Rainbow Stage's latest production a Beauty

It takes a lot to recreate an animated Disney masterpiece while bringing it to life on the stage. Take in to consideration the costumes, sets, music, talent needed....its a lot of work to recreate a sensation such as that.

But that is exactly what Rainbow Stage did last night in their performance of Disney's Beauty

and the Beast. I had the pleasure of treating my mom to this performance last night, as a birthday present for her...and a treat for myself, too!

First off, you all know I'm a fan of Disney, so I may be biased towards this review, but ask any one of the estimated 1,500+ people at Kildonan Park Theatre last night if it was anything less than outstanding, and I'd be surprised if you hear something different.

Rainbow Stage first presented this show back in 2004 at the Pantages Playhouse, another brilliant theatre in Winnipeg. My only complaint about this specific show at the Pantages, however, is that the stage was too small.

Kildonan Park's stage looks to be 3 times as deep and about a third more wide, allowing the show to spread out and show more of it's colors in an organized fashion.

Directed by well-known Winnipeg actor Robb Paterson, the classic story was filled with amazin

g sets, brightly colored, large, fun costumes as worn by the actors portraying Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts and The Dresser, to name a few.

Belle (played by Samantha Hill, who played Wendy in Rainbow Stage's 2008 production of Peter Pan) and Beast (played by Kevin Aichele) both had outstanding voices. Their chemistry on stage was amazing as the love story develops, and the Beast becomes more of a fan-favorite

towards the children in the crowd.

In my opinion, the true show-stealer was the evil man himself...thats right: Gaston (played by Peter Huck).

Huck was right on cue, and must have studied the cartoon numerous times to play the role as he did. He stole the show with his amazing voice, gestures, and acting skills.

One of the highlights of the show, which received one of the loudest applauses, is the bar scene where the song "Gaston" plays. The ensemble grabs beer mugs and uses them with each other, clanking them around, as you might see during a performance of Stomp. No one missed a beat here either, and add some tap dancing to the number...and you've got yourself a fantastic piece.

A live orchestra accompanies the actors to their every move on stage, and follows them along to the tune of their voices. Just an amazing performance by the musicians, as well.

Several other well-known local Winnipeg actors graced the stage such as Chris Sigurdson playing Lumiere, Stan Lesk as Belle's Father, Maurice.

Another cool addition to the show, as I mentioned at the beginning, was the theatre. This is an outdoor theatre, with a dome to protect patrons from the rain. On such a gorgeous night like yesterday, it added to the overall excitement of the show.

Receiving an instant standing ovation once all cast was on stage, Beauty and the Beast at Rainbow Stage is not to be missed. I've heard a few people comment that they've done the show in 2004, why go see it again? People, please! It is a whole new experience out at Kildonan Park.

If anyone is going to be in the Winnipeg area between now and the 28th of August, I highly recommend checking out Beauty and the Beast. The music is sensational and the story is truly a tale as old as time...but a tale not to be missed!

Five stars out of five.

To order tickets for Beauty and the Beast or for more information on Rainbow

Stage and their 55-year history, click here for their official homepage.

Chris

Above: Kildonan Park's Rainbow Stage outdoor-domed theatre.