The Catskill Chronicle

Story and photos by Leni Santoro

GRAHAMSVILLE – If you don’t do anything else this weekend get to the Tri-Valley Central School on either Friday or Saturday evening to see the Tri-Valley  School’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Truly an amazing performance by outstanding local teens, this is something for the whole family to see.

According to the program, “Beauty and the Beast first premiered at Houston’s Theater Under the Stars in December 1993.” Once the show moved to Broadway the show “broke box office records for single-day ticket sales.” It has since been nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical and has been performed in “15 countries and 7 languages.”

Tri-Valley’s Beauty and the Beast stars: Patricia Singh as Belle, Brendan Sanok as the Beast and Matthew Bogorad as Gaston. Mrs. Potts is played charmingly by Rachel Adriaans, Ethan Terwilliger (as Cogsworth) and Matthew Cavanaugh (as Lumiere) complete the trio, whose immediate intention is to get the Beast and Belle to fall in love before they, Potts, Cogsworth, Lumiere (and everyone else in the castle) are turned into inanimate objects forever.

The love story of the Beauty and the Beast is told by this talented group of young people with all its fine and subtle nuances. Both Singh as Belle and Sanok as the Beast are to be commended for their performances; which run the gamut from the early stages of love to the deepest despair when they find themselves almost undone by both the enchantress’s curse and the jealousy and pride of Gaston (played by Matthew Bogorad.)

But, Beauty and the Beast is not just the story of two young people in love against all odds. It is also the story of an inventor father (played by Logan Ackerly) and his daughter. It is the story of a town and its people. It is the story of a kingdom and its servants. It is the story of what happens when jealousy and pride is allowed to reign instead of goodness, kindness and love. And it is the story of how love and generosity of spirit can overcome even the most monumental odds.

Beauty and the Beast at Tri-Valley School is produced by Keith Edwards and directed by Regina Hartman with vocal direction by Elizabeth Bengels. The theatre orchestra conductor is Matthew Wynant. The technical advisor is Seth Sternberg.

Both the set and the costumes for Beauty and the Beast are remarkable in their artistry and the production extends a “special thanks and appreciation to Cobalt Studios and Mr. and Mrs. Mario Martinez of MARTCO for their assistance with this production.”

Tri-Valley School’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast takes place Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24. Both performances are at 7 p.m. in the Tri-Valley School Theatre. Admission: adults – $5, students/seniors – $3. Tickets are available at the door or call 985-2296, ext. 4138.

To view more photos or to purchase prints from Beauty and the Beast Comes to Tri-Valley visit the Chronicle on Zenfolio.