Heart-warming musical continues this weekend at Limestone College
LEDGER PHOTOS / TIM GULLA
Disney's Beauty and the Beast opened last weekend to rave reviews and will continue today and Saturday in Fullerton Auditorium. Presented by Limestone College, the Cherokee County Arts Council and Gaffney Little Theatre, curtain time is 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance Saturday at 3 p.m. The show is directed by Dr. Baxter-Ferguson with musical direction by Dr. David Thompson. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors. Children (6 and under) and Limestone College students, faculty and staff are free. Call (864) 488- 4502 to make reservations.
Fitting his beastly appearance, the Beast - played during a Saturday performance by Limestone College Music Education major Daniel Sean Smith - doesn't make a good impression on Belle when they first meet. But both he and Belle, portrayed here by Limestone English Education major Holly Weiss, ultimately have a change of heart as the "tale as old as time" plays out. All the ladies go crazy for Gaston, played during last Saturday's performance by Limestone College Theatre major Matthew Ferguson, except the one he really wants. Belle is an oddball of sorts within her small town. She reads voraciously and dreams big. Here she gets a new book from the bookseller, portrayed by Greg French. If Belle is considered an oddball in her town, her father Maurice, played here by John Henderson, is considered even more so. He's an inventor of wacky contraptions which sometimes leads to ridicule. Belle's love for her father leads her to make a big sacrifice that turns out for the best. Gaston hopes to sweep Belle off her feet. But Belle isn't impressed with the man who boasts of having "biceps to spare." In this tale, she'll find her true soul mate in the unlikeliest of places. Gaston is the hero of his town, but he's not the hero of the story. In a sweeping musical number, Gaston is hoisted high on the shoulders of his admirers. Life is so unnerving for a servant who's not serving... During one of the musical's most memorable songs, enchanted napkins, dinnerware and silverware invite Belle to "Be our Guest."
