LEADING ROLES - Playing leading roles in the upcoming Tawas Bay Players production of “Beauty and the Beast” are, from left, back row: Shane Whitford, Ashley Malin, David Ryan, Stephen Morris, Kiera Tate, Mark Doebler and Lorea Johnroe; front row: Jon Collard, Brian Crossnoe and Hannah Kolts. - Photo by John Morris

Tawas Bay Players teen musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’ opens Friday

EAST TAWAS - Tawas Bay Players will open its teen musical production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast this weekend at the Tawas Bay Playhouse in East Tawas.

The musical will run for three weekends. Show dates are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The musical will also be performed March 6-8 and 14-15 at 7 p.m. and March 9 and 16 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the theater’s box office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 362-8373.

Cast in the production are Hannah Kolts as Belle, Ashley Malin as Babette, Lorea Johnroe as Madame De La Grand Bouch, Kiera Tate as Mrs. Potts, Stephen Morris as The Beast, David Ryan as Gaston, Shane Whitford as Lumiere, Brian Crossnoe as Chip, John Shaffer as Cogsworth, Nathan Turland as Prince, Taylor Knapp as D’Argue, Jon Collard as LaFou, Mark Doebler as Maurice, Rachel Palmer as Silly Girl/Princess, Stephanie Adams, Patricia King, Alyssa Friday and Megan Lamrock as Silly Girls, Charity Cardinal, Jasmine Simon, Dannielle Zuern and Courtney Turner as Townspeople and Wolves and Leandra Kaake, August Zech, Sunny Ragan, Erica Tatum, Ashley Panell-Roux, Erik Adamiak, Daniel O’Rouke and Brandon Crossnoe as Townspeople.

The show is directed by Dennis Szatkowski with Vickie Szatkowski as the assistant director. Dennis Szatkowski II is the vocal and orchestra director and Judy Quarters is the producer.

In the orchestra are Christine Huebner, piano; Rachel Williams, percussion; Rene Williams, synthesizer; Chrissy Cannon, flute, and Jim DiLoretto, bass.

Based on the Academy Award winning animated feature, the stage version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast includes all of the songs from the film, written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, the team responsible for Little Shop of Horrors, plus new songs written especially for the Broadway version by Menken and Tim Rice.

Audiences will be transported to a lovely French provincial town where the beautiful Belle lives with her father - a dotty inventor. When her father doesn’t return from a trip to the local fair, Belle rushes off to find him. To her dismay, she discovers he is being held captive in an old castle by a horrible beast. She trades her freedom for his and the “tale as old as time” begins.

The show’s production crew includes Terry Popielarz and Lyle Groff, stage managers; Brandon Crossnoe, student stage manager; June Wygant, choreographer; June Hudgins, house manager and publicity; Sue Duncan, properties manager; Gail Morris, Dee Bixby and Sharon Langley, properties; Diane Ray, wardrobe manager; June Groff, Millie Freeman, Lynn Kosto, Miriam Mangus, Lisa Denney, Jennifer Mazer, Lynne Meyer, Suzanne Johnson, Sue Elliott, Yvette Bradley, Colleen Sheffer, Christopher and Farah Eagal, Mary Westcott, Jessie Sanker, Diane Ray, Chris and Janie Mundy, Dawn Knapp, Ann Clark, Darlene Michalski and Dee and Al Bixby, wardrobe; Dennis Szatkowski, set design; Dennis Szatkowski, Lyle Groff, Sue Groff, Tim Bischoff and Chris Nunn, set construction; Diane Ray, Trisha Evans, Chris Nunn, Emily Marciniak and Rachel Palmer, set painting; Al and Dee Bixby, Charlie Quarters, Sue Duncan, Larry Van Wagoner and Diane Ray, set dressing; Greg Dahlstrom, voice over; Donna Dahlstrom, lighting; Farah Eagal, June Hudgins and Diane Ray, make-up; Carol Westcott, hair; Tara Western, biographer; Janie Mundy and Mike Merluzzi, lobby board; Pat Casey, programs, cast pictures and cast awards; Eileen Brewer, Sally Krueger, Tiffany Bischoff, Emily Marciniak and Kelli King, tickets; Barb Hunter and Mary Kiernan, refreshments.

The show’s production crew includes Terry Popielarz and Lyle Groff, stage managers; Brandon Crossnoe, student stage manager; June Wygant, choreographer; June Hudgins, house manager and publicity; Sue Duncan, properties manager; Gail Morris, Dee Bixby and Sharon Langley, properties; Diane Ray, wardrobe manager; June Groff, Millie Freeman, Lynn Kosto, Miriam Mangus, Lisa Denney, Jennifer Mazer, Lynne Meyer, Suzanne Johnson, Sue Elliott, Yvette Bradley, Colleen Sheffer, Christopher and Farah Eagal, Mary Westcott, Jessie Sanker, Diane Ray, Chris and Janie Mundy, Dawn Knapp, Ann Clark, Darlene Michalski and Dee and Al Bixby, wardrobe; Dennis Szatkowski, set design; Dennis Szatkowski, Lyle Groff, Sue Groff, Tim Bischoff and Chris Nunn, set construction; Diane Ray, Trisha Evans, Chris Nunn, Emily Marciniak and Rachel Palmer, set painting; Al and Dee Bixby, Charlie Quarters, Sue Duncan, Larry Van Wagoner and Diane Ray, set dressing; Greg Dahlstrom, voice over; Donna Dahlstrom, lighting; Farah Eagal, June Hudgins and Diane Ray, make-up; Carol Westcott, hair; Tara Western, biographer; Janie Mundy and Mike Merluzzi, lobby board; Pat Casey, programs, cast pictures and cast awards; Eileen Brewer, Sally Krueger, Tiffany Bischoff, Emily Marciniak and Kelli King, tickets; Barb Hunter and Mary Kiernan, refreshments.