Growing up, I always had a special place in my heart for the small-town girl turned princess who found greater solace, safety, and satisfaction from the characters in her books than from the characters in her real life. Belle was (and still is) the princess who speaks to literary nerds worldwide. Now, the classic story of the girl who values inner beauty first and seeks magic in everyday things is back to inspire the next generation of literary nerds. With the familiar songs you love, led by music director/conductor David Andrews Rogers, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (music by Alan Menken, with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice) is playing at the National Theatre under director/choreographer Matt West.
As director and choreographer, Matt West creates an absolute spectacle, with effervescently entertaining choreography ranging from tap to jazz to ballet. The cast executes complex routines with precision, never once missing a single step or beat. The awesomely impressive moves from the ensemble, including spinning, flipping, and gliding across the stage during the grander numbers such as “Belle,” “Gaston,” and “Be Our Guest,” had me utterly transfixed.
Kyra Belle Johnson as Belle and Fergie L. Philippe as Beast in ‘Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy. © Disney
These timeless tunes, along with several other incredible musical numbers, were performed to perfection. Kyra Belle Johnson embodies everything you’d want from a strong, clever heroine like Belle. Her voice maintains the effortlessly graceful dynamics and carefully placed vibrato of a Disney princess. Her counterpart, the scraggily, quick-tempered Beast (Fergie L. Philippe), belts powerfully, with a rich timbre and operatic tone. Then there’s our antagonist, the narcissistic Gaston (Stephen Mark Lukas). Lukas’ vocal performance, paired with his massive muscles and boundless charisma, made it clear he was born for this role, as though he had simply been plucked from the original animated film and plopped into our live-action world.
As for the castle inhabitants, our beloved characters were beautifully brought to life through joyful, empathetic portrayals. One example was Kathy Voytko as Mrs. Potts, the kind teapot who serves as the group’s mother figure. Voytko performs the show’s titular song, “Beauty and the Beast.” She carries the scene beautifully through bright, emotionally resonant vocals with an inherently kind tone. Even between the audience’s laughter in response to Johnson’s and Philippe’s comedically awkward “first date” antics, and the rather tone-deaf woman next to me who couldn’t help but sing along (and I can’t really blame her), Voytko’s voice shone through.
Danny Gardner as the hopelessly romantic candelabra, Lumiere, had me hooked from the first three notes of “Be Our Guest.” He “lit” up the stage at every turn. That entire performance exceeded my expectations. West’s choreography, working in tandem with the energetic lighting and captivating projections from lighting designer Natasha Katz and projection/video designer Darrel Maloney, created an extravagant number that everyone should have the joy of witnessing. West, at one point, even directed an overhead camera to capture a bird’s-eye view of the ensemble cast lying on the floor in intricate patterns, dressed as golden plates and cutlery, performing a synchronized arrangement in the style of a classic 1950s Vegas show, down to the giant feathers.
Katz and Maloney weren’t the only crew members to help elevate this production to astounding heights. The use of projected 2-D computerized backdrops, paired with 3-D set pieces from scenic designer Stanley A. Meyer and amplified by amazingly realistic illusions from illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, brought the show into the modern era of computerized effects.
Meyer’s set transitions were effortlessly smooth, utilizing the moving construction of the stage to glide various tables, hanging filigree, tree stumps, etc., on and off stage, allowing them to change scenes with rolling, musical motions. Maloney’s projections aided location transitions by presenting images of a village cottage or a castle foyer, etc. These projections, along with Steinmeyer’s illusions, Katz’s lighting, and audio from sound designer John Shivers, also manipulated scenic elements such as weather by projecting rainstorms and lightning during “The Mob Song,” as well as forest/creature shadows/effects during the wolf attacks.
Shiver’s sound design furthered the show’s realism through various vocal audio effects. When Belle first enters the castle, her voice echoes as though the space were truly as vast as it appeared. Then later in that same scene, when Belle finds her father in the dungeon and is confronted by the beast, the beast’s voice appears to be bouncing from one end of the room to the other as though he is leaping and crawling across the ceiling, hiding in the shadows, just like in the film.
These multiple parties also worked together in the incredible final transformation, seamlessly changing beast to man. Philippe was suspended in midair, spinning furiously, upside down half the time, against a backdrop of strobing lights and magical, swirling cosmic projections. When he finally stopped and gracefully planted his bare feet back on solid ground, he had undergone an entire hair/makeup/costume change without ever leaving the stage.
Costume designer Ann Hould-Ward created countless intricate works, including several functioning pieces such as Lumiere’s active flames, which Gardner would turn on and off to emphasize certain lines, and the steam that would erupt from Mrs. Potts’ spout — a spout that Voytko maintained the entire show by keeping her arm in the upright, bent position. After a while, my arm hurt for her!
Voytko wasn’t the only performer who had to assume a difficult pose. Mrs. Potts’ son, the little teacup boy with the surprisingly wonderful voice, Chip (played by Kanoa Edgar in this performance), appeared to the audience as nothing more than a head popping up from a rolling cart. For the life of me, I could not figure out where his body went. Anywhere he could have realistically been situated was cut out so the audience could see there was nothing there. Where did he go? When you see the National’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, you aren’t just seeing a musical, you’re seeing a magic show!A grand spectacle from beginning to end, Disney’sBeauty and the Beast brought forth my inner child, filling me with utter awe and delight at a world where magic and happy endings still exist. The show is amazing for the whole family. Step through the time portal and experience the magical world of Disney’sBeauty and the Beast playing now at the National.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast plays through April 5, 2026, at The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC. Purchase tickets (starting at $129) online or at the National Theatre box office.
The national tour cast and creative credits are online here.
