Last night several hundred fortunate theater goers experienced the premier of AGC's "Beauty & The Beast," the latest musical from the Los Angeles based theatrical training institute founded by actress Wendy Raquel Robinson and the late Tracy Coley. The conservatory trains young people with varied ranges of performance experience and talent from ages 7 to 17. But what sets AGC shows apart from the normal fare in children's theater is the high level of professionalism these productions consistently reach. "Beauty & the Beast" follows in that same tradition.Denise Dowse's direction is sure-handed and even. Her facility to adroitly orchestrate a cast of nearly seventy actors and integrate them within a story has become one of her outstanding signatures as a director. When one of her characters is on stage they most always are doing something toward moving the scene forward. Rarely is there a lot of superfluous scene chewing.
Stephan Terry's musical direction is also economic but very effective. His four man band is a well-oiled music box cranking out cherished tunes like "Be Our Guest" and improvisations on pop tunes like "Thriller." Mylette Nora's costuming continues to thrill and evolve into a growing tapestry of colors, masks, fabrics, uniforms, dresses and the like which adds a deeper layer of storytelling to these productions. Choreography by Cassi Crump, Tyna Andrews, Alfred Jackson and Shanti Lowry is combines elements of hip-hop, stage acrobatics and classical dance. Pulling it all together is the producer Robinson, a working actress in her own right, whose seemingly tireless efforts and infectious energy binds all of the creative and business elements necessary to mount a production of this size.
But the stars of the show are the young actors themselves. Aja Flewelen and Colin Gilliard in the titular roles are confident, talented and extremely likeable. The other actors in supporting roles offer equal talent and excitement. Keep your eye on Act II. There is a marvelous scene where the Beast and Belle have dinner. It is a scene layered with drama, music and dance and its beatific simplicity is both magical and moving. "Beauty & the Beast" as a whole showcases the talents of young actors and exemplifies the commitment of a staff of teachers willing to push young people to heights they have perhaps never sought before.
"Beauty & the Beast" is playing at the Nate Holden Theater, 4718 W. Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016, May 11 @ 6:00 PM, May 17 @ 7:30 and May 18 @ 6:00 PM. There is a special show in Sunday, May 18 @ 2:00 PM entitled "Beauty & the Beast Too!" which exclusively features the talents of AGC's youngest actors. All tix are $15 in advance/ $20 at the door.
