By Tom Ganser
There’s no better way to start the holiday season than by taking in a performance of the Whitewater High School Players production of the beloved Disney classic, “Beauty and the Beast,” that showcases the talents of nearly 70 actors, stage crew members, and musicians.
Jim McCulloch and Liz Elliot serve as Directors, Kat Dunham is the Scenery Construction Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Theatre major Taytum Adkins is the Choreographer, and Justin Kamp is Conductor of the pit band.
Performances in the Whitewater High School Auditorium will be Nov. 17, 18, and 19 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 19 and 20 at 2:00 p.m.
General admission tickets ($7 for students and $10 for adults) can be reserved by calling 262-472-8178 or in person at the Book Teller in downtown Whitewater. Tickets also are available an hour before the performances.
“Beauty and the Beast” tells the story of a “beast” who captures a young woman, Belle, in an attempt to gain her love, so he can shed his monstrous form. It’s filled with lovable characters and singalong songs.
“Beauty and the Beast” (“La Belle et la Bête”) was written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in “La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins” (“The Young American and Marine Tales”). It has been prominent in books, on the stage, and in movies ever since.
About thirty minutes before the curtain rises, there will be a “pre-show” of Tom Ganser’s photos from WHS Players productions of “The Little Mermaid” (2019), “Summer Shorts” (2021), and “Footloose” (2021).
In addition to the regular performances, there will be a special “Be Our Guest” Tea Party on November 19th at 12:30 p.m. Come dressed as your favorite Disney character, enjoy some sweets and treats in the enchanted castle, get your picture taken with some of the cast, and take home a souvenir teacup. Tickets are $10 per child. Adult chaperones are free. Seating is limited and reservations for this event are required by calling 262-472-8178.
This production of “Beauty and the Beast” will participate in the Madison Overture Center’s Jerry Awards program that encourages, recognizes, and honors excellence in high school musical theater.
Hayleigh Pond is an 8th grader at Whitewater Middle School and takes to the stage as a villager and as a piece of silverware in “Be Our Guest.” She said, “Even a spoon is important, so that means even if you are not popular or known, you are still a big part of life.”
Skylar Staebler, a senior at WHS, has been in many productions throughout her years in Whitewater. In “Beauty and the Beast,” she takes on one of the leading roles as Belle.
“I love the resilience and strong, independent nature of Belle. I am a very independent person and think that I can connect well to Belle’s standards. I am not as proper or ‘princess’ like Belle, but I think my hard work and love of stories make up for it. I often find myself daydreaming and living in the world of music like Belle’s love of books.”
Staebler concludes, “I’ve truly loved bringing the world of Belle to life and can’t wait for an audience to see all the hard work the cast and crew have done.”
Joshua Kirley, also a WHS senior who has been in many theatrical productions, is cast in a leading role as the Beast. He shared that a challenge for him as the Beast is “portraying my emotions in the songs I sing.”
Asked to compare the Beast to a flavor of ice cream, Kirley said, “I think that Rocky Road suits the Beast, because he’s mean at first but as soon as you get to know him you’ll learn to love him.”
