By Sianna Mills – 

The West Union Performing Arts Department will be presenting Walt Disney’s “Beauty and The Beast” on April 27 nd 28 ans May 4 and 6. Tickets for the shows are on sale at the high school and all seats are reserved seating. This show marks the 33rd major theatrical production that Carl Schneider has directed and produced at WUHS, with “Beauty and the Beast” last performed in 2005.
“Beauty and the Beast” is a musical about an arrogant young prince and his castle’s servants that fall under a spell of a wicked enchantress, who turns the prince into a hideous Beast until he learns to love and be loved in return. A spirited, headstrong village girl named Belle enters the Beast’s castle after he imprisoned her father Maurice, bargaining her freedom for the freedom of her father. After Belle replaced her father, with the help of his enchanted servants, Belle began to draw the cold-hearted Beast out of his isolation learning to love and care for other people more than himself.
The show will have many familiar and new faces in the leading roles; Kristin Grooms – Belle, Nathan Music – the Beast, Dakota Nehus – Gaston, Carson McFarland – Lumiere, Jack Crask – Cogsworth, Reagan Faulkner – Mrs. Potts, Lindsey Taylor – Babette, Anna Shupert – Chip, Hannah Blythe – Madame De La Grande Bouche, Braxton Blanton – Maurice, Grant McCarty – Lefou, Alex Grooms – Monsieur D’arque, and Sianna Mills, Brooklyn Howelett, and Josie Parker – the silly girls.
The staff for Beauty and the Beast has experience with the WUPAD productions; Neil DeAtley – music director, Nancy Schneider – rehearsal accompanist and orchestra pit director, Coal McClanahan – technical director, Rachel Barrick – assistant director, Robbie Chandler – choreographer, Davina Cooper – house manager, Becky Hawkins and Saundra Stevens – costuming, Rhonda Willett – prop master, Mike Felts, Silas Mills, Donnie McCarty, and Alisha Porter – set design.
There are also several WUHS students in key leadership roles in the production as well; Lindsey Daniel – stage manager, Zach Sentney – stage captain, Haley Butcher – assistant stage manager, Brody Hazelbaker – sound design, Andrew Sapp – light design , and Mali Delacruz and Mariah Shelton – ticket sales.
The cast, crew and WUHS staff would like to invite you to join with us in “a tale as old as time” with their production of “Beauty and the Beast”.