Perry High School in Lake County invites you to come and be their guest this weekend as they present “Beauty and the Beast” at the school’s Goodwin Theatre at 7 p.m. April 13 and 14, and 2 p.m. April 15.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. They can be purchased at www.ticketroar.com but you must be using a desktop or laptop to choose your seats as that function will not work on tablets or mobile devices.
This “tale as old as time,” according to the title song, is actually more of a modern classic now, thanks to the successful Broadway version of the famous animated Disney film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1991. The live-action film that added to the story was one of the biggest box office hits of last year, showing that the story has not lost its popularity.
It has also become a popular community theater and school option, despite the spectacular costumes and sets.
Fortunately, co-director Allen Kellogg tells me that in addition to his co-director Beth Singer, Perry has an extremely talented cast of young thespians to make it all come together. One of those students is junior Angela Vicini who plays Belle, the “beauty” referred to in the title.
“When I heard the musical this year would be ‘Beauty and the Beast’ I knew I had to audition,” Angela says. “Everyone has been very supportive of each other and we have all worked extremely hard to make this show the spectacular classic that the community will surely love. Our pit, tech, and stage crew do so much for us and the show and I hope everyone gives them the credit they deserve.”
“This musical is probably the most extravagant musical I have ever been a part of,” says junior Jaren Hodgson, who plays the beast. “From the music, the costumes, and our amazing set, this show is bigger than anything I have been a part of. Ever since I was little, I have been an avid Disney fan and being able to play such an iconic character is a dream come true. I recently received a letter reminding me to thank everyone to support me so I thought being in the news paper would be the perfect platform to do that. I want to thank all of my supporters and people who care about me and my craft. I have been doing this for many years and I especially want to thank Phil and Tasha Hodgson. My parents have done everything to put me in the best position to succeed and I will thank them forever for that. All in all the experience of being in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has been magical and something I will remember forevermore.”
Mission accomplished, Jaren. See? Not so beastly. But we all knew that, right? Oops — sorry, no spoilers!