Beauty and the Beast
"I was blown away by the craft that went into every aspect of the production. The ensemble was giving it their all. It was evident that they had trained in acting, movement, and vocal work, in addition to rigorous rehearsals. I was so impressed with how specific each performer was. They stayed so committed to their character choices. I could see the work you all put in for character development, dialects, vocal performance, and choreography. And all that gorgeous scenery and costumes! It was also clear by the enormous audience turn out (many returning after already seeing it the night before) that your community cherishes the project. I loved how they roared and cheered between each scene. It was such a fun and joyful night of theatre."
Erika Wilhite - Oklahoma Arts Council
"It was outstanding! There were 400 plus people there to witness something extraordinary. The scenery, costumes, dancing, singing and action were above and beyond anything you would expect from such a young group of students. I would not be surprised to learn in the future that some of these talented men and women made it all the way to Broadway! They're that good! My friends and I are hooked! Long live the arts!"
Dee Hennigan - Okmulgee County Times
When directing and choreographing this goliath of a show, the goal I had was to create a show that wasn’t a cookie cutter Disney production.
I never felt the need to take the Disney cartoon and slap it on stage. I strived to create a more realistic version of this fairy tale. As realistic as you can be when you have a talking candelabra, mantle clock, and tea pot. I spent time working on character development with my cast, highlighting how the time period, social hierarchy, and the cultural dynamics would affect their characters.
I tried to bring true humanity to the more cartoonish characters in the show. For the castle folk, I worked with my actors to develop backstories so they knew what their life was like before the curse and how their transformations affected them. My goal for Gaston was to prevent him from becoming a full out caricature. While he still had an outsized ego and comedic timing, he was human enough that he was actually frightening as he led an angry mob to storm the castle. With this approach the production became a more dynamic and heartfelt story. By emphasizing the tragedy of these characters, we were able to connect to our audience on a deeper level and bring this show to life through a different lens.
Henryetta High School
2022
You can view the entire album of this production’s photos by clicking here.
