A tale as old as time is coming to Lake Oswego High School.
LOHS’s winter musical is “Beauty and the Beast,” the stage adaptation of the classic animated Disney film from 1991.
“Beauty and the Beast” opens at 7 p.m., on Friday, Feb. 16 in the LOHS auditorium. Performances run again at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, Thursday, Feb. 22 and Friday, Feb. 23, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24.
“My favorite part of doing ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has been getting to bring the Disney magic from the screen to the stage! I have always loved the enchantment of Disney and the stories they tell and emotions they evoke, and getting this opportunity to create that with people I adore has been the best,” said Zia Murphy, who plays Belle in the show, by email. “Everyone needs to come see this beautiful art put together by (LOHS theater teacher and director) Bobi Bergh. She truly has a brilliant mind and such a good eye for the stage and you are bound to be blown away by what she has created with us. It’s magical, it’s chill giving, it’s tear-jerking, it’s Disney!”
“Beauty and the Beast” is a fairytale centered around Belle, a young woman who becomes trapped in a beautiful castle owned by a terrifying Beast, who has been cursed along with his household staff.
“My favorite part has been not only doing a fun and magical show like this with the students but also my colleagues Tara Bamford and Kevin Rous,” said Bergh by email. “Not all schools have performing arts staff that get along as well as we do and I’m very thankful for that. Happy to make magic with them.”
During a run-through the week before opening, Bergh frequently checked in with both Tara Bamford, LOHS’s choir director who was seated in the audience, and Kevin Rouse, LOHS’s band director, in the orchestra pit.
“People should come see the show because we have put an insane amount of energy into it in such a short time. Everyone involved has worked so hard to put this together and it is honestly magical the way that it has come out,” said Connor Ramsey, who plays the titular Beast, in an email. “My favorite part has been the actual singing that goes into the musical. This is my first singing musical role and it’s been so fun to push myself to try something new.”
Part of the students’ excitement about Bergh choosing “Beauty and the Beast” for the winter musical was due to the long list of iconic songs in the show. These include “Beauty and the Beast,” “Belle,” “Gaston” and “Be Our Guest.”
“I’ve loved getting to do a big Disney show! When I was younger I always wanted to do this musical — mainly for Be Our Guest, it’s my favorite — and getting to do it my senior year with some of my closest friends has been a joy,” said Ashby Caughey, who plays Mrs. Potts in the show, by email. “Who wouldn’t want to see a bunch of utensils dance around in a castle?”
Classic musicals like “Beauty and the Beast” give students the chance to experiment, try new things and make their characters their own.
“Belle is such a unique princess and I didn’t know she was my dream role until I got her. She is strong-willed, smart, curious, and has a longing to see the world around her. In the beginning, I found myself falling into the mindset that I had to make her a ‘Disney Princess’ which meant being perfect and beautiful and predictable. But as I’ve gotten to know her more, she’s a character that has so much depth and opportunity for complexity,” said Murphy.
It’s also a chance for students to expand their technical knowledge and skills because of the expansive sets, costumes and lighting.
“Lighting and the lighting design is one of the most dynamic parts of a show. From each color to the specials to the brightness of every individual light, this show is unique — there is nothing like it,” said Gabriel Nickerson, the show’s student lighting designer.
For tickets visit LOHS’s online box office at https://lohstix.booktix.net/cart.php?action=show_pers&show_id=10&show_sec=6082c7451f05375c.
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