September 30, 2004
Monster of a musical
Central High captures rights to stage 'Beauty and the Beast' this fall
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
"Tale as old as time_song as old as rhyme_"
Swirling into the realm of a Disney classic this fall, choral students at Traverse City Central High School will present "Beauty and the Beast" for eight public shows this November.
For many of the cast members, singing the story of Belle, Gaston, Mrs. Potts and the enchanted Beast is a dream come true.
"This is something we've wanted to do forever," said Maggie Mallery, a 12th grade student who plays Belle in one of the show's two casts. "I have loved this show since I was seven and we're really lucky that our music program got the rights."
Landing the wildly popular show has been a goal of Jeff Cobb, choral director at Central, for a few years. He frequently checked the website of a licensing agency, Music Theater International, watching for when "Beauty and the Beast" would be released to high schools.
"It was a show that I knew the kids would be really interested in, it is so different from any show we have done," said Cobb. "It was a show that a lot of these kids grew up with and knew the music of. Unlike 'Singing in the Rain' [last year's musical production], that's a show that the kids recognize but may not know the music from it."
Presenting "Beauty and the Beast" is a leap of faith for the program, Cobb noted, as the rights cost three times as much as usual. In addition, Music Theater International did not offer a price break for multiple productions, a discount available with most other shows.
Despite these financial challenges, Cobb signed on within the first few days the show was available, determined to make it work. He added two Sunday matinees to the run, a first for the school. He believes these extra shows will increase attendance of families and boost overall revenue.
"The royalties are just astronomical for this and it is just because it is a Disney show," Cobb said. "We know that this one in particular is going to bring in the families, so we have eight shows total that we're performing."
With rehearsals well underway, excitement runs high among cast members as well as the musical director.
"I'm just really pumped, it is so neat to see the kids so excited about it," Cobb said. "We've just got so many kids who are so talented in the cast."
The quest to land a part in the Tony award winning musical led many chorale students to the animated cartoon version. They watched, memorized, practiced and harmonized with the on-screen characters, drawing on established characterization for their hoped-for role.
"I watched the movie every night before the audition," said Jack Pettijohn, an 11th grade student who plays Gaston in one of the casts.
Translating an animated movie onto the high school stage presents its own set of difficulties. Volunteer parents are working furiously to create costumes, which branch out from frilly long dresses and tunics into cutlery, dishes, a clock and a teapot.
"The challenge in staging something that everyone recognizes as a cartoon is that in cartoons anything is possible," Cobb noted. "That limits us and forces us to be more creative."
"Beauty and the Beast" will run November 11-14 and 18-21. Shows on November 12, 13 and 18-20 begin at 7:30; Sunday matinees on November 14 and 21 begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children. The November 11 show is a family night that will begin at 7 p.m.; tickets that night are $5 for children and $10 for senior citizens. Tickets will be available at the Central High School box office starting the last two weeks of October. For more information, call the box office at 933-3573.