Northern Michigan University's Forest Roberts Theatre will present Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12-Saturday, April 13 and Thursday, April 18-Saturday, April 20, with a matinee performance at 1 p.m. on April 20.
A “Theatre for All” performance of the musical aimed at children and adults who are on the autism spectrum or have sensory issues will be presented. FRT has partnered with the Theatre Development Fund in New York City to produce this sensory-friendly performance, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13. Free admission to the “Theatre for All” performance has been made possible through private donor support.
Based on the 1991 animated Disney film and dating back to the 18th century classic French fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast focuses on the relationship between the Beast, a prince who is cursed to live as a monster by an enchantress as punishment for his arrogance, and Belle, a young French maiden whom he imprisons in his castle. To break the curse, Beast must learn to love Belle and earn her love in return or else the Beast will remain a monster forever.
“Everybody knows the story and certain people associate very specific images with the telling of that story,” said director Shelley Russell. “It's not much fun replicating other people's art, so this production will have a lot of recognizable characters, but a lot of the images, the costumes and the whole experience will be very fresh.”
Malorie Munson, NMU freshman and 2018 Miss Teen Upper Peninsula, portrays Belle.
“Being cast as Belle is a dream come true,” said Munson. “I feel that she is a very relatable character. She longs for adventure, she is stubborn, yet she has a huge heart. To get into character, I've been channeling the way I, or any other girl, would react in her situation and using my own life experiences to really bring up those emotions.”
An opening night party will follow the Friday, April 12 performance in the FRT lobby. The party will feature food and beverages, a photo booth and a meet and greet with the cast, crew and artistic staff.
Tickets are $15 for the public, $10 for students and $5 for NMU students. Tickets are available for purchase at NMU EZ Ticket outlets.