Arts Alive San Antonio

By JASMINA WELLINGHOFF, Editor –

Actress/singer Reagan Wilson has always wanted to play a Disney princess, said the Woodlawn Theater’s artistic director Chris Rodriguez. And he has finally given her that opportunity – well, almost!  Wilson is portraying Belle in the Woodlawn’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” which is based on Disney’s eponymous animated film that has charmed millions of viewers since 1991. Though not a princess, Belle is certainly a Disney heroine, and a spunky and courageous one at that.

“Beauty and the Beast” also happens to be a musical that Rodriguez has wanted to bring to the Woodlawn stage for some time.

“We have a long tradition of presenting a fairy tale musical in the summer. This one has been on my mind for a while,” he said. “I was a fan of the movie; fell in love with it as a kid. And so many people remember that iconic film. Also, the musical itself was a turning point for Broadway because it attracted a different audience, a family crowd. And that’s what we want to do with our summer musicals.”

Putting the big musical on stage, with elaborate sets and costumes, an orchestra and a fairly large cast is not an easy undertaking, but “we are up to the challenge,” noted Rodriguez. He praised the work of technical director/set designer Benjamin Grabill, costumer Rose Kennedy, and music director Josh Pepper. There will be a giant turn-table on stage to facilitate scene changes, and the stage itself will be extended into the house, to bring performers closer to the audience.

“We are breaking that fourth wall. Kids like to see the characters up close,” said the director who is also the choreographer for this production.

Based on a French fairy tale, both the film and the musical tell the story of a selfish, arrogant young prince who is turned into a beast by an angry enchantress who also turns all his servants into household objects, like a tea pot or a clock. She further decrees that the spell will not be lifted until the prince learns to love and earns the love of another person. And she imposes a time limit. When Belle, a young woman from a nearby town, willingly comes to the prince’s castle in order to save her father, things start to change for both her and the Beast. And, of course, there’s a happy ending.

Wrapped in this super-romantic fairy tale is, of course, a life lesson: don’t judge people based on appearance but value their inner qualities such as kindness, generosity and regard for others.

Like with every musical, the music is even more important than the story, and this one is full of well-loved songs, many of which were originally written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman, who died even before the movie premiered. Thus, for the musical that followed, Lloyd Webber’s frequent lyricist, Tim Rice, was hired to replace Ashman and additional musical numbers were created. The Menken-Ashman score and one of their songs, “Beauty and the Beast,” won Academy Awards in their respective categories, and the film itself made history by being the first animated movie to be nominated for an Oscar.

In the Woodlawn production, Chris Fuglestad is playing the Prince/Beast; Cary Farrow is Gaston, a town tough-guy who is after Belle; James Frazen appears as Belle’s father, Maurice, and Elise Lopez portrays Mrs. Potts, one of the enchanted castle servants. But the cast also includes many others, including a bunch of villagers and other castle servants.

Since the plucky heroine is described as a book lover in the original tale, the folks at the Woodlawn are asking theatergoers to donate a children’s/young adult book for SAReads, a program of Literacy San Antonio, Inc.

“Beauty and the Beast,” July 5-28; Fridays-Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m.; special Saturday matinee on July 13 at 2 p.m.; special Thursday show on July 26 at 7 p.m. Woodlawn Theater, 1920 Fredericksburg Rd., 78201; tickets $18-$30, 210-267-8388, www.woodlawntheatre.org