Anthony's show (Beauty and the Beast in case you forgot
) was fun. It was a decent small regional theatre production. I'm not a big fan of B&TB. I think the animated film is much better than the stage show. The problem with the stage show is
IT'S TWO AND ONE HALF HOURS LONG!!!That is WAY too long to tell a simple childrens story, IMHO. I think most of the music that was added for the stage just sits there. There are too many reprises and numbers go on too long. That being said, I did enjoy myself, even though I saw the show 3 times (Friday evening, Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon). I noticed different things each time. I also sat in different seats for each performance so I could look at different pieces and actors. One of the actors flubbed a line on Friday and he fixed it Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday the actor playing LeFou was laughing so hard in the Kill the Beast number (I don't know why) that he had to turn his back to the audience. His giggles spread and I could see one of the ensemble putting her head down on her partner's shoulder because she was laughing also.
All of Anthony's worries about playing Maurice were for naught. He came off very well and he was actually recognized on Friday as we were about town. They really like him at Mill Mountain and the cast is very fond of him. He doesn't think there is anything for him in the coming season but who knows. I think he can do Big River and Christmas Carol (although the CC is a new "environmental" production).
One cute thing happened after the Sunday matinee. I was in the lobby waiting for Anthony and overheard two older women going through their programs trying to match actor names and character names to the pictures posted in the lobby. The actor playing LeFou was a gymnast and he's still in very good shape so since LeFou is off stage for such a long time, in the Be Our Guest number he played the Flying Carpet. He was listed in the program as
LeFou/Carpet
B&TB takes place in France. They mention it in the song. As I heard the women talking they were pointing out actors and one said to the other...Oh, look here's the one who jumped around. He played LeFou CAR PAY (remember I told you the show takes place in France). Maybe you had to be there but I thought it was very funny.
We had a very nice time in Roanoke. I arrived in the morning. Anthony picked me up at the airport and we went back to his room. We had lunch and then went to the Roanoke Zoo. It's a small facility and well run. It's on the top of a mountain. We got to pet a Cebu. We saw a wolverine with a summer heat rash (according to his keeper). We got to see the monkeys get fed and we got to meet the new baby cougar. She's just nine months old and the man who raised her at the Columbus zoo was here to drop her off at the Roanoke zoo. The climate and physical space is much better (according to the keeper) at Roanoke than in Columbus. They would have to build some artificial place for the cougar in Columbus, but the top of a mountain is perfect for the Cougar.
We went to a couple of antique malls and Anthony found some old sheet music he doesn't have. I found two cute Christmas ornaments for our tree and we found a very funny/kitschy ad for a new kitchen from a magazine from the 1950s (it was mounted and only $1...a steal!).
The entire cast went out for Mexican food on Sunday after the matinee. It was lots of fun in spite of one of the cast members getting so drunk she was not able to stand (they have HUGE margaritas). She was taken home before the end of the evening. Ant and I played domestic after dinner. We went shopping for groceries! Non-perishable items only. Things are significantly cheaper in Roanoke so we went to Kroger and stocked up on things like boxed milk ($1.28 a carton there and almost $2.00 a carton in NYC) and paper towels and some canned goods and peanut butter and jelly and all sorts of other things. Ant has the car and he'll just bring everything back to the apartment when he returns. We still have to drag it up 3 flights of stairs but at least we don't have to walk it back from the grocery store.
There are pictures but they will have to wait until mid-July when the owner of the camera returns to the premises.
It's almost 11pm so I will leave you all for the evening.
See ya tomorrow!
