<p>There is nothing quite like revisiting the fairytales that one grew up listening to. And watching them being recreated on stage only adds to this experience. <br /><br />This was precisely the sentiment of the audience, who had assembled for a staging of the Disney classic ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Jyoti Nivas College Auditorium recently. <br /><br />Performed by the children of Sarla Birla Academy, the play saw a packed house. <br />People came to watch it along with their children and families. The tale revolves around an arrogant prince, who turns into a beast after a spell is cast upon him. <br />And the only way he can break the spell is if he learns to fall in love and accept the reality that love is a gift, which overcomes all external prejudices. </p>.<p>Thus enters Belle, the most beautiful girl in the village, who would rather read <br />her books than look out for a suitor. <br /><br />Belle soon ends up stuck inside the enchanted castle and the play revolves around whether or not she falls in love with the beast. <br /><br />The artistes breathed life into each one of the characters so beautifully that one was immediately sucked into the tale. <br /><br />Keerthana, who had come along with her eight-year-old daughter, thought the play to be a different experience. “Though many know the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, it was still nice to see children perform it on stage. They really did a good job in recreating the story,” she adds.<br /><br />Technically speaking as well, the play was a treat. With the clever use of the LCD backdrop, the bright props or the live music that played while the characters broke into a song, there was a lot of added colour in the story. <br /><br />Songs like ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Be Our Guest’, ‘The Mob Song’ and many others kept the audience swaying to their tunes and even breaking into applause. <br />“I really liked the ‘Be Our Guest’ song. I liked the choreography of the children, who were dressed like forks and spoons, on skates. At times, the stage did seem a bit crowded but it’s amazing how they all managed to fit in,” says Shilpa, a student of Jyoti Nivas College. <br /><br />Directed by Alexander Abraham, choreographed by Daniel Ibess Clifford and with the music arranged by Rohin Gabriel Joseph — along with the tunes that were originally composed by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice — the play certainly was worth watching. </p>
<p>There is nothing quite like revisiting the fairytales that one grew up listening to. And watching them being recreated on stage only adds to this experience. <br /><br />This was precisely the sentiment of the audience, who had assembled for a staging of the Disney classic ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the Jyoti Nivas College Auditorium recently. <br /><br />Performed by the children of Sarla Birla Academy, the play saw a packed house. <br />People came to watch it along with their children and families. The tale revolves around an arrogant prince, who turns into a beast after a spell is cast upon him. <br />And the only way he can break the spell is if he learns to fall in love and accept the reality that love is a gift, which overcomes all external prejudices. </p>.<p>Thus enters Belle, the most beautiful girl in the village, who would rather read <br />her books than look out for a suitor. <br /><br />Belle soon ends up stuck inside the enchanted castle and the play revolves around whether or not she falls in love with the beast. <br /><br />The artistes breathed life into each one of the characters so beautifully that one was immediately sucked into the tale. <br /><br />Keerthana, who had come along with her eight-year-old daughter, thought the play to be a different experience. “Though many know the story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, it was still nice to see children perform it on stage. They really did a good job in recreating the story,” she adds.<br /><br />Technically speaking as well, the play was a treat. With the clever use of the LCD backdrop, the bright props or the live music that played while the characters broke into a song, there was a lot of added colour in the story. <br /><br />Songs like ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Be Our Guest’, ‘The Mob Song’ and many others kept the audience swaying to their tunes and even breaking into applause. <br />“I really liked the ‘Be Our Guest’ song. I liked the choreography of the children, who were dressed like forks and spoons, on skates. At times, the stage did seem a bit crowded but it’s amazing how they all managed to fit in,” says Shilpa, a student of Jyoti Nivas College. <br /><br />Directed by Alexander Abraham, choreographed by Daniel Ibess Clifford and with the music arranged by Rohin Gabriel Joseph — along with the tunes that were originally composed by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice — the play certainly was worth watching. </p>
