The musical “Beauty and the Beast” is one of the most well-known Broadway shows. According to the Lenape High School theater directors, it is also one of the most challenging.
Lenape’s theater is ready for the challenge as its performance of “Beauty and the Beast” premieres on March 7.
Director Linda Hammond has had to coordinate a large number of actors, sets and moving parts on stage. The cast and crew have been spending hours every day after school rehearsing scenes from the play.
“She was excited to take on the challenge,” assistant director Julie Dean said.
The challenges directors, crew, musicians and actors have faced are numerous. The hallway outside Lenape’s auditorium is lined with many elaborate costumes for the show. Sets take up a large portion of the backstage area, along with between 70 and 80 student actors.
Coordination of the show’s many scenes and making it look like the real Broadway show has been a huge undertaking for the entire staff.
“There’s a lot more music when they’re talking,” music director Kendra Cancellieri said. “There’s a lot more technical things like the transformation scene.”
The scene where many of the characters transform from “enchanted” to human and a flying scene early in the show have proven to be the toughest parts to nail down. As the winter has progressed, however, the pieces have begun to come together.
Brianna Hassett is one of two students playing the role of Belle. Hassett is a bit different from other students in the play as she hasn’t been involved in Lenape’s theater department until this year.
“I always wanted to get involved,” Hassett said. “I was really happy when I was picked for the part.”
Being involved in the musical has been a new kind of challenge for Hassett. She described having to rehearse the same scenes each day so everything can go perfectly for opening night.
“There are times where we have to go through parts a few times during the day,” Hassett said.
Senior Ryan Kiernan comes from a different background. Kiernan plays the Beast and has been involved in musicals throughout his high school career. It was tough for him to describe playing a leading role in the play.
“For my senior year, I was really excited to be involved in the show and play the Beast,” he said.
Kiernan said “Beauty and the Beast” is especially popular with the students because it is so well-known through Broadway and the animated Disney movie.
“I was really excited,” he said. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is something we all grew up with. “
Rehearsals have been a challenge with the weather. Because of frequent snow days, the students have lost precious rehearsal time.
“They’ve dealt with the snow days,” Dean said. “But they’ve worked hard and done a great job.”
“We’ve really done well,” Kiernan said of rehearsals. “Much better than in past years.”
“Beauty and the Beast” will be performed on March 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15. To purchase tickets, call (609) 654–5111 or email [email protected].
