Beauty and the Beast The Musical by Disney

Shubshri Kandiah and Brendan Xavier in Beauty and the Beast by Disney
Photo Credit: Daniel Boud

On a cold winter's night my partner and I made our way from the safety of our little cottage through the wicked woods ie. the very busy car park to the theatre at Crown Perth looking forward to a heart-warming evening of entertainment watching Beauty and the Beast: The Musical. Joining the crowd of all ages, we warmed up in the lobby while I speculated to myself about how faithful the musical adaption would be to the original animated movie from the early nineties. Having grown up on a steady diet of Disney movies, I was looking forward to revisiting the classic tale of Belle and the Beast. On the other hand, my partner had not seen any of the Beauty and the Beast productions, and only had a general idea of the story line – “a beautiful girl meets a savage beast, and complications ensue”. 

Right from the very start, it was clear that no effort would be spared in bringing the world of Beauty and the Beast to life. The set uses a breathtaking mix of lighting, moving sets, and projection to transport the audience to the mundane world of provincial France and the mystical world of an enchanted castle. The village is charming, the woods are scary, and the castle is truly magical. The oooohs and ahhhhs from the children in the audience confirmed just how inspired the set design was – although there were quite a few exclamations coming from the older patrons as well!

And while the world was wonderful, it is the cast that has to provide the beating heart of this production. Living up to a cartoon character is no easy task, but the cast of Beauty and the Beast had no such problems. Shubshri Kandiah as Belle is beautiful, charming and feisty, while Brendan Xavier gave the kiddies a scare as the fearsome Beast. Jackson Head as Gaston almost steals the show while channelling a little bit of Jim Carey along with partner in crime Adam Di Martino as Le Fou, and the trio of Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts (ably supported by Babette, Madame and Chip) all bring the enchanted castle to life. They all received a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of the night.

As expected, the musical numbers are terrific, with the cast singing up a storm while sashaying and dancing across the stage. It's also nice to go to a musical where you can actually hear what the performers are singing!

All in all, Beauty and the Beast is a fabulous night's entertainment for everybody. Whether you are young or just young at heart, it's a lavish production with a big heart whose old-fashioned themes of not judging a book by its cover and love being able to transform your world still prove to be relevant in today's times.

Beauty and the Beast The Musical by Disney is on at Crown Perth until 12 October.

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