Jackson Jambalaya

Saw the show last night -- great production, better than I expected from a road show. The music was great, if a little loud at times. The "loud" woudn't have mattered if it wasn't sometimes making it hard to hear the actors speak.

The actor who played The Beast was very good, appropriately scary and awkward in different places. The actress who played Belle was VERY good. She has a great voice, both for singing and acting. She sounds a lot like the cartoon version, which I mean as a compliment. The actor who played Gaston really stole the show -- amazing voice and very, very good in the group numbers. The audience really responded to him.

I was a tiny bit disappointed in the household staff -- Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts. No offense to the actors, I think it's just that I've seen the movie so many times that when I hear anyone other than Angela Landsbury, et. al., sing those parts, it's a let down.

The staging was well done. The changed from scene to scene very cleverly and it wasn't a distraction.

There were a TON of kids at the production, which I thought was a good thing. The kids really got into the show, enthusiastically laughing at the little funny things and paying rapt attention during the serious parts. I saw all ages there, from 3-year olds to high schoolers. As a whole, I think the show is OK for little ones, though there are a few scary parts (the wolf attacks, the big fight at the end, etc.). I think the issue for little kids was more that it got VERY loud at times, almost inappropriately so -- I saw more than one small child cover his/her ears during some of the louder parts. Maybe the production crew is still adjusting to Thalia Mara's acoustics.

I never saw the New York production of the show, so I can't say if it compares to that. I do think it was a great show, the kind I love to see in Jackson. After attending "Beauty and the Beast," I think I'm more likely to get tickets to more upcoming productions, especially "My Fair Lady" and "Spamalot."