What is there to say...
Beauty and the Beast is one of those shows that you remember many years after you saw it for the first time. I have always enjoyed the animated movie and thought it was one of the strongest efforts to come out of Disney. When I heard they were making it into a Broadway musical my first thought was “How are they going to do that?” Disney was attempting to create a show that needed makeup, special effects, fire, enchanted objects, music and a transforming beast and it all had to happen in front of the audience's eyes. But somehow Disney pulled it off and in many ways changed the landscape of Broadway forever.
What draws people into the story of Beauty and the Beast, I think, are the characters. Who among us hasn’t felt like the outcast before or the beast that no one will love? Who hasn’t known the beautiful person who was really a beast on the inside? The characters of Beauty and the Beast are reflections of our own selves at different points in our lives, and we can relate to that. The other thing that draws audiences in is the music. I don’t think there is a child alive who hasn’t heard Be Our Guest or Beauty and the Beast. The music that Howard Ashman and Tim Rice created is timeless.
The fun in directing a show like this is how do we do things on a budget creatively. What can we do that will make the show look good without spending tens of thousands of dollars on it? The other piece is seeing how the kids learn to bring a cartoon to life in their own unique way. How can they learn to apply classic theater to something as silly as being a talking clock or a feather duster? Watching them create characters and worlds is an amazing experience.
I want to thank my team first and foremost because I couldn’t have done this without them. Ms. Brooke Goldiner, you have been an excellent partner, and I truly enjoyed working with you. You have fantastic vision and great ideas and are fun to bounce ideas off of. To Gustavo and Joey, I couldn’t be prouder of you as students and leaders. You worked extremely hard to make the sets and some of the costumes, and it looks awesome. Without you, there wouldn’t be a show. To Nia, D’Andre, and Gio thank you for all your time and hard work. And finally, thank you to the parents and administration at Parkland who pitched in and helped to fill in some of the gaps when I couldn’t be at the school to do so.
Well, I think I have rambled enough, so sit back relax and Be Our Guest as you watch Beauty and the Beast!
Sincerely,
Rick Bergmann
Director
