Theater Review by Camille Bounds: South Valley Civic Theatre’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a hit

Fast-moving story keeps adults and kids entertained with exciting dances, fun songs, and lots of humor

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By Camille Bounds

Walt Disney Pictures took the delightful fairytale of “Beauty and the Beast” and created a beautifully animated movie in 1991 that transported children and adults to another time and place.

South Valley Civic Theatre took the Broadway show version and brings a delightful presentation to the stage of the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse.

This family show reveals the romantic adventures of “Belle” (played by Nicole King-Yarbrough), a bibliophilic young woman in a provincial French town, and “the Beast” (played by Ken Christopher), a young prince trapped under an enchantress’s  spell as punishment for his arrogance.

If “the Beast” can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed from a monstrous figure into his former self.

The show recreates all the animated characters from the movie including a candlestick (“Luminere,” played with charming verve by Gannon Janisch), a clock (“Cogsworth,” a cautious and nervous Rob Christopher), a feather duster (“Babette,” a sassy Lauren Berling), a motherly teapot and a teacup (“Mrs Potts” and her son “Chip,” played sweetly by Jen Puente and Matthew Horta) and an opera singer transformed into “Wardrobe,” played by Terra Cloutier.

This is the first show King-Yarbrough has performed with SVCT. She performed as “Belle” for another theater company so knew the lines and songs coming to rehearsals. Her remarkable talent for singing and acting makes her sparkle as the story’s heroine.

As “the Beast,” Christopher impressed with a tender evolution of his cursed character wallowing in self-pity until he realizes he has a heart.

His well-known Gilroy garlic-growing family’s Christopher Foundation underwrote “Beauty and the Beast,” enabling SVCT to provide the high-quality sets and costumes that they envisioned for this production.

“As the villain “Gaston,” Zack Goller provides both menace and comic relief. Zack and his sidekick Michael Horta (LeFou)deliver laugh-out-loud performances with precise comedic timing.” The “Silly Girls” ( Lindsay Petroff, Paige DeRosa, and Angelina Villafranca) perfectly complete the Gaston fan club with their besotted expressions and behavior.

The ensemble cast also includes Michael Grimm (Maurice), John Brewer (Monsieur D’Arque), and Jillian Puente (Enchantress). The townspeople and enchanted objects are Brielle Johnson, Lila Vickerman, Chloe Grotz, Eli Barnson, Gabriella Estrada, Joyce Bedard, Gabriella Horta, Grace Butler,, Gianna Garcia, Robin Harris, Jase Puente, Ruby Salvatti, Jillian Grotz, Miriam Shem-Tov, Kaitlyn Gomez, Stacia Stewart and London McWilliams.

The  orchestra, under the baton of Roberta Howe, brings in a tight musical version of this beloved story. Alan Menken’s music and Howard Ashman and Tim Rice’s lyrics ran away with Academy Awards for the movie and Tony’s for the Broadway version with popular songs “Be Our Guest,” “Beauty and The Beast,” and “Something There.” SVCT’s musicians bring the catchy show tunes to lovely life.

The “Beauty and the Beast” producers are Ingrid Rottman, Michael Horta, Marianne Snook.

The director is Alan Chipman. The vocal director is Lynette Oliphant. The choreographer is Jyovonne Tirodkar. The costume designers — who are Broadway caliber — are Kimberly Lynch, Veronica Salvatti and Mary Beth Anderson. The stage manager is Joseph Ramirez.

The real heroes of this production are the technical people backstage led by Kelley Barnes who move the elaborate sets with fluid swiftness. Technical sound designers Brian Bourke and Coco Crowley and lighting designer Colleen Blanchard and technician Clara Shem-Tov are always on cue.

The musical show opened June 24 and runs until July 16.

SVCT’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” is the best theater experience you will now find anywhere in the South Valley. It’s right here (hardly any gasoline to use) and no traffic and parking hassles.

This fast-moving story will keep adults and kids highly entertained with exciting dance sequences, fun songs and plenty of humor. For a charming afternoon or evening show, go and let yourself be enchanted.