The Saskatoon Summer Players (SSP) are inviting audiences to be their guests as they bring one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics for the big screen to the Remai Arts Centre.
The volunteer theatre company’s summer production is the musical Beauty and the Beast, a faithful adaptation of the movie of the same name released in 1991. The musical runs from June 21 to 30 at the Remai Arts Centre.
“I grew up with Beauty and the Beast, I grew up listening to this music, watching the movie,” director Bobby Williston said. “It captures my imagination much like it captured others because it has the feeling of being a stage musical.”
The story of the musical Beauty and the Beast follows the same path of the movie — the young woman Belle (played by Micaela Agopsowicz) ends up a prisoner in the castle of a monstrous Beast (played by Rylan Bauer), and both go through an emotional and magical journey of self-discovery while the villainous Gaston (played by Jory Litt-Jukes) hounds after Belle to be his bride.
A number of aspects in the movie — like magical transformations and living pieces of furniture — are much easier to create via animation than onstage. For Williston, the goal is bringing the well-loved story to life without trying to replicate the original film.
“There is still a teapot, there is still Lumiere the candlestick, there is still a rose, but we’re imagining it in a new way that builds off our familiarity and yet does it differently,” he said. “Our costumes and effects are more about the feeling and effect of the story instead of looking like the cartoon — and that has given room for everyone in creative departments in our show to showcase their vision and talent.”
The tale of Beauty and the Beast is just as entrancing on the stage as in film, and Williston said watching actors portray the characters live and in-person adds another level of excitement to the show. He pointed to Belle’s development throughout the musical as one of the high points in the production — and one of the aspects better to appreciate on stage than on the screen.
The cast and crew of SSP is composed entirely of volunteers, and Williston lauded the work of the entire team working to bring the musical to the Persephone Theatre stage. Beauty and the Beast is a story that has been a Disney favourite since its release — and for Williston, SSP’s production is just one more way to celebrate the classic tale while also reminding the audience that some stories stay with you forever.
“I hope the audience takes away the idea that no one is ever too old to laugh, sing, dance, and fall in love,” he said.
Saskatoon Summer Players’ production of Beauty and the Beast runs from June 21 to June 30, 2023 at the Remai Arts Centre. Tickets can be purchased online at tickets.persephonetheatre.org.
