Belle (Makayla Neel) is elated to see that Beast (Brock Marion) has an impressive library, which he places at her disposal.
Submitted photo
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Brock Marion of Peckville appears as the Beast in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at Phoenix Performing Arts Centre.
Submitted photo
Reese Lovette as Chip, and Abby Butler as Mrs. Potts, to the right of photo, are delighted to see Belle (Makayla Neel) and Beast (Brock Marion) getting along so well.
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The ‘silly girls’ spend a lot of time swooning over Gaston. From left are Johnna Pesavento, Rhiannon Legg, Abby Olander, Jacob Hull (Gaston), Cecelia Pugh, Morgan Cookus-Gnoinski, Abbey Cookus-Gnoinski. On the floor is Annabel Bogdon who plays Gaston’s sidekick, Lefou.
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After their director mentioned that opening night is already sold out, cast members from “Beauty and the Beast” at the Phoenix Performing Arts Centre in Duryea speculated about the reasons for that success.
“Everybody loves the romance in it,” said Chelsea Bauman, 12, of Plains Township.
“You’re really seeing it (as live theater). You’re not watching it on a pixelated screen,” said Jack Coffay, 11, also of Plains Township.
“And it has kids instead of adults,” added 10-year-old Derek Grymko, of Wilkes-Barre, hinting that’s a cuteness factor.
The 40 young people in the full-length Phoenix Theatrics production, who range in age from 5 to 14, get to portray lots of fun characters — including furniture and household implements come to life.
You’ll see lots of knives, forks, spoons and plates singing “Be Our Guest,” a rousing ensemble number that 10-year-old cast member Omari Watts predicted will be an audience favorite. How could it not be, when the B.O.G. Singers include such items as a pancake flipper, vegetable peeler, pizza cutter and pastry brush?
“We were able to make just about everything but a whisk,” artistic director Lee Lachette said.
Other fun roles include members of the Beast’s household — Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs.Potts, Chip, Babette and Madame Wardrobe — as well as a bevy of young women from Belle’s village who are known as “the silly girls” because, as 12-year-old Morgan Cookus-Gnoinski, of Wilkes-Barre, explained: “They’re always swooning over Gaston and they don’t think about anything else.”
So how does Gaston, the village’s hulking he-man and all-around most conceited person, react to all those swooning girls?
“He likes the attention, but he doesn’t really like them,” said Rhiannon Legg, 15, of Pittston. “Because they’re not Belle.”
Ah, yes, Belle. Her name means beautiful, and her face reflects her name. But there’s more to her than that.
“She’s brave. And independent,” said Makayla Neel, 14, of Wyoming, who plays the female lead.
Is she smart, too?
“Yeah!” 40 young voices called in unison.
So, yes, Belle is brave enough to take her father’s place as captive in the Beast’s castle. She’s independent enough not to care if other people think she’s odd for enjoying books so much. And she’s discerning enough to look past the Beast’s outward appearance, to see the young man he once was and could be again.
Fortunately for him, and his enchanted household, 14-year-old Brock Marion, who plays the Beast, said his character “is open to the love and the change that Belle brings.”
Phoenix Kids will present “Beauty and the Beast” March 13 through march 22 with shows at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and matinees at 2 p.m. on Sundays at Phoenix Performing Arts Centre, 409 Main St. Duryea.
Tickets are $10 general admission; $5 for kids ages 5 and younger. They are available at the door or by calling the box office at 570-457-3589 for reservations.