The 2011 middle school musical, Beauty and the Beast, closed on high note with their second and final performance on Friday, April 29th. Two months of tireless preparation leapt to life in this wonderfully cast, directed, choreographed, and executed performance.
Setting a record for the size of middle school cast, this vibrant production sold out Hewitt’s Charlotte Comfort Auditorium both nights. High spirited audiences warmly responded to the performances. Four narrators effectively helped tell the story, providing a key narrative thread.
The ensemble was absolutely fabulous: group dance numbers of townspeople clinking glasses and or silverware whiling around were a few of the highlights. The leads of Beauty and the Beast gave superior performances. Louisa Dangoor `15 powered through a cold to give a charming performance as the sweet Belle. Taylor Scanlan `15 gave a moving performance as the moody and misunderstood Beast. Cameron King `16 stole the show with her hilarious adaptation of the manly Gaston. The Beast’s servants turned living household objects each gave lovely performances: Lexi Glicksman `16 tried out a French accent to embellish her role as Glumier, Devon Harford `15 played the eternally flustered Cogsworth to a tee, and Rebecca Mitzner `16 embodied a maternal, caring Mrs. Pots.
As important as every actor is to a show, so is the crew. As always, Mr. Daniel Denver led the crew with inspiration and diligence 
as director. Costumer Kristie Kouri provided some great costumes for the girls. Linda van Kesteren choreographed delightful dance numbers. Upper school techies also helped to move the play forward. After the final production, the cast showed their appreciation for the dedicated support team, those adults and students who make the play happen behind the scenes, by keeping up with tradition and giving out bouquets.
The energy of Beauty and the Beast was great; I’m sure it enticed many middle schoolers to get involved in next year’s middle school musical.