- By Brett Bossard
- Entertainment
Print 
As the director, Dann is joined on the production by New York choreographer Chase Brock, who is making his Hangar debut, and music director Kevin Long, who returns to the Hangar, having previously worked on productions of My Fair Lady, Cats and Hello, Dolly! among others. The Academy Award and Tony Award winning musical features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton.
Since its opening on Broadway on April 18th, 1994, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has become the sixth-longest running show on Broadway. “The timeless story of young Belle—a voracious reader who yearns for adventure—and the lonely Beast who must learn to find beauty beyond appearances has delighted children for years,” says Dann. “Young audiences will rejoice in seeing their favorite characters live on stage, while adult audiences will take pleasure in the Hangar’s ability to approach each musical from a fresh perspective.” Dann’s vision for the Hangar production grew out of the French music that inspired Menken and Ashman when they were writing the music to the Disney film. According to Dann, she was studying the score for Beauty and the Beast when she, “started hearing the sounds of the French cabaret—a little accordion here, a little fiddle there—and I thought that would make such a wonderful and lively setting for a story that was originally a French fable.” This innovative setting will bring the audience together with Disney’s original music in an exciting way: it will be performed by a roaming trio of cabaret musicians.
Dann also wanted to capture the imagination of young audience members with a production that emphasizes the power of storytelling. “The Disney version of the fable added this wonderful character of a little boy called Chip,” says Dann. “Chip gives children a way to enter the story from their own perspective.” Dann’s production springs forth from the imagination of that young boy, and she’s excited to “allow the entire audience to re-experience this classic tale through the eyes of a child.”
To create this magical experience, the Hangar has assembled an intimate ensemble of actors, with a mix of fresh talent and familiar faces. Returning to the Hangar stage for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast are Greg Bostwick as Maurice, Erica Steinhagen as Mrs. Potts, Abby Church as Babette, Steve Pacek as Msr. D’Arque, Sarah Rolleston as the Enchantress, and Associate Artist, Jesse Bush as Gaston. Bostwick, a professor in Ithaca College’s Department of Theatre, has a long history at the Hangar that most recently included the 2003 production of My Fair Lady. He also recently appeared in After Ashley and the world premiere of Comfort Food at the Kitchen Theatre Company. Steinhagen’s previous work at the Hangar includes The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and Cats. As a member of the Kitchen Theatre Company, she recently appeared in a number of world premieres that include Precious Nonsense, The Drunken City, and Tony and the Soprano. Church is a recent graduate from Ithaca College and returns to the Hangar after appearing in Cats and last summer’s production of Hello, Dolly! Pacek, last seen at the Hangar in the 2000 production of Dames at Sea, also serves as the Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain. Rolleston, another recent Ithaca College grad, appeared in last summer’s production of Hello, Dolly! Bush joined the theatre’s staff last November as Associate Artist and Education and Outreach Coordinator. His previous stage credits at the Hangar include A Few Good Men, Sweeney Todd, and South Pacific.
Cast members making their debut at the Hangar include Julian Brightman as Cogsworth, Aaron Morris as Lefou, Jonathan Parks-Ramage as the Beast, James Potter as Chip, Kyra Lorraine Selman as Belle, Brook Stone as Grand Bouce, Jason Veasey as Lumiere, and Chunmei McKernan as Chip (Saturday matinees only).
The design team behind this ambitious production includes a set design from Kent Goetz, costume design by former Hangar staff member Pete Rush, lighting design by Chris Lee, and sound design by Ryan Rumery. Goetz, who also serves as the Chair of Cornell’s Department of Theatre, previously designed the scenery of the Hangar’s 2004 production of Of Mice and Men. Rush, who recently relocated to Seattle, has a long list of previous Hangar design credits that include Art, I Am My Own Wife, Frog Prince, and The Wiz. Lee returns to the Hangar after last year’s successful production of Sammy & Me. His off-Broadway credits include Saving Aimee!, The Notebook, and Once in a Lifetime. Rumery has spent a number of summers at the Hangar, most recently working on Of Mice and Men, I Am My Own Wife, Indoor/Outdoor, and All in the Timing.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will appear at the Hangar Theatre in Cass Park from June 21st through July 7th thanks to the support of corporate sponsor Tompkins Trust Company and media sponsors WQNY and WHCU.
----v3i23