By Donna Crane
Beauty and the Beast Broadway Series musical at The Paramount Theatre in Aurora could be described in one word: Fabulous!
The story begins when a haggard old woman knocks at the door of a vain, young prince, and asks for shelter in exchange for a rose.
The prince refuses because he finds her appearance disgusting, but when he rejects her, the woman transforms into a sorceress and places a curse upon the prince. He will look as grotesque on the outside as he is on the inside.
The curse not only effects the prince, but his servants are afflicted and are morphed into everyday household objects.
The woman leaves the prince, who has become a beast, with a magical rose and tells him that he must learn to love and earn love in return before the last petal drops, or he and his servants will remain as they are forever.
Disney’s version tells the tragic tale of a prince transformed into a hairy beast and Belle.
It originates from a 16th Century romance between a French court servant and a man with incurable hair growth.
The staging process at the Paramount is always impressive. As the story unfolds with the help of dancing, beautiful music, and a few loud bursts of sound bring more drama to the story.
It was a beautiful performance enjoyed by young and old and the production was full of the songs we love from this musical, including the title song, Beauty and the Beast.
Performances are are through January 19, 2020 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Boulevard in Aurora. Tickets are available at paramountaurora.com or 630-896-6666.