by Rose Rushe
WELL done to MIDAS (Mary Immaculate College Dramatic Arts Society) for securing the rights to Disney’s divine ‘Beauty and the Beast’. As society PRO Rebecca Egan states, “everyone knows the story and loves the music”, the score having pearls such as ‘Something There’ and ‘Human Again’.
There’s no holding back this ambitious swell of students with Dr Michael Finneran, he who cut excellent work with Bare Space Theatre, working as producer. Rebecca reports that CentreStage choreographer Amanda Kearns is on board, student union VP Elaine O’Dwyer directs and there’s Ciara Dennehy on costume.
Music, a seriously big deal here, is led by the experienced Noel Lennon and a professional band.
Enjoy it all at Lime Tree Theatre from tonight, opening night Wednesday April until Saturday 5, with 11am shows weekdays and next Saturday signing out with an 8pm curtain only.
MIDAS was looking for a complete change of style to the slinky pace of last year’s ‘Cats’; the classical dimension to the story of Belle and her furry Beau and of course, its medieval setting, were a siren call.
But come on, what about the age-old sexual triggers of wealth and status being at the heart of .. well, heartless Beauty and the regal Beast? Rebecca laughs: “Well, our Belle, she’s a bit of nerd with her head stuck always in a book. She can see behind his facade, this big hairy beast”.
Belle is apart from the village, they who shun him, in her vision and compassion.
Arts page gets a bang on the ear about charm being his true appeal. “He is Prince Charming, after all,” MIDAS makes clear.
Look forward to elaborate costuming and soaring score while the motif of rose petals falling marks the Beast coming closer to his death as outcast, spellbound and unloved. Can Belle pucker up to release him from that repelling pelt in time …or not?
James Deegan, Brian Finn and Emer Kelly are the principals.
