Gaston (left), played by Elijah Gayle, tries to impress Beauty (Aisha Ricketts) in 'Beauty and the Beast', which is playing at the Philip Sherlock Centre, UWI, Mona campus. photos by Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer

"Whenever I see these youngsters onstage, I remember how talented Jamaicans generally are."

That comment came from a member of the audience at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts (PSCCA) on Sunday afternoon. She had just seen the first half of the Jamaica Junior Theatre's (JJT) current production, 'Beauty and the Beast', a musical that thousands of Jamaicans have enjoyed.

Some would have seen the movie, a Disney animated feature; some the first JJT production of the work mounted at the PSCCA 11 years ago. Some might even have seen the Broadway show.

Principal directors

The principal directors responsible for the first staging are back, Doug Bennett as musical director, Peter Haley as director and Tony Wilson as choreographer. Carolyn Chin Yee, who is responsible for the creation of the gorgeous costumes, is the "newcomer" to the group, but only in a relative sense; she has been involved with costuming the JJT productions for many years now.

The real newcomers are the members of the cast. This set is, overall, as talented as the 1998 cast, though it's not clear that there are individual members of this cast who are as capable (or desirous) of becoming professional singers as were Keisha Patterson and Julius Nyerere Brown of the original cast. Patterson is now singing professionally in Jamaica and Brown, after winning a Canadian song competition, went off in 1998 to study music in Toronto.

Wonderful singing, acting

Belle (the Beauty) in the current production is played by Stephanie Hazle, alternating with Aisha Ricketts. The latter, who was on stage Sunday, sings and acts well and certainly looks the part.

Ditto for Matthew McKenzie, as the Beast, except that he only looks like a beast because of his bear-like costume. He's revealed to be a fine looking young man when, at the end, Belle shatters the spell that had been put on him and the beast becomes a prince again.

For those who don't know the story, here's a synopsis. A prince who is unkind to an old woman he encounters in a forest is magically changed by her into a beast and condemned to remain in that form until someone declares their love for him. The prince's staff in his castle are also changed - into cutlery, china and cooking utensils which can speak.

Belle lives with her father, Maurice (David Reid), in the village near the castle. There too lives Gaston (Elijah Gayle), a handsome, conceited hunter who has all the young women swooning when they are in his presence. But he wants Belle, the one girl who is not interested in him.

The cleverly plotted Disney story, much more complex than the original fairy tale, has Maurice being captured by the Beast, Belle later taking his place, and, near the climax, Gaston and the beast fighting. Beast is wounded, Belle realises that she has fallen in love with him and, naturally, the play ends happily.

Fine performances

Fine performances came Sunday from Gary Barrett as Le Fou, the Beast's sidekick; Joel Wright as Lumiere, Stephan-Rhae Johnson as Cogsworth, the grandfather clock; and Savanna Lloyd as Mrs Potts. Lloyd is particularly engaging as the motherly teapot.

In all, some 40 youngsters play in the musical, which has beautiful, well-sung songs. Favourites of the audience include Me, sung by the self-focused Gaston; Something There, and, the title song, Beauty and the Beast.

While the songs provide an aural treat, the dancing (done by a cast with, apparently, some trained students of dance), and the costumes deliver a visual one. The costumes - which include ankle-length, peasant-style dresses for some of the girls, body suits for the dancers and outfits representing spoons, forks, napkins and other enchanted objects - must have cost a pretty penny.

One hopes that even in these economically challenging times, the JJT will make a profit, for most of the proceeds from the shows go to charity.

Stage setting

There is a minimal set - mainly a castle facade, and not even the entire castle either. The JJT budget could only stretch so far, probably. Also on the negative side is the fact that there is a blackout, sometimes lengthy ones, between every scene - and the scenes are numerous. Surely the director could have integrated the scenes more, some that flow smoothly into each other.

The patron quoted earlier spoke during the intermission about the talent onstage. She must have been even more impressed with the cast by the end of the delightful show. Jamaica does indeed have outstanding talent.

The production continues at the PSCCA on weekends.

Beast (Matthew McKenzie) confronts Beauty (Aisha Ricketts) in a scene from 'Beauty and the Beast' at the Philip Sherlock Centre, UWI, Mona campus, on Sunday.