REVIEW Beauty and the Beast - Brisbane Musical Theatre

Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical

Brisbane Musical Theatre

Director: Jesse Bradford

Musical Director: Mark Beilby

Choreographer: Ava Moschetti

Lighting Design: Spencer Mitchell

Costume Design: Geena Lukin & Andrea Halter

Photography: Artist Focused

Brisbane Musical Theatre wrapped up their season of Beauty and the Beast with a packed final performance, after the earlier show I was supposed to attend was unexpectedly cancelled due to a power outage (thanks, Brisbane weather!). The closing night turnout was massive, with a crowd so warm and supportive, it could have melted even the Beast’s heart. Everyone was eager to finally catch this beloved Disney classic and cheer the cast across the finish line!

From the moment the overture began, it was clear this production was reaching wholeheartedly for fairytale magic. The projected backdrops were a thing of beauty, clearly establishing the village, castle, woods, and tavern with storybook charm. The opening sequence featuring the Enchantress and the Prince was particularly effective, using costume, fog, narration, and lighting to create a strong sense of atmosphere that pulled the audience into the story right away.

The opening number, “Belle,” seemed a bit overwhelmed by its own enthusiasm. With a very full stage, a few missed lines/early microphone hiccups, the scene seemed quite hectic, but undeniably bustling! The little village set pieces were a thoughtful inclusion, but with such a large ensemble, the cast seemed like they were trying to squeeze one more shopping trolley down an already crowded grocery store aisle.

Musically, the show was in excellent hands under Musical Director Mark Beilby, whose orchestra delivered a polished and superb performance. The iconic sweeping score was handled beautifully, and the ensemble vocals in the large group numbers were consistently strong — something Brisbane Musical Theatre does particularly well.

A standout of the evening was Reagan Warner as Gaston, who entered to immediate cheers and clearly knew how to command the stage. His voice acting, physicality, and commitment to character were spot on. His bravado-filled solo “Me” was staged with playful flair, allowing his rich tone to shine. “Gaston” was a riot: full vocal power, coupled choreography, and clever use of tankards and props. While “The Mob Song” carried real urgency and menace (his eyebrows doing some very heavy lifting indeed!). And though the “Gaston Reprise” between Reagan and Alex Sturdee had great energy and character interplay, the harmonies were not present. Nonetheless, Reagan looked like he was having an absolute blast playing the villain.

Dan Pohlman’s was a roaring success as the Beast. He used gruff vocals, heavy movement, and growls to establish presence, with the elevated staircase staging cleverly enhancing his authority. Vocally, Dan was excellent; “If I Can’t Love Her” was beautifully sung and well-staged and lit. As the character softened, his awkward, dorky charm emerged, making the Beast’s transformation feel genuine by the end. The final fight with Gaston was intense and impressively committed — including Dan yeeting himself down the stairs like he was in an action movie!

Leah Harford was lovely as Belle, showing off some impressive vocal power and a consistently strong belt. Her performance of “Belle Reprise” had that classic American princess style, while “A Change in Me” highlighted her contemporary musical theatre strengths. Dramatically, Belle’s emotional journey felt a bit surface-level. Numbers such as “Home” lacked authenticity and emotional shaping, which felt more like a blocking or directorial matter than a lack of effort from Harford herself.

The enchanted household characters brought warmth and humour in abundance. Jose De Andrade leaned fully into theatrical melodrama of Cogsworth, while Michael Chazikantis was a wonderful highlight as the funny, sincere, and flirty Lumière with an excellent French accent, comic timing and an easy rapport with his fellow cast members. Together, their performances balanced charm and heart beautifully, grounding the humour without tipping into caricature.

Annie Sutherland’s Babette matched them well with her confident accent and playful characterisation. Lauren Bull played the sassy wardrobe Madame with her beautiful operatic tone, while Melissa Beilby’s Mrs Potts offered warmth and sincerity, particularly in “Beauty and the Beast.” Chip — a shared role between Olivia Cowdrey and Ashton Nowers — earned plenty of well-deserved “awws” from the audience.

Alex Sturdee’s Le Fou made hilariously unsettling expressions that, on reflection, felt absolutely spot-on for the goofy character. The Silly Girls (Elloise O’Connell, Emma Johnstone, and Tobey Ogilvie) lived up to their name — perky, intense, and delightfully unhinged — they injected bursts of energy whenever they appeared. As Maurice, Barry Haworth was sweet and kooky, though his delivery sometimes lacked genuine urgency. “No Matter What” would have benefited from emotional shaping to give the moment more weight and some movement to give audience a better view of both characters.

Choreography by Ava Moschetti was ambitious for the size of the stage and the cast! “Be Our Guest” delivered excellent ensemble vocals and high energy, though spacing around the large staircase set piece was tight. The featured dancers impressed with fouettés and tap moments, even if the costumes lacked that essential visual dazzle for me. “Human Again” was vocally gorgeous, though movement was minimal again. The wolf stage combat was a howling success, with choreography that packed a punch. “Beauty and the Beast (Tale as Old as Time)” was sweet like a sugar-coated donut.

Director Jesse Bradford clearly leaned into family-friendly fun, and many scenes looked like an absolute joy to perform. The castle set was a standout, particularly the clever transformation of the West Wing into the library. The wilting rose was a lovely effect. While most leads entered and exited fully in character, the ensemble at times appeared to be searching for their marks. The makeshift wings were clearly a circus side stage — so maybe letting characters come in through the aisles or downstage entrances could have helped ease congestion.

Shoutout to the crew for handling those frequent scene changes! It did cause the runtime to feel long, with some moments dragging as a result, but they clearly did their best. Some spoken dialogue also felt a bit bland, which is understandable in a story audiences have known for over 30 years, and likely far more exciting for the younger audience members who are very much the target demographic. Speaking of, when it comes to kids the lack of tiered seating can affect sightlines, but they worked well for me except during the final "death" scene.

Costume design by Geena Lukin and Andrea Halter shone most clearly in the furniture character costumes. The Beast, Gaston, Le Fou, Lumière, Cogsworth, Madame, Mrs Potts, and Chip were all thoughtfully designed and well suited for movement. Belle’s blue-and-white village dress and later pink and yellow ballgowns were less effective, with fit and styling choices that didn’t quite serve the character as well as they could have.

Lighting design by Spencer Mitchell was effective overall, contributing strongly to the show’s atmosphere. I did find the extended strobe effects during the transformation quite intense, and audience members seated close to the speakers (myself included) may have found the volume overwhelming at times. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the commitment and energy of the wonderful cast, who maintained strong momentum through to the final bow, with the show met by generous applause from the audience.

Beauty and the Beast is a demanding musical — vocally, technically, and logistically — and Brisbane Musical Theatre approached it with clear affection. With several standout performances and moments of theatrical excitement, this production continues BMT’s commitment to delivering accessible, family-friendly musical theatre for Brisbane audiences.