‘Beauty and the Beast’s’ warmth is memorable

The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company's production of "Beauty and the Beast" is a behemoth with a human heart.

In some respects, it's the company's most impressive production ever, with one show-stopping production number after another.

But director Cory Moosman and a huge and deep cast go a step further, creating a sense of warmth, affection and close family ties that will stick in your memory longer than the glitz.

The 1994 musical is based on the 1991 Disney animated film.

A selfish prince has been turned into a hideous monster. He must learn to love - and be loved in return - before the last petal falls off an enchanted rose.

The instrument of his redemption, of course, is the beauty - Belle, whose love of books makes her a bit of an oddball in her provincial town.

Leads Natalie Jensen and Brantley Haines sparkle.

Jensen projects lightness, grace and buoyancy, vocally and physically. Haines wonderfully portrays the Beast's halting progress from self-pitying monster to a young man hesitantly in love.

Of course, the Beast isn't the only one attracted to Belle.

There's also the arrogant Gaston, powerfully portrayed by the muscular Malcolm Ulbrick.

Sam Gleason brings wonderful physical skills to Gaston's bootlicking toady, Lefou (and gets slugged a lot for his trouble). Scott Rathbun as Cogsworth, the tightly wound clock, and Shannon Wallnutt as Babette, the flirtatious feather duster, highlight a marvelous gang of enchanted household objects, designed by Kristin Hinds and Denise Winter.

But it's all together that the cast is most impressive, from the riotous "Gaston" to the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink "Be Our Guest" - though the projection of Howard Ashman's and Tim Rice's clever lyrics could be clearer.

The look and feel is also excellent. Christopher Sheley's set is impressive and impressively malleable - very little time is lost to scene changes. Choreographer Mary Ripper Baker deftly brings a bigstage Broadway feel to the comparatively intimate SaGaJi Theatre.

The band, conducted by Sandi Shroads, was flawless as an accompaniment to the singers.

Only the instrumental overtures sounded thin, due not to lack of skill but to toofew instruments to do full justice to Alan Menken's lush score.

There are some quibbles, such as Haines' transformation into the Beast, which looked more like oncoming traffic than magic, a couple of limply staged wolf attacks, and Haines' Buster Brown hair at the end.

But these were only as jarring as they were because, as a whole, the production is so strong.