By Lily Olason
It’s a storybook favorite: girl meets bewitched prince in
temporary form of beast, beast falls in love. Beast wins over girl with eventual
charm and warm-heartedness. Furry creatures abound.
Bellingham Dance Company, however, has kicked it up a notch
and added a wholly contemporary soundtrack and original choreography. Helmed by
director Mary Simler Evans, BDC’s Beauty
and the Beast is a visual stunner that boasts some serious chops at the
hands of leads Tempeste Langille and Cody Johnson. A massive ensemble gives way
to innovative and fun choreography, and puts a compelling spin on an ageless
narrative.
Langille is a joy as Beauty. She expertly negotiates the
space, and her work in solo and ensemble shimmer with care and precision. Johnson is also a perfect pick for the role. His dancing is
immediate and emotional, and his solo to Radiohead’s Creep (for one example of many) is particularly powerful.
After woodland friends organize a meet-cute with salsa and
good intentions, Langille and Johnson team up to deliver several fantastic duets.
They make lifts, turns, jumps, the whole nine yards, look easy. They dance
fluidly and in tandem and hit their marks. Prepare for some acrobatic and
sparkling numbers.
Rita Malpica and Katie Watkins dance perfect sisters to
Beauty, and preside over many a funny scene at the Castle. Their solos to
“Money (That’s What I Want)” are a riot and technically solid. David Bolden as
Beauty’s dad is also a perfect pick: he dances with practically the whole cast
and makes it look like cake.
Jeff Maltewsky dances a hilariously pompous Guillome, suitor
to Beauty. His sidekick, Von Ochoa as Copain, nearly steals the show
with a couple of hammy (and exceptional) dance breaks. Castle crew Catherine
Napier, Brenna Landon, Renee Dimond, and Paige Guthrie weave in and out of
Beauty and Beast’s stories with talent and grace.
Maggie Rose as the Enchantress brings calamity and closure
to the show, leading a troupe of belly dancers to help cast a spell
on the Prince (Austin Hunt). Hunt gives a wonderful performance pre and post tenure as Beast.
This is a lovely show-- funny and creative and well done, it's perfect for the whole family.
This is a lovely show-- funny and creative and well done, it's perfect for the whole family.
Beauty and the Beast
runs June 3rd (7:30pm) and 4th (2:00pm and 7:30pm) at the Majestic on North Forest in Bellingham; running time is a little over an hour. Tickets go for
$25; $20 for military, seniors, and students with ID. The show is a dessert theater, so
you’ll have something tasty to munch on, too. For more info and to buy tickets,
visit Bellingham Dance Company's website.
Don’t miss out!
Don’t miss out!
No comments:
Post a Comment