Be Our Guest!

It's been a busy few weeks... the 1-3 of October NHCT's "Beauty & the Beast Jr." performed at the Langdale Auditorium for a record-breaking audiences. Final house count was 1,368 people for the run of the show, incredible! The cast could not have been better, the audience got into the show every night, the songs and choreography were top-notch, all around it was by far my favorite, and the best show I've ever been a part of (no offence to Annie get Your Gun...)

As Lumiere I got to be part of three songs, one ("Be Our Guest") was a huge show stopper, which made my part in the show all the more worth while. All the principle characters (Belle: Bianca Alomar, Beast: Evan Johnson, Cogsworth: Haley Hamer, Babette: Racheal Foster, Madame Bouche: Casey Pruett, Mrs. Potts: Hope Tedescucci) had amazing chemistry among ourselves in our characters, and played with the characters as much as we could.

A great example of this was on our first dress rehearsal when a costume change took too long and Lumiere, Cogsworth, Belle, and the Beast were on stage standing in silence, we didn't have to stay in character (we didn't have an audience) but I just ran with it, by asking Belle why she went for the Beast when there was such a good looking candle in the castle, Babette came in and got angry, and Belle ended up with running away with Gaston! Hilarious stuff, even when you've been backstage in a bulky costume for the last two hours!

The costumes were fantastic (even as uncomfortable as they were) I had possibly the most free of the costumes, I did have "candles" on my hands with small battery operated lights inside (the idea of the wonderful costumes/props master Cherrell Batty) On my head I wore a "powdered wig" with a large candle that appeared to be coming out of my head which strapped under my chin (I was afraid it would fall off if I moved it too much)

It really was the best time I've had in a show, and would love to do it again, and again, and again, and.... oh, you get my point!

The following Monday NHCT held auditions for it's next production "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Show", I went and won not one, but FOUR roles in the show: "Young George", "Tommy", "Ernie", and "Martini"! Rehearseals are currently goinng on in West Point, and the show will be in December.

Whew, I'm tired just thinking back!