee discovered the company had never done the 1930s comedy “The Philadelphia Story,” which became a 1940s film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. This screwball love-triangle comedy, which became the fomula for many other romantic comedies, follows Tracy Lord as she prepares for her second marriage and the antics of her ex-husband who tries to remind her of love lost. The show runs Jan. 13 – 29.

 

Another classic Civic has never produced is “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” the story of starry-eyed Millie Dillmount of Salina, Kansas, who has come to New York City to make her dream come true. “This is one that we always have just had to have the right mix and this year it just happened,” Tinker said. “We looked at the spring and thought, we need something fun and this show is it. Plus with all the graduations going on [during June], this show is a celebration of new beginnings and independence. It really just fits.”

 

The two family productions, both based on books, are “Holes,” Oct. 21 – 30 and “Fancy Nancy,” April 21 – 30.

 

Even the 2017 summer children’s repertory productions contain the theme of equality as the lineup includes the popular fantasy “The Neverending Story,” July 29 – Aug. 6, and “Hairspray Jr.,” July 28 – Aug. 5. “With ‘Hairspray, Jr.,’ even though it is set in the sixties, it offers not only a message of equality, but is about accepting who you are, mind and heart, over what you look like.

 

“Be who you are as everyone loves who you are as oppose to a certain type of person.”

 

For information about the upcoming season or for ticket pricing, visit www.grct.org o call 616-222-6650.