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Just as the Broadway production closes after 15 years, Cabrillo Music Theatre
in Thousand Oaks has mounted an absolutely glorious production of Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast. Unlike the scaled-down Equity tour which I saw
about five years ago, this spectacular mostly non-union production is
dazzling in scope and richly satisfying in execution. Any other show might
seem dwarfed by the cavernous dimensions of the Fred Kavli Theatre, but
not this one. With a cast of over 40, Technicolor costumes, and sets that fill
the huge stage (is there a bigger one in Southern California?), this is a show
that must have cost CMT a fortune, and it shows.
But size is not enough to make a hit, and it is in the performances that this
Beauty shines brightest. Chris Warren Gilbert, hiding behind a mask and
mane, reveals the inner torment of the Beast, and his gorgeous rendition of If
I Can’t Have Her brings tears to the eyes. He is matched by UC Irvine’s
exquisite Ashley Moniz as Belle. Not only does Moniz possess great pipes, but
she’s a darned good actress as well. The entire cast is tops, from Matt
Merchant’s deliciously full-of-himself Gaston to Joshua Finkel’s oh so suave
Lumiere to Lisa Donahey’s lovely Mrs. Potts, James W. Gruessing, Jr.’s adorable
Cogsworth, and Jack Curenton’s suitably dotty Maurice. David R. Gordon, is
a master of slapstick as Lefou, Victoria Hart has the operatic chops to be a
marvelous Madame de la Grande Bouche, and Elissa Wagner sizzles as sexy
Babette.
Sound and lighting design are first rate, and I don’t think I’ve seen a CLO
production with a better orchestra than musical director/conductor Tom
Griffin’s. There would not be a Beauty and the Beast without the music of
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman and Tim Rice’s lyrics. Choreographer
Peggy Hickey and director Lewis Wilkenfield have mounted a production
that sets the bar very very high for next year’s CMT season. Beauty and the
Beast runs through August 5, performances Thursday thru Sundays. Tickets
range from $22 to $51 Call: 805-583-8700
--Steven Stanley
July 29, 2007
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