‘Beauty and the Beast’ opens Friday at Quincy High
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 2 months AGO
Belle (Hailey Beegle), front, is interrupted by her unwanted suitor Gaston (Alijsha Quintanilla) right, and his sidekick Lefou (Allie Manley), left, in the Quincy High School production of “Beauty and the Beast,” opening Friday.
CHERYL SCHWEIZER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Despairing and alone, the Beast (Abraham Ramirez) is enraged to find an intruder in his house. The Quincy High School production of “Beauty and the Beast” opens tomorrow and runs for two weekends.
Maurice (Abraham Santiago), right, encounters a magical clock (Jazzlynn Padron), left, who doesn’t want him in the castle.
Belle (Hailey Beegle), left, and her father Maurice (Abraham Santiago), right, reassure each other they’re just fine. Quincy High School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” opens Friday.
Belle (Hailey Beegle), center, reads on, unconscious of the curiosity of the villagers.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | March 2, 2023 1:20 AM
QUINCY — A classic tale of love, sacrifice and rediscovering one’s humanity comes to the Quincy High School stage for the next two weekends. The Quincy Drama Club production of “Beauty and the Beast” opens at 7:30 tomorrow at the QHS theater, 403 Jackrabbit St. NE.
Director Haliey Weber said the story is classic because it explores classic themes.
“This is really a story that expresses what happens to us when we lose our humanity,” Weber said. “And how we can’t forget our humanity, and seeing people and connecting with people and loving people, because when we stop we lose who we are, really.”
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. March, 3, 4, 10 and 11; at 2 p.m. March 4 and 11, and 6:30 p.m. March 9. Tickets can be purchased online at the QHS website under the “athletics” tab or at the QHS office before or after school.
“Beauty and the Beast” premiered on Broadway in 1994. It’s the tale of Belle (Hailey Beegle in the QHS production), who loves her books, so much so that everybody else in her village thinks she’s a little odd. Her dad Maurice (Abraham Santiago) assures her that’s not the case - but then Maurice is considered a little odd. Even so, Belle has a good life, with her only problem being Gaston (Alijsha Quintanilla), the conceited guy who doesn’t understand why Belle isn’t swooning over him.
That all changes when Maurice gets lost in the woods; pursued by wolves, he stumbles upon a magical castle and is given refuge - until the castle’s master finds him. The Beast (Abraham Ramirez) was once a handsome, but spoiled and uncaring, prince. His attitude earned him a spell from an enchantress who turned him into the frightening apparition of the Beast. The only way to break the spell is to learn to love someone, and be loved in return.
Belle comes looking for her father and finds him in the castle’s dungeon. The Beast agrees to let him free, but at a price. Belle must agree to stay with him.
The play is based on the Disney movie released in 1991, and it’s Broadway-level music. Weber said the students have spent a lot of time learning the music and working on the elaborate set.
“We have an amazing music director, Kylie Youngren, and we spent the first two weeks in music rehearsals to really pound the music into them,” Weber said. “And every day they do a 10 to 15 minute (practice) of whatever song they’re working on for the day.”
The actors will be supported by a 14-piece orchestra, directed by Youngren.
“All local instrumentalists, so that’s super-cool,” Weber said.
“The kids have the harmonies really well, which is super cool.” she said. “And I think spending time on the music really helped them with dancing. I’ve not really noticed them having problems figuring out where they are in the music. Their harmonies are pretty strong while they’re dancing.”
Assistant director Elyse Goslin is the choreographer.
The student actors on stage are supported by an all-QHS tech crew, Weber said.
“All backstage is run by students, sound and lights are run by students, and also designed by them,” Weber said. “I have 14 tech students that are behind the scenes.”
Weber designed the set which features a castle that’s a beast in itself, 34 feet long, 14 feet high and eight feet deep. The student helped build it and did all the painting under the direction of technical director Bryce Goslin.
Weber said she chose “Beauty and the Beast” because the story appeals to all ages, adults as well as teens.
“Because the program is growing, I’m trying to pick shows that students and the community will recognize to bring people in to support us. If it’s something people recognize and know and love, they’re more likely to come see it. The same with students. They’ll be more excited about it” she said. “We want the community to be involved and to know what we’re doing, especially because (the drama students) are working so hard.”
Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Energy and energy alternatives discussed at Newhouse summit
MOSES LAKE — Representatives of industry, government and power generation spent Monday discussing the present and future of power production at an Energy Summit hosted by Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse. Newhouse said the goal was to talk about solutions as well as challenges. “(The summit) focused on – well, a lot of different aspects of energy,” Newhouse said. “Tremendous need, that’s probably the best word for it. A shortage, which is not allowing our potential to be realized here in Central Washington. How do we address that? How do we increase the amount of energy production in a timeline that makes sense? We can’t wait years and years; we need to get things done as quickly as possible. How do we do that at a cost we can afford?”
Port of Moses Lake power generation project moving forward
MOSES LAKE — Some existing Port of Moses Lake customers are considering expansion, and potential customers are looking at Moses Lake as an option. But, said Shannon Souza of Sol Coast Consulting, there are some roadblocks.
BBCC student information not hacked during computer shutdown
MOSES LAKE — Personal information of Big Bend Community College students was not compromised as the result of a cyberattack against a company that provides system management software. Matt Killebrew, BBCC director of communications, said the college does use the Canvas system, which allows students to access class and financial information, and communicate with instructors, among other things. The company that owns the Canvas system was hacked in early May, according to information on the Wired website. “We still don’t know who did it, but we do know no important information was accessed,” Killebrew said.