Sid Jacobs Y Beauty and the Beast
Performance February 1,…read more2, 8 and 9th 2020.
As before for a previous performance, there was so much good stuff.
The acting, the singing, the dancing and of course the band for this musical along with lights camera and action, wonderful costumes and precision danced routines. Remember while much was professionally done, many are congregants with a whole lot of multiple talents, and they are not Broadway performers. When you hear them sing, play and act and you see the creative costumes and stage sets, it's remarkable how they put it all together and bring the story alive.
Ed in the back was video/filming not one but two cameras from different angles for the cast and crew. He gave me a tip on how to capture the pictures on stage for that "Kodak" moment (of course, without a flash*) and no videotaping. (see photos)
Ah the But - 4 stars only, as again for the second show I have seen here, there were problems with the mics, this time, causing some in the audience not to be able to hear conversation and or song words. The band/orchestra; count of what looked like 9 were spot on and a must for a musical, as they sat off to the side to play. I was not sure if they were aware that the mics were not working and if they were softening the sounds to the singers or not. However, many of us know the soundtrack and songs to the story and it did not lose in translation to follow along.
The show known for Disney's version as well as the movie and other stage show productions is a classic family production with virtue and values story. The seats were mostly full and there was a variety of people of different ages. When I asked one young girl what she liked the best, she replied "Belle". (Jacklyn Lisi) Another young lady in the audience, was dressed for the performance in the "formal yellow gown".
My favorites: Lumiere,(John Watts) who had excellent comedic timing, but needed to work on his French accent, along with his sidekick Cogsworth the clock (Phil Essex), and the young lady who played the little boy cup "Chip" (Lillian Hamilton).
My friend Carol Wilkinson played in the ensemble. After the show with a quick meet, she said it was really a lot of fun. Some people gave light up roses as gift to the performers, this was so appropriate that I felt it worth mentioning.
The show included a brief intermission running about 3 hours total.
There was a small snack bar to purchase drinks and food in the back down the hall.
The building itself was easier to find this time with GPS and signs on the way. On the walls were some for sale pictures of "The Cat In The Hat", out of my budget but enjoyable to view. Also, near the ladies' room were some formal pictures of the cast for this presentation. There was plenty of parking space outside and a bit of a roundabout to and from the main road. A building that said JCC on the right entering, was fenced off and the actual location of the show with the auditorium was the building on the left.
One lady, sitting at a table upon entering, was volunteering for a donate food cans project. But I did not see any inclusions in the advertising of it and there were no signs directing people to it. Nor, were there any notable signs for the production outside. They are playing through the next week. If you have time and are looking for a nice activity add this to your list. Students and Seniors are $22.00 a ticket and the rest are $25.00. They can be purchased at the door.
