From screeching girls to Maurice’s crazy hair, the “Beauty and the Beast” play held in Love Auditorium perfectly captured this tale. The play opens up with senior Hannah Earls, Belle, singing in the town wishing for more than her “provincial life.” As she walked across the stage, I could imagine the animated Belle singing the same song and saw the same sense of hope in her eyes. All of the cast members were able to take me back to a younger version of myself as if I were watching “Beauty and the Beast” in my living room.

Not only did the actors and actresses succeed in their roles, but the props and outfits themselves had their own sense of enchantment. Belle’s dress looked as stunning as it was in the film. Crazy old Maurice’s invention, built by the Engineering department, was exactly what I pictured as something he would be riding in. Even characters such as Mrs. Potts were dressed to the tee with what the audience would expect. The characters embraced their roles going as far as speaking in the same accent as characters in the movie.

I was originally skeptical about the play. I am a person who tends to fall in love with the original and find it hard to compare it to anything else, including a high school play, but it exceeded my expectations. The singing and dancing, Gaston’s arrogance, Lumiere’s charm, Chip’s curiosity and the Beast’s temperament and change of heart all went in tune with the story and the actors were outstanding at mimicking these emotions. This portrayal of a tale as old as time left me remembering what it was like when I first sat and watched “Beauty and the Beast.”

Beauty and the Beast