Cappies Review: Be Our Guest for Langley High School's Captivating "Beauty and the Beast" Production
Fairfax County Public Schools students are talented actors, musicians, and visual artists. Many FCPS high schools participate in the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Critics and Awards Program for High School Theatre, otherwise known as the Cappies.
The Cappies is a program through which high school theater and journalism students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers. There are fifteen Cappies chapters across the United States and Canada.
Editor's Note: This review of Langley High School's production of Beauty and the Beast was written by Warner Smith of Lake Braddock Secondary School.
As a scarlet rose wilted, a new love blossomed at Langley High School’s Beauty and the Beast.
First produced on Broadway in 1994, Beauty and the Beast was based on the 1991 Disney film and the classic 18th-century fairy tale. Belle, a bookworm, and the Beast, accursed unless he could find love, were both outsiders to their respective worlds. As the lonely Beast came to terms with his impending doom, the compassionate Belle was thrust into his world as a prisoner. Belle was suddenly a flicker of hope in the Beast’s dark world. Her character poses a direct question; can one person make a difference in another’s life before they run out of time?
The heart of this production was the dynamic between the compassionate Belle and the cruel Beast. Ellie Fox’s Belle had a vivacious earnestness that resulted in an extremely compelling performance. Fox’s impressive vocal quality made every number involving Belle an absolute delight, and her unwavering focus and active listening on stage showcased Belle’s kindness. The powerful counterpart to Fox’s Belle was Zachary Ulman’s Beast. Although much of his face was obscured with heavy makeup, Ulman very clearly showed the Beast’s development from a mean-spirited bully to a tender and sincere prince through his deliberate movement work. Throughout the play, the Beast began to move more like a man than an animal; his hunched stance got taller, and his snarl turned to a soft smile as he grew closer to Belle. The rapport between the two actors swiftly cemented the unique bond that the characters shared, making their slow-burn romance incredibly believable.
Inhabiting the Beast’s castle was a smorgasbord of wildly eccentric servants, all trapped inside of household objects. Each actor carefully curated specific details for their character, resulting in performances that were both clever and aided in the production’s worldbuilding. Cogsworth, the self-proclaimed “head of the household,” played by Caden Peng, lifted up every scene he was in because of his immense commitment to his character. Peng was given the daunting task of figuring out how a clock would walk and speak; every detail was selected in service of this objective, including a chuckle that imitated the sound of a clock winding up. Cogsworth’s closest friend, Lumiere the candelabra was brilliantly played by Abhinav Mogili. Mogili’s performance was constantly electric; from his romance with Lorna Evans’ Babette, to his bickering with Cogsworth, every dynamic was beautifully crafted. Every resident of the castle’s devotion to character managed to make the world feel more realized and lived in.
The world was further uplifted by the elaborate details present throughout the technical work of this production. The costumes, designed by Lorna Evans, Melina Nipp, Arlo Kouzoukas, and Alice Zheng worked in harmonious tandem with the makeup designed by Lily Bowers, Shannon Linton, Lorelei Price, and Maysa Khelghati. Both designs were intricately detailed and visually spectacular. The glistening navy blue and gold color scheme of the servants in the Beast’s castle contrasted marvelously with the well-worn Earth tones worn by the village folk. Every costume was perfectly suited to its environment and elevated further by the gorgeous makeup effects. Both designs were creative and uplifted each other to make the world feel incredibly thorough and lifelike.
Langley High School’s Beauty and the Beast thrived in its rigorous details, which provided the world with an immense amount of heart. As the Beast’s cold heart began to open up, it became immediately clear why this story has endured for decades: through the smallest actions, our loved ones have the power to lift any curse.
