arts & entertainment

Riverside Theatre for Kids, the educational arm of Riverside Theatre, presents a staged concert version of Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, Jr. on October 1 & 2 to assist performers going to the Junior Theatre Festival (JTF) in Atlanta.

Based on the original Broadway production that ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards®, and the Academy Award-winning motion picture, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. is a fantastic adaptation of the magical story featuring some of the most popular songs ever written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice.

“This is one of my favorite Disney movies ever,” said Kevin Quillinan, Director of Theatre Education at Riverside and Director of this staged production. “It combines the best of Disney animation with the best of theatre storytelling. I love tackling this show and our students have learned so much by performing this material.”

Beauty & The Beast tells the story 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. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

“The show has no sets, or costumes or props to speak of,” said Mr. Quillinan, “as this is how we have presented our shows at JTF for the past several years. I like the challenges this poses, especially in a challenging educational setting like ours, because the students must really rely on their talents to tell the story. A format like this really tests a real performer’s talent, and makes them all the better for it!” 

The JTF is the world’s biggest and best celebration of young people performing musical theater.
JTF brings together student musical theater troupes from all over the world for a weekend of musical theater mayhem and madness. Each troupe performs fifteen minutes from a Broadway Junior show for adjudication by a panel of musical theater experts. The weekend also features professional development for teachers, workshops for students and parents, a New Works Showcase featuring new musical adaptations soon to be released, and concludes with a grand finale concert headlined by
Broadway’s best!

“We have been proud to attend the festival since 2009,” said Mr. Quillinan. “Over the years we have been pleased to be recognized with many awards, including Outstanding Dance, Outstanding Actor, and being awarded Outstanding Music multiple times.”

Beauty & The Beast Jr. is Directed by Kevin Quillinan, with Musical Direction by Deborah Quillinan and choreography by Kristina Gregg and Catie Lincoln.

The cast includes: Kristina Gregg (Belle), Timothy Cicco (The Beast), Nathan Suniphon (Maurice), Danielle Rustay (Gaston), Catie Lincoln (Lefou), Brieyana Miranda (Enchantress), Yolanie Aileen Diaz (Cogsworth), Kaitlin Simmons (Lumiere), Katie Hufstetler (Mrs. Potts), Quincy Frandsen (Chip), Analysa Powell (Babette), and Avery Kissam (Madam De La Grande Bouche).

The ensemble cast includes: Bella Baum, Addison Blum, Savannah Brown, Lauren Chesley, Julia Giacobbe,  Alazaya Gunness, Josslyn Haddad, Kira Kimes, Elena Kunkle, Joaquin Malave-Medina, Paula Malave-Medina, Kendall Mecca, Mimi Mecca, Ellie Palm, Analysa Powell, Giorgio Semprivivo, and Charles Suleman.

The staged concert performances help defray costs associated with students attending JTF, which takes place between January 14-16, 2022. 

Beauty & The Beast Jr. performs October 1 & 2, 2021 on the Stark Stage at Riverside Theatre. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at http://www.riversidetheatre.com.

Performance Schedule:

October 1 @ 6:30pm

October 2 @ 2pm & 6:30pm

Riverside Theatre is located at 3250 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32963. Riverside Theatre programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Riverside Theatre is a member of the Cultural Council of Indian River County, the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, and the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce.