This weekend I went to the musical Beauty and the Beast performed by the Culture House. Not only did my attendance allow me to see my wonderful friend up on stage, it also provided me with extra credit in one of my dying AP classes. So thanks to that, I was more than excited for the show.

Luckily for me, the show was not a disappointment. Although there was plenty to work on, there were more than plenty of positive aspects as well.

First off, I did not find out until the show was over that all of the cast members were between the ages of 3 and 18, including the lead, Belle, who wowed me with her abilities at the age of 14. Her beautiful voice filled the auditorium with supported sound which is shocking for such a young age. Granted, there were still a few mishap places with her pitches here and there but nothing surprising with a live performance.

Likewise, her senior counterpart was a beast. With the first few words out of his mouth I was already swooning. The actor was so in tune with his character that I was even alarmed by the ferocity of some lines he presented. Then the songs came and my breath was no longer existent. A few pitchy notes brought me back to reality though.

The only downfall to this beastly performance was when the beast was no more. The costume came off for the conclusion to the show and the actor that stood before me was slightly less than beastly. The scrawny boy on stage was a little bit of a let down after the huge, adult performance he gave in his beast outfit.

Along with that, Gaston, the most handsome, talented man with biceps to spare in the musical was lacking most of the above. He was too skinny to be handling a part with so much muscle. His voice was not terrible by any means, just not something to swoon over as the hilarious female characters of the town did.

Overall, my ultimate favorite parts were the minor characters. The town’s folk, as well as the members of the enchanted castle, won the show with facial features and fine acting. If anything was the crowning moment though, it had to be when that mystical looking wolf jumped on top of Maurice’s back. That wolf was easily the best character on that stage. Considering all of it together, I would be perfectly fine with going to see the Culture House’s Beauty and the Beast again.