‘Be prepared to be enchanted’
GFW T-Bird Community Arts presents ‘Beauty and the Beast’
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WINTHROP -- Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop (GFW) T-Bird Community Arts (TCA) presents "Beauty and the Beast" Thursday through Sunday at the junior/senior high school auditorium.
Show times are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
"Producing this show has certainly been a team effort, most of the TCA board members have committed many, many hours," said director Lynnae Grack. "The enthusiasm of the cast and crew is phenomenal. Most of the cast members are working all day then grabbing a quick bite before getting to rehearsal."
Grack described the musical.
"Be prepared to be enchanted as our talented cast and crew bring this beloved Disney classic to life. Be our guest on this journey of love and self-discovery, where true beauty shines from within," she said.
"Through captivating costumes, astonishing set designs, and mesmerizing choreography, we will transport you to a world where castles come alive and the transfor mative power of love reigns supreme. Beyond the enchanting visuals and captivating music, Beauty and the Beast carries timeless messages of empathy, acceptance, and the power of love to overcome prejudice."
Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. The original Broadway production ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
There are 53 cast and crew members from the GFW district, Glencoe, Fernando, Franklin, New Ulm and Nicollet. This production is made possible through funds received from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council. This grant also included the Summer Kids Arts Camp TCA provided in June. The funds received allowed TCA to offer the arts camp free of cost to GFW area students in grades 3rd-8th grades.
The grant does not cover the full cost of these events, but without these funds we would not be able to provide these opportunities and events.
"We rely on community support through fundraising and donors and also ticket sales to help us provide these opportunities for artists and theater lovers," said Grack. "The cast has dedicated much time and talent to making this production the best it can be. There are so many facets to putting on a musical: singing, choreography, acting, set construction and design, costumes, props, advertising, ticketing. The set crew, headed by Rob Gleason and Joe Vos, have been working non-stop and the set looks amazing."
Cast and crew members
Belle – Elissa Ries; Beast – Derek Helget; Cogsworth – Isabelle Vos; Lumiere – Jared Gleisner; Babette – Laura Sallstrom; Mrs. Potts – Savanna Sweely; Chip – Anika Beckendorf
Madame de la Grande Bouche – Desirae Schmidt; Maurice – Kent Menzel; Gaston – Joe Vos; Lefou – Ashley Vos; Narrator, Book Seller, Villager, Castle Staff – Gwen Ruff; Crony 1,; Villager, Castle Staff – Isaac Vos; Crony 2, Villager, Castle Staff – Cooper Foss; Other Crony, Villager, Castle Staff – Yzykiel Rendon; La Fille de la Ville (Silly Girl) 1,; Villager, Castle Staff – Carly Thompson; La Fille de la Ville (Silly Girl) 2, Villager, Castle Staff – Yzaelyah Rendon; La Fille de la Ville (Silly Girl) 3, Villager, Castle Staff – JC Rolf Harrel; Monsieur D'Arque – Mike Burns; Old Beggar Woman/Enchantress, Villager, Castle Staff – Kali Aden; Villagers, Wolves, Castle Staff – Tina Castillo, LaNae Schmidt, Quinn Schmidt, Jennifer Isaac, Zoie DeLong, Brittany Doll, Lincoln Sondag, Sophia Schroeder, Kaylie Schroeder, Aubree Schwecke, Eloziah Rendon, Ellianna Isaac, Emma Jo Sondag, Rey Rendon, Shayla Clobes, Josh Rieke; Set/Tech – Josh Rieke, Caidyn Suess, Robert Lund, Kira Rieke, Addison Long, Mitchell Ibarra, Justin Messner, Kai Thompson, Demitri Schroeder; Stage Manager – Amanda Rieke; Music Director – Maria Cuff