Zig’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST in ASL signs & sings with enchantment

OGDEN — A “Tale as Old as Time” reenvisioned at the Ziegfeld Theater with visual intricacy and delight in producing Beauty and the Beast in American Sign Language and English. Co-directors Morgan Parry and Anne Post Fife produce this Disney Theatrical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton with flair and attention to the Deaf community. This production is headlined as “In ASL,” meaning American Sign Language is seamlessly integrated center stage in performance, staging, and choreography for all to enjoy. The effort and attention enhance the production’s quality to this unique vision and deliver a singular theatrical experience.

The show opens with the prologue told in ASL by Karen Rama staged as teaching a group of children in a circle. Then the audience is introduced to Stephanie Morgan as Belle with Sydney McAlister as Belle (voice). Their costumes, designed by Stephanie Colyar and Karly Van Komen, help inform the audience of the duality of the production by using a mirrored design effect. On Morgan, the top is a blue flowery pattern on a white background with a dark blue skirt and white apron. For McAlister, the colors are mirrored with a top of a similar blue flowery pattern on a dark blue background with a light blue skirt and white apron. Colyar’s and Komen’s costume designs visually pair character’s signers and voices using similar fabrics and colors helping distinguish everyone clearly.

The opening number “Belle” was a visual feast of movement in dance and signing. I found I was captivated and even overwhelmed by how much was onstage. Choreographer Sarah Walker Bringhurst incorporates ASL into the dance quite fluidly. By the end, the world of the production was well established and I was adjusted to the production’s staging, casting, and vision. In “No Matter What”, this duet becomes a collaborative quartet with Larry Bohne and Ash McKnight respectively as Maurice’s voice and signer, and Morgan and McAlister as Belle. The staging is dynamic and interesting and the song is beautifully performed with emotion from all performers.

Stephanie Morgan plays Belle with grace, beauty, and attention to the character and is marvelous at communicating with ASL. Morgan’s performance is evocative and expressive, blending well with the show’s narrative and the production’s vision. As Belle’s voice, Sydney McAlister sings beautifully and I noted how McAlister observed Morgan’s performance by responding and interpreting Morgan’s signing and expression to deliver a matching vocal performance. It was always clear that Morgan was the lead and McAlister was Belle’s voice. I loved the performances of “Home” and “A Change in Me” where watching both performers’ distinct communication unites effortlessly. McAlister even joins in signing together as choreography on the choruses. 

I loved the dynamics between Gaston’s voice Hayden Hoglund and signer Jenny Bailey. Bailey was the perfect match for the confident Gaston performed by Hoglund and the two delighted in every scene they shared. This dynamic of shared performance and dual forms of communication makes the castle even more full of life as Belle meets the enchanted objects of the castle.

Nearly every speaking role is performed with a separate signer and voice counterpart.  The exceptions are Cogsworth, played by Zac Sorenson, and Beast, played by Jake Larrabee, who sign for themselves. Sorenson was fabulous in portraying the wound-up clock with humor and charm. Sorenson’s physical humor was great with facial expressions matching movement and delivery of ASL. Sorenson communicated well with fellow compatriots of the curse 

Casting the Beast as a single performer creates an emotional contrast highlighting the Beast’s solitary nature. During Beast’s Act 1 closing number “If I Can’t Love Her”, Larrabee’s masterful performance is more wrenching because the stage is so empty. All the other characters share a dual performance, Cogsworth only appears with other cast members, and then Beast is alone in this scene when even Belle has an ally. In this way, the curse of the Beast feels even more significant and the moment is emotionally affecting.

The scenic design combines projections by designer Troy Martell and sets by designer Erica Choffel to portray the castle’s interior and exterior, the village, and the forest exteriors. The projections looked like natural extensions of the physical set pieces giving a unified appearance and supporting the physical space of the stage. In a scene where the Beast is portrayed in the West Wing viewing Belle through the mirror, the projections distinguish the two areas of the castle well.  The physical set used triangular prisms that rotated for varying scenes. The sides even cleverly opened for additional set variations, but I noticed a few set changes when the rotation and movement looked more cumbersome. I was also concerned by the transformation element which lifted Beast up for a prolonged time and then suddenly dropped. Larrabee appeared a little shaken in the following scene reuniting with Belle.

The staging by directors Parry and Fife and the respective performances help this unique production feel natural and well-developed. It was easy to accept this unique retelling of a classic theatre performance. The overall production is strong and successfully meets the ambitious goal of producing Beauty and the Beast in ASL. I felt inspired by this production because I know very little about the Deaf community and ASL. I was struck by how much the inclusion of ASL added to my experience viewing the production as a member of the Hearing community. The production is an awesome effort of directing, cast, and design bringing this harmonizing blend of visual and sound to life.