BEAUTY AND THE BEAST by Nicholas Hune-Brown and Lorna Wright (Ross Petty Productions). At the Elgin Theatre (189 Yonge). To January 2. See Continuing. Rating: NNNN
Don’t let Beauty And The Beast’s bubblegum-pink proscenium fool you. The latest Ross Petty panto is no confectionary beauty it’s far more interested in the beast.
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In the paparazzi-populated Enchanted Forest, Prince Zack (Jake Epstein) gets himself mixed up in a Faustian contract while angling for the heart of Bella (Melissa O’Neil). Things go awry as first Zack and then Bella is transformed into the eponymous beast, a process expedited with a bit of iMagic by the crown-hungry Baron Barnum von Cowell (Petty) and his many fiendish apps.
Nicholas Hune-Brown and Lorna Wright’s smart, unapologetically busy script is replete with songs and gags that thrill kids and adults alike. Granted, the plot is a bit like clicking between six Firefox tabs, what with references ranging from Lady Gaga to Cinnabon. Still, the fun is in the mashup.
Degrassi and Spring Awakening star Epstein has charisma to spare as both the nebbishy prince and the bad-boy Beast, but O’Neil’s performance doesn’t move much beyond her Idol-worthy vocals and winning smile. Scott Thompson brings a wonderful dryness to his dragged-out Aunt Plinky, at one point leading the ensemble in a bewildering but joyful rendition of Single Ladies.
And it’s hard not to love Petty’s careful enunciation of “WikiLeaks.”
