Tale as old as time at Artpark

‘Beauty and the Beast’ opens Thursday

Preview by Joshua Maloni
Photos by John Stuart
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, August 9, 2008

Ron Lee Savin as Maurice, Glenn Lawrence as Gaston and Carolann M. Sanita
as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” (photo by John Stuart/www.stuiephoto.com)

It’s not a stretch to think most people’s familiarity with Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” comes from the animated motion picture. So, when Artpark President George Osborne announced in May the venue’s intention to stage the live-action version of the story, undoubtedly there were some who said, “They’re doing a cartoon?”

Well, yes, it is a cartoon. But, it’s not just any collection of pen and ink. When “Beauty and the Beast” was released theatrically in November 1991, it left critics taken aback.

Not since “Fantasia” had an animated film come off so visually dazzling. More than that, it was not the traditional Disney film. Unlike a “Sleeping Beauty” or “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty” had a sense of realism to it. It was romantic. It dealt with issues of morality and sexism – namely, that women are objects and looks are what matter. Moreover, it had an adult score that featured songs crafted by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and performed by Angela Lansbury, Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.

“Beauty and the Beast” was so extraordinary, it garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture – a first for an animated film. It took home Oscars for its soundtrack, as well as Golden Globe and Grammy awards. Equally impressive was the stage version that soon followed. It generated nine Tony Award nominations and one win.

On the heels of Artpark’s highly successful run of “Aida” in 2007, “Beauty and the Beast” is the perfect candidate to further the venue’s goal of becoming a theater destination.

“Last season’s production of ‘Aida’ was another significant step in bringing major, professional musical theater back to Artpark. The success of that show helped us to redevelop our theater audience, but ‘Aida’ contained a storyline clearly targeted to a more mature crowd,” said Osborne, whose upcoming production will fill the largest theater stage in Western New York. “ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is more of a family friendly show – but don’t get me wrong – it is a show that can be enjoyed equally by adults and young people, and it should help us to expose even more theatergoers to Artpark. If we can achieve the goal of converting them into regular patrons, it will set us up well for the future as we look to even further expand the magnitude and quality of Artpark productions.”

To ensure a successful show, Artpark brought back “Aida” director Randy Kramer and choreographer Lynne Kurdziel-Formato. The creative duo and Osborne, serving as executive producer, spent four days in New York City auditioning Broadway-caliber actors.

Carolann M. Sanita of Queens was cast in the lead role of Belle, the beauty. A performer whose credits include Maria in the international tour of “West Side Story,” Osborne called Sanita, “A wonderful actress (with) a great voice.”

Michael Hunsaker, who starred as Radames in “Aida,” returns to Artpark to portray the Beast. Glenn Lawrence, a native of the Virgin Islands, will play the underhanded Gaston. The actor previously portrayed the show’s villain at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Ron Lee Savin, who was a member of the third national “Beauty and the Beast” tour, will star as Belle’s father Maurice.

“It’s a very different show than last year,” Kramer said. Whereas “Aida” featured three principle performers, “Beauty and the Beast” has more than a half-dozen.

That said, “It’s a tremendously talented cast,” Kramer said, noting there’s more characters for the audience to meet and enjoy.

“Beauty and the Beast” begins with a back-story explaining how the Beast came into existence. Originally a prince, his cruelty to a beggar woman lands him in hot water. His disdain for the unattractive leaves him cursed, his castle transformed into a menacing palace, and his servants transformed into dishes, pots and candlesticks. The Beast’s only way out of this predicament is to find true love.

Early in the show, the Beast seemingly kidnaps Maurice. It’s then that audiences meet Belle, who offers to take her father’s place as prisoner.

Carolann Sanita stars as Belle, while Glenn Lawrence is villain Gaston in Artpark’s
production of “Beauty and the Beast.” (photo by John Stuart/www.stuiephoto.com)

Ironically, the heroine is already entrapped, of sorts, in her books.

