From November 17th to 20th, LM Players put on an impressive production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Over the course of many months, the LM Players worked hours on end to make this show a reality, and this effort was extremely evident in the final product. The classic musical was enhanced by stellar acting, gorgeous costumes, breathtaking sets, comical relief and majestic special effects.
While the majority of the characters within the show produced an incredible performance, a couple of actors stood out as perfectly cast. Cid Miller ’24 played Lumiere, nailing down the French accent, expressive facial expressions, and smooth nature of the beloved character. Their stage presence was incredible, and even while dancing, they continued to embody Lumiere. Kendall Johnson ’23 also put on a show-stopping performance as Belle. She said participating in “Players has been my favorite part of my high school experience. There is nothing like being able to do the thing I love with the people I love everyday.” Her confidence and love for acting was evident on stage, and Belle’s many solos featured her incredible singing ability. Particularly in the song “A Change in Me,” her voice was sweet and clear, much like what we’d expect Belle as a character to sound like. The cast all together created some stand out moments, my favorite of which was the song “Be Our Guest.” The dancing and energy was very fun in this song, and the performance was seamless.
While the acting engaged me in the show, what really stood out to impress me was all of the work that had been put into the set, props, costumes, lighting, and music. Simply by looking at the stage, you could see the intricacies of everything that had been built for the show. The set of Belle’s hometown included a creatively crafted full-sized fountain, with sparkling streamers protruding from in the center. This created the illusion of water. This element and the carefully detailed set pieces of buildings in the town were painted carefully and clearly well thought out. During the scenes in the castle, I was blown away by the scale of the set that was built. An entire second floor, complete with a staircase, banister, and intricate paint detailing was created. The props were also extremely well thought-out and impressive. In particular, the “machine” Belle’s father, Maurice, invented was complete with a hand-crank, smoke, and so many little parts. As for the costumes, most made by hand, they were all designed wand executed to perfection. Belle’s classic yellow gown was especially stunning, including a hoop skirt, shiny fabric, and gorgeous details.
The aspect that almost made me forget I was watching a high school play, and really made everything feel professional, were the special effects and lighting showcased throughout the musical. During the castle scenes, stunning chandeliers were lowered down gracefully from the ceiling, and fairy lights were suspended during the dance scene between Belle and the Beast. All of these created a gorgeous, romantic mood for the scenes it was appropriate for. During suspenseful scenes such as within the woods, and the Beast’s near-death encounter, the dimmed lighting and intense smoke special effects elevated the impact of the moment. Marco Ziccardi ’25, the Master Electrician, said he was “really proud of the Electrics Crew and how hard they worked.”
Finally, the classic music from this beloved musical was played beautifully by the mostly student orchestra performing in the pit. Adina Olson ’24, a cellist in the show orchestra, described learning hours and “over a hundred pages of music.” The culmination of the work from the many students in the many departments that put this show together resulted in a fantastic experience as an audience member. It was very cool to see so many different talents of the student body put together to create an impressive production that surpassed the expectation of many viewers.
