'Beauty & the Beast' has few flaws

Beauty & the Beast
From the Abilene Reporter News

Your kids will love McMurry University's production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" so much, you'll be hearing about it for months.

You'll like it enough so that you won't mind the conversation.

McMurry's homecoming musical, directed by Philip Craik, is one of the university's biggest spectacles in years. And "B&B" almost lands a bull's-eye on the family market with impressive costumes, a two-story set, and a dazzling new light system that got a full workout at Thursday's opening night performance.

In "B&B," the lovely Belle (Robin Shaw), the daughter of an eccentric inventor, doesn't fit in in her town because she -- gasp! -- reads. Belle still manages to attract the unwanted attention of an egotistic hunter (Zac Tiedemann, reveling in his character's self-proclaimed wonderfulness), but she is most devoted to her father -- so much that when papa runs afoul of a surly, lonely Beast (Kerry Goff), Belle agrees to serve out her father's punishment.

The Beast has his own problems. Kind of a jerk himself, he must live under a spell that makes him appear as a hideous beast instead of a handsome prince forever unless he can prove 1) he can love someone besides himself and 2) get someone to love him back. Belle represents his last real hope.

In almost every case, the casting was spot-on. Shaw is a lovely singer, Goff has a powerful voice, and the reliable Hilary Hokett and Taylor Compton were the best of the supporting characters.
"B&B" wasn't perfect. You could tell some dancers were thinking to themselves "step, step, pivot, step, turn," and a big production number wobbled on the last couple of notes.
But the little girls dressed as princesses who sat near me didn't mind. McMurry's production overall is high quality. Take the family to see it.

"Beauty and the Beast" (musical)

When: 7:30 p.m. today-Saturday

Where: Radford Auditorium, McMurry University, South 14th Street and Sayles Boulevard.

How much: $12, or $7 for McMurry students/faculty/staff.

Call (325) 793-3889 from 1 to 5 p.m. weekdays for tickets.