Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
CLASSIC DANCE — The “Beast” (Zacharia Harvey), left, dances with “Belle” (Danika Fitzpatrick) during Saturday afternoon’s performance of “Beauty and the Beast” at Houlton High School.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — The stage of Houlton High School was transformed into a fantastical fairy tale scene of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” for four performances this past weekend.
Under the direction of vocal director Jason Anderson, with musical accompaniment led by Joe Fagnant, the stage of Houlton High School’s auditorium was filled to near capacity for all four shows. Traditionally, the school performs three shows, but added a fourth on Saturday afternoon that also featured a tea party for children to meet characters from the play.
Based on the Broadway version of Disney’s story, the production featured seven songs not found in original movie score.
Danika Fitzpatrick and Dakota Jenkins shared the lead role of Belle for the musical, with each girl playing the lead in two of the four productions.
Zacharia Harvey had the arduous task of transforming himself into the title character of the “Beast.” His performance required plenty of growling and roars, intertwined with showing a softer side of the character. His vocal prowess shone through in the numbers “How Long Must This Go On?” and “If I Can’t Love Her.” For the majority of the production, Harvey adorns the mask and costume of the Beast before revealing himself as the prince at the climax of the production.
Elyjah Crockett, appearing in his first musical with lines, played the main foil in the play, the egotistical character of “Gaston” who tries to win the heart of Belle through any means possible. Crockett did an exceptional job of playing the part in the over-the-top manner that it called for, including several operatic-type musical numbers which showcased his deep, rich voice.
Lucas Anderson (Lumiere), Brandon Clark (Cogsworth) and Keegan Fitzpatrick (Lefou) provided comic relief for the production. Anderson nearly stole the show with his humorous performance as the candlestick, complete with a heavy French accent.
Ally Carmichael had the task of belting out the signature song of the production “Beauty and the Beast,” as the character of Mrs. Potts. Carmichael did an exceptional job of channeling her inner Angela Lansbury for the number.
Other cast members included Jaclyn Condon as Babette; Madelene Anderson as Chip; Natalie Rush as Madame de la Grand Bouche; Phoenix Crockett as Maurice; Dakota Gramour as Monsieur D’Arque; and Mikela Tuttle, Danielle Provost, Autumn London and Mia Mosler as the “silly girls.”
Playing the roles of villagers and enchanted characters were Calia Keber, Nia Hamilton, Tessa Winship, Casey Smith, Emma Reed, Brooke Willigar, Makala Miller, Connor Bulley, Kierra Carmichael, Caliegh Sullivan, Jaclyn Hodgkins and Laura Beals.
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| Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Elyjah Crockett, left, and Keegan Fitzpatrick perform the song “Gaston.” |
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Danika Fitzpatrick sings the opening number “Belle.” |
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| Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Singing the song “Human Again” are Natalie Rush, left, and Dakota Jenkins, who also played the role of “Belle” in two of the four shows. |
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Ally Carmichael, right, sings as “Mrs. Potts” as Madelene Anderson performs as “Chip.” |
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| Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Zacharia Harvey plays the role of “Beast.” |
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Danika Fitzpatrick and Zacharia Harvey dance in the final scene. |
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| Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr Performing a scene are, from left, Phoneix Crockett, Brandon Clark and Lucas Anderson. |
