Disney's Beauty and the Beast is a Lavish Spectacle Serving Nostalgia With Style

If you happen to be in need of a delightful piece of escapism, then Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which opened on July 16 at the Orpheum, hits all the right buttons. Surrounded by adults and girls dressed in Belle's signature yellow gold gown, this production gives its all from the moment Belle (Kyra Belle Johnson) steps on stage, to tell us, "It's a quiet village."

With a sprinkling of panto, a dash of scrim graphics, and an overwhelming helping of Disney's signature branding, the effect is an overwhelming blast of happiness and light. Director Matt West stays true to the brand throughout, causing it to feel as though Disneyland itself has come to the stage. There is little here that challenges expectations, but that is hardly the point. "Be Our Guest" proves to be a number that grows rapidly upward in over-the-top ostentation, so much so that when we are given an overhead view of the dancers in synchronized swimming, Busby Berkeley-style formations, it seems the only logical way to end the beloved number.

Johnson's Belle plays empathetically against the lonely Beast of the castle (Fergie L.Philippe). Her timing and control of the character drive the plot with artful precision, grounding the spectacle with genuine feeling. Staying as close to the original animation as a stage production can, Danny Gardner, as Lumiere, uses his fiery hands to punctuate his proclamations. Javier Ignacio, as Cogsworth, creates a whole new genre of comedy in the form of fussing. In a feat of theater magic, the disembodied head of Chip (Levi Blaise Coleman), smiling serenely from the tea table, adds to the enchantment. Whispers followed his entrances and exits. No one could figure out where his body was hidden, adding a surreal element to this carefully polished production.

And then we come to Gaston, played by Stephen Mark Lukas, who shows that no one is quite as burly and brawny, nor chauvinistically terrible, as he. Of all the Disney baddies, he has always been a favorite simply for his trad wife-loving, sentient species-hunting villainy. He is transparent in his needs and makes for good comedy as he tromps in big boots with his trusty sidekick, LeFou (Henry Francis). His self-named number becomes a feat of mansplaining and self-aggrandizing. The fast-paced dancing never falters, and it almost completely steals the show.

If the production is a bit on the long side, the pure spectacle of it all keeps us entertained. While it tugs at the nostalgia of those who grew up with the animated Belle and her Beast, it is equally determined to win over a younger generation discovering the story for the first time. If Disney is shamelessly trading on our happiest memories to fill seats, it at least does so with confidence, craftsmanship, and no shortage of theatrical flair.

Beauty and the Beast will run through August 9. Find tickets and information athttps://us.atgtickets.com/whats-on/san-francisco/.