Be Our Guest - Beauty and the Beast

Ashley, Carla, and Kylie getting ready for the show to start

Tonight, I had the opportunity to take my family to the Palace Theatre in Columbus to see NETworks presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast and what a fun night it was.

When we arrived, our girls (ages 11 and 7) were excited to see that we were sitting a mere seven rows from the stage.  They had been to two previous Broadway shows (Mary Poppins and Wicked), but both times our seats had been in the balcony fairly far back.  They could not wait for the show to start so they could see the actors up close and personal.

The plot of the show follows the script of the Disney movie by the same name, so my girls were able to just sit back and enjoy the action as they already knew the story.  They remained attentive throughout the entire show which lasted a little over two and a half hours yet never seemed that long.

The show was extremely enjoyable and very well done.  Every single character played his or her role very well.  Hilary Maiberger as Belle nailed the lead role and has an incredible singing voice.  She seemed perfect in the role.  She also had good chemistry with Darick Pead, who played Beast.  Jeff Brooks stepped into the role of Gaston for the night and I cannot imagine the main actor being any more believable.  In fact, if this was his first time to move up as understudy, I'm guessing he'll get a lot more chances.  Hassan Nazari-Robati (Lumiere), James May (Cogsworth), and Erin Edelle (Mrs. Potts) were also excellent in their roles as servants turned household objects in Beast's palace.

Belle (Hilary Maiberger) and Beast (Darick Pead)

If you are looking for a fun date night out or a good evening for the whole family, this show is for you.  It's only in Columbus through Sunday, though, so don't miss your opportunity.  You can find all the showtime details and ticket information by going to the CAPA website.