“She’s very different from everyone in the town because they’re all a little bit bigger than she is, bigger than life, and she’s more down to earth. But, it’s strange to say that because she lives in her books. She lives for adventure and excitement and romance, but of the story kind, of the fairy tale kind. She doesn’t necessarily think of her life as ever being able to have any of that in it,” Sanita said.

Belle’s hobby makes her an outsider in the French village where she lives.

“It hurts her feelings, I think … that no one ever takes the time to get to know her because she is different. But she never changes for anybody,” Sanita said.

“And she’s never rude about it, which I love! People treat her so badly, and she’s just never rude to them,” she added.

When Belle arrives at the Beast’s castle, she discovers a real-life fairy tale in progress.

“What’s interesting about Belle, is when she shows up at the castle, and she meets all of these objects that are alive, I think she’s really the only person in the entire town who would be able to accept it as easily as she does, because, really, there’s that moment of ‘What!’ And then she just treats them like people,” Sanita said. “And she realizes that they are just like people, and I don’t think she finds anything strange about it after probably the first five minutes. So, I think, because she lives in her books and because she’s in such a fantasy world, she’s able to accept that a little bit easier.”

As Belle and the Beast start to develop a relationship, Gaston does his best to steal the beauty from her captor.

“Gaston is a narcissistic character that the audience loves to hate and hates to love,” Lawrence said.

While finding herself in a world of fantasy and danger, Belle is able to save the day.

Sanita would say remarkably.

“She’s kind of like the only straight person throughout the whole show. Everyone else is a character. And she’s the only straight person. Yet, she is the one who propels the story forward,” Sanita said. “It’s because of her that the spell is broken. It’s because of her strength and her courage that these people are able to become people again and live their lives.”

The theatrical “Beauty and the Beast” storyline is very similar to the Disney movie. However, there are some added touches.

“There are some songs, of course, that are added that are not in the movie that will be new to people if they haven’t heard the recording, or seen the show,” Sanita said.

Lawrence said the live-action script offers more comedic elements, while Hunsaker said it’s a family-oriented show that appeals to children and adults.

“Everybody gets into it,” he said. “It speaks to everybody on a romantic level.”

“It’s a really beautiful story,” he noted.

Among the biggest challenges for the actors at Artpark will be wardrobe – for Hunsaker, in particular.

“The thing that’s been scaring me about this role is the costume and the makeup and everything,” he said of the Beast outfit. “You can’t hear anything. Your hearing goes away. Half your sight goes away. I’m kind of nervous about doing it with this mask.”

With the Beast head, extra padding and muscles, “It’s a completely different performance once you put that on,” Hunsaker said.

His counterpart, Sanita, will also have to adjust to the costume. But, she’s not worried about falling in love with the Beast. Mimicking her character’s values, she said it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

“In rehearsal, you develop these feelings. You find the feelings, you find the motivations for your actions and you connect with the actors that you’re playing with, and you take those feelings and you take what works even as you continually find more within that,” Sanita said. “You sort of memorize those feelings, and you sort of have that with you for the performance. Because, when you rehearse something, that’s what you’re doing, essentially. You’re finding it. So, when you find it with that person in that rehearsal space, and then they get all the makeup on and then they transform into some creature, it’s still there. You know, there’s still the memory of the feelings that you had in rehearsal, and you still know who he is on the inside.

“And, I’ll be able to see his eyes the entire time. So, I feel like I’ll know him. I’ll already know him. So, it won’t be me looking at this crazy, strange creature for the first time. I’ll still be acting with the actor who is playing the role.”

In addition to the plot, “The sets look amazing,” Sanita said. “I think the special effects are going to be something to see, along with, you know, obviously the cast. And the stories, the music is wonderful. There’s going to be a fairly large orchestra. So, it’s going to be a large-scale production. It’s going to be something not to be missed.”

“Beauty and the Beast” is on stage Thursday, Aug. 14, at 8 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 15, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16, at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, Aug. 17, at 2 p.m.; Thursday, Aug. 21, at 2 and 8 p.m.; Friday, Aug. 22, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 24, at 2 p.m. For tickets, call 754-9000, or visit www.artpark.net.