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“Beauty and the Beast” Dances Into Towngate Theatre

Oglebay Institute’s children’s theater productions bring classic stories from the page to the Towngate Theater stage. The next production – “Beauty and the Beast” – presents a retelling of this well-loved story through the art of dance.

OI’s Youth Ballet Company dances the journey of Belle, a caring, intelligent, beautiful, young woman.  Belle attempts to rescue her father and is captured by the grisly, fearsome Beast, who was long ago trapped in his gruesome form by an enchantress.

With friends, villains and life lessons along the way, the show is a contemporary production featuring dozens of beautifully costumed dancers and captivating dances of original choreography.

Six Chances to See This Show

Families have six chances to see “Beauty and the Beast.” Show times are 7 p.m. Saturday, October 13 & Saturday, October 20 and 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sunday, October 14 & Sunday, October 21 at Towngate.

In addition to the show, children can also enjoy a tea party with the cast of “Beauty and the Beast” prior to the matinee shows October 14 and 21.

“Our ballet performances feature well-loved stories that children can relate to. Kids not only get excited about seeing characters they love, but also see stories presented in new and interesting ways,” said Oglebay Institute director of dance Cheryl Pompeo.

Like so many fairy tales, “Beauty and the Beast” has evolved during its journey from oral tradition to the page to the stage and screen.

Oglebay Institute’s team of seven choreographers based its ballet on the traditional 18th Century story by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.  However, they weaved in elements from modern-day versions.

“We have taken ideas from both the original story as well as the Disney version and the movie, but have created an original piece of choreography.  It will entertain audiences with familiar music, beautiful costumes and fabulous dancers,” Pompeo said.

Iconic Story Entertains & Teaches Life Lessons

OI’s children theater productions aim to not only entertain and inspire but also to teach life lessons. Pompeo said “Beauty in the Beast” contains several moral lessons.

Some of the lessons in the story are the same as those found in other fairy tales. Virtue and hard work pay off.  Envy goes unrewarded. Love endures. But others, Pompeo explained, are derived particularly from “Beauty and the Beast” such as the lesson that true beauty is found within, not by outward appearance.

Pompeo also said that the character of Belle is a great role model because she is smart, independent and brave.

“Beauty and the Beast” is the first performance planned by the OI’s Youth Ballet Company for the 2018-19 season. Dancers will present other shows this season including “The Nutcracker” to be performed during the holidays at both the Mansion Museum and Towngate Theatre.

Get Tickets

Tickets are $12.50/$11 OI members for adults and $10/$8.50 OI members for children 10 and under. Tickets for the tea party are $15  and you can purchase with your show ticket.

To purchase tickets for “Beauty and the Beast” and for the tea party with the cast, visit OIonline.com or call 304-242-7700.

Towngate Theatre is located at 2118 Market St. in Wheeling. If available, you can purchase tickets at the door; however, many shows will sell out.

OI Dance Alumni Homecoming Oct. 20

Oglebay Institute’s School of Dance invites its alumni and their families to enjoy a performance of OI’s Youth Ballet Company’s production of “Beauty and the Beast!”

Join us for this tale as old as time Saturday, October 20.

Alumni and families are also invited for a pre-performance reception in the gallery at Towngate at no additional cost. The reception begins at 5:30pm.

Teaching the Art of Dance…

Oglebay Institute recognizes the importance of creative expression through movement and music. Dance has been a vibrant part of our programming for more than 80 years. We not only present dance as an art form and a means of self-expression but also as social interaction for all ages. From new dancers to returning professionals, our students immerse themselves in the art of dance at Oglebay Institute.

School of Dance

REVIEW: Towngate’s “The Diary of Anne Frank”

By Mario Muscar

Last week, I went to a performance of the opening play of Towngate’s 2018-2019 season, “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

I arrived early to have a beer in the lobby and mingle and interact with friends in the Towngate community. After I finished my beer, I headed upstairs and sat down for the show. A large number theater-goers were in attendance. It made me happy to see so many people had come out to support local theater and watch this classic play.

SETTING THE MOOD FOR THE HEARTBREAKING STORY

The first thing that I noticed as the show began was the set. The entire stage was covered with the makeshift attic where the Jewish families chronicled in “The Diary of Anne Frank” were hiding. Before anyone even set foot on the stage, it looked cramped. There were different nooks and crannies, and the entire place was full chairs, tables, little cots, stools, etc. And as more and more of the cast appeared on the stage, the cramped feeling was complete. The set effectively demonstrated how these eight people were uncomfortably packed into a small space for more than two years, hiding from the Nazis who would send them to work camps and potential death.

The script, adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett from Anne’s diary, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1956, and it is still a strong script today. The script is a moving tribute to life and hope, but one that leaves you heartbroken at the end and left with a feeling of horrifying waste, defeat and guilt, the very familiar having been made harsh and abnormal.

MOMENTS OF HUMOR AND JOY

However, there are of course moments of humor and joy. A moment in the first act where Mrs. Van Daan talks about her youth and the short skirts she wore to show off her legs was rather amusing. And the performance by Maria McKelvey truly sold the moment and lightened the show. Another moment that stuck with me was the Hanukah scene where they are celebrating the holiday. Anne, played with youthful exuberance and optimism by Taylor Andrews, made the scene shine as she handed out Hanukah gifts that she cobbled together from what she could find or make in the attic.

One can certainly see why “The Diary of Anne Frank” is part of the regular teaching curriculum to young students in the United States. It shines a light on an incredibly dark moment of humanity while revealing to us that the human spirit and hope are vital to survival in the face of certain death. Everyone should experience “The Diary of Anne Frank” sometime in their lives. And Towngate Theatre gives us the opportunity to do so.

ABOUT THE PLAY

“The Diary of Anne Frank” is one of the most famous and haunting stories to emerge from the 20th Century. The memoirs of a young Jewish girl, forced to hide for nearly two years to escape Nazi persecution, are an essential part of how we remember one of the darkest periods of our human history.

GET TICKETS AND SEE THE SHOW

Remaining performances for Towngate Theater’s production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett are September 28 and 29. Curtain is at 8pm.

Admission is $12.50/$11 OI members. Purchase tickets online or by calling 304-242-7700, or at the door, if available.