Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"
ANC's fall musical delighted audiences.
“Beauty and the Beast” was a delightful holiday spectacle, beloved by audiences and critics.
In December 36 ANC students performed “Beauty and the Beast '' for over 1000 patrons at 5 shows at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center. The classic tale tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress.
ANC once again was a part of the Philadelphia Independence Awards and the Greater Philadelphia Cappies. Read the Cappies reviews here.
Juniors Isabel Waelchli and Tait Asplundh led the show in the title roles, with fellow juniors Nicole Synnestvedt (Mrs. Potts), Alex Kline (Lumiere), Oliver Orthwein (Cogsworth), sophomore Sarah Roscoe (Madame de la Gran Bouche) and freshman Abby Alden (Chip) completing the castle characters. Seniors Zachary Ruth and Padraic Frazier brilliantly portrayed Gaston and Lefou, respectively, and senior Pax Cooper was Belle’s father, Maurice.
Seniors Kent Fuller and Nevaeh Pierce were stage manager and assistant stage manager, leading the complex scene changes. Freshman Anthony McDonald manned the light board and newcomers Sadie Morey (junior) and Zoe Martin (sophomore) expertly handled the music cues, tracks and 11 mics. Junior Windsor S created the Beast’s look and his transformation back into a human.
The set was built by Chris Waelchli and student volunteers who came in weekly during 6th period and a few weekends.
Overall this touching, hilarious show was loved by audiences of all ages! 15 seniors total graced the stage and the ANC Performing Arts program will miss them next year! Over 60 students were involved in this production, either on stage or behind the scenes.
Check out photos from the production here and here.
Read about the cast list here.
The musical is one of the most popular extracurricular activities at ANC with over 50% of students participating.
The production encourages performance excellence, while remaining inclusive to those who wish to participate for the first time. Rehearsals are held in the evenings so that ANC athletes and dancers can participate. There is always a role for everyone–onstage and off. We aim to be as student-run as possible, creating multiple opportunities for students to get involved on the technical side, including designing and running the lighting and sound, joining the stage crew, creating publicity materials or selling tickets. Students can also be involved by working on the set or costumes.