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Justin Glaser and Liz Shivener bring Beauty and the Beast to the Golden Gate Theater
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST THE BROADWAY MUSICAL COMES TO SAN FRANCISCO
AS A PART OF THE 2009-2010 BEST OF BROADWAY SEASON
TICKETS ON SALE SUNDAY, APRIL 25
SAN FRANCISCO...A special engagement of the most beautiful love story ever told, DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, produced by NETworks, comes to life in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theatre August 17-29, 2010 as a part of the 2009-2010 Citibank Best of Broadway series under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this eye-popping spectacle has won the hearts of the young and old. This classic musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers, including "Be Our Guest" and the beloved title song. Tickets go on sale Sunday, April 25.
Are you a beast or a priest? A note on the redemptive quality of love
It's hard to believe a lot of the audience will be of a newer generation than those who saw the Disney film twenty years ago, back when I was thinking of my own wedding theme. My generation was much older in turn than those who saw the French film from 1946 by Jean Cocteau. Although there was the television show with Linda Hamilton, savior of the world in Terminator.
Nevertheless, she's a classic, tale as old as time, true as it can be. Belle and her no-nonsense if studious ways just seemed so . . . familiar . . . and there's still a lesson to be learned as to how a wholesome sensible young woman's sensibility can get the best of a bestial prince. The moral, it's what's on the inside that makes a beast a gentleman or a gentleman a beast. Moreover it takes a real lady to determine that for herself either way. The handsome ego maniac Gaston shows the flip side, remember? Just say no, if he's a beast he will fight back because he only can love himself; If the beast acts like a gentleman to you, it's just because he's been under an evil spell of bestial bitterness. You just have to break that with love and forgiveness.
On that note. Ever read the Ogden Nash poem about a search for a certain mythical creature?
The one-L lama,
He's a priest.
The two-L llama,
He's a beast.
And I would bet
A silk pajama
There isn't any
Three-L lllama.
Here are Nathaniel Hackmann and the company in the musical. Photo: Joan Marcus. Above, Justin Glaser and Liz Shivener in the title roles.
Watching the old black and white original French fairy tale as a movie proves captivating. The castle sconces in the form of human hands holding candles actually shift as those in the passageways pass.
DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST features the animated film's Academy Award®-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by Linda Woolverton. The original creators of the Broadway production are together again for this new touring production. The play is directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West, with Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award® winner for her work on DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST), Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Scenic Design by Stanley A. Meyer, Sound Design by John Petrafesa Jr. and Music Supervision by Michael Kosarin.
DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has become an international sensation that has played to over 35 million people worldwide in 21 countries.
Tickets go on sale April 25 and can be purchased online at shnsf.com, through Ticketmaster by calling (415) 512-7770, at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers and at the Orpheum Theatre Box Office (1192 Market at 8th St., Mon-Sat 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.). For information on Groups of 15 or more call Group Sales at (415) 551-2020. Ticket prices range from $30 to $99. To learn more about DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and other SHN shows, please visit www.shnsf.com
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
TUE - SAT AT 7:30PM
SAT & SUN AT 2 PM
SUN, 8/22 AT 7:30PM
WED, 8/25 AT 2PM
Follow SHN on Facebook: www.facebook.com/shnbroadwayinsf and Twitter: www.twitter.com/shnsf. To experience what goes on backstage at SHN shows, go to http://shnsf.com/podcast/index.asp and listen to Backstage, the SHN podcast series, to hear interviews with members of the creative teams or actors for all SHN productions.
SHN is the pre-eminent theatrical entertainment company in San Francisco and owns and operates the Curran, Orpheum and Golden Gate Theatres-San Francisco's premier theatrical venues. SHN's Best of Broadway theater series provides Bay Area audiences with pre-Broadway world premieres, original Broadway cast productions, award-winners and current hits fresh from Broadway.
For more stories by this writer, check out the San Francisco opera page at
http://www.examiner.com/x-2366-SF-Opera-Examiner
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Comments
I have been fortunate enough to see two different productions of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" on-stage (one featuring Richard White as Gaston -- he voiced the character in the cartoon). I highly recommend taking the opportunity to do so. Thank you for the heads-up!
Nathaniel Hackmann portrays a fabulous Gaston in this wonderful production of "Beauty and the Beast". He is the charming and talented baritone from Merola 2007. San Francisco Opera fans will remember him for his role as Rual Perez in the World Premiere of "Hotel Casablanca". He has also performed with San Francisco Lyric. Don't miss "B & B"!
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