OGDEN, Utah, Sept. 7, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Ziegfeld Theater has done it again.
For Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” the theater’s artists have packed the small space with top-notch visuals, including costumes any theater could be proud of, along with talented and expressive lead actors, fun dances and wonderful singers.
For this production, the Zig is once again presenting the show in both English and American Sign Language, making it accessible to the general public and to an underserved audience that communicates in ASL. The musical plays at the Ziegfeld through Sept. 14, and at Park City’s Egyptian Theatre Sept. 18-22.
It’s a familiar fable about appreciating people for who they are rather than how they look on the outside. The “beast” is actually a handsome prince, who was cursed after judging a beggar for her appearance. She revealed her real identity as a beautiful enchantress, and cursed the prince by transforming him into a beast and the staff of his castle into living household items, such as clocks, candelabras, a teapot and a chipped cup, among other things.
As in previous English/ASL productions at the Zig, roles are usually played by two actors who work together to present spoken lines, signing, singing and movements. The actors playing Lumiere, for example, have candle costuming on one actor’s hands but not the others, leaving one actor’s hands free for ASL signing.
It can be a little disorienting, until you get used to it, to watch two parts of the same character, dressed a little differently, interacting with different actors and with each other. But that passes quickly, then you are ready to enjoy the full benefits.
Which include the comically superficial and pompous Gaston, the would-be husband of the smart, empathetic book-loving heroine, Belle (Stephanie Morgan, with Sydney McAlister providing Belle’s speaking and singing voice). Gaston actor Hayden Hoglund (with Jenny Bailey signing) has a wonderful, rich voice, and McAlister, singing as Belle, has clear, soaring vocals.
Jake Larrabee as the Beast, who signs for himself (as does Zac Sorenson as Cogsworth), has a deep, stirring voice and manages to capture the subtleties to his character — the doubts and the longings.
The cast is a mix of veteran and inexperienced actors, but they are all there for the fable and the fun, and all add to the energy and joy of the production.
The talented co-directors are Morgan Parry and Anne Post Fife. Projects by Troy Martell and sets by Erica Choffel subtly and masterfully capture the plot’s many locations, from a forest to a dungeon to a town square.
And the costumes, by Stephanie Colyar and Karly Van Komen, are perfect in defining the characters and adding to the visual delight through color, texture, draping and design.
“Beauty and the Beast” is suitable for all ages, and it’s lots of fun. You can see it at the Ziegfeld, at 3934 S. Washington Bvld, Ogden, through Sept. 14. Click here for theater and ticket information.
And see it at Park City’s Egyptian Theatre, at 328 Main St.; click here for tickets and information.
