The Portsmouth Area Childrens Theatre (PACT), a branch of the Portsmouth Area Arts Council, is ready to invite you to be their guest this month as they open curtain on a timeless classic: Beauty and the Beast.

“Choosing a PACT musical is never easy, as there are so many factors to consider: how much will it cost, how does it fit with the rest of our season, will the community be interested, etc. With that said, though, our top priority is always how it will benefit the students involved,” Executive Director Bailey Hartlage said. “When we finally landed on the Disney classic Beauty and the Beast, we knew this show would give the most opportunities to the most students, and that has proven true. All of our leading players have worked so hard to make these well-known characters their own, and our ensemble has worked just as hard to bring the provincial town and enchanted castle to life. “

As usual, PACT will welcome thousands to the performances, between public showings and school shows.

“Our student matinee performances are always a big hit with area schools, and this show is no different. We expect to have nearly 2,000 students from across the tri-state area come to the VRCFA to see this production,” Hartlage explained. “As for our public shows, we’ve already sold around 200 tickets for each of the three performances, so if I were you, I’d get your tickets sooner rather than later.”

A major reason the shows do so well, outside of large budgets and qualified staff and volunteers making theatre magic a success, is the size of the cast.

“We have almost 70 cast and crew members representing 15 school districts across five counties in Ohio and Kentucky,” Hartlage claimed. “Something I love most about PACT is that kids from different schools come together and create a family throughout the rehearsal process. Many of these kids would never have met without PACT, and it’s wonderful to see all the friendships that blossom during a production. The theatre has always been a place for everyone, regardless of where you live or what ‘clique’ you’re a part of, and seeing these students unite and work towards a common goal is fantastic to watch.”

Hartlage has been involved in productions of Beauty and the Beast before and she sees a great value to be found in the story.

“Beauty and the Beast is a show about loving yourself and those around you, and I hope the community takes that message away after they see the performance. I also hope the show brings them a sense of pride in their young people. Children are capable of so much more than we tend to give them credit for, and I know the audience will agree when they see this show and what this cast and crew have accomplished.”

Artistic Director Ali Thompson has been involved in the company since she was a young child, and the theatre was getting its start. She now serves as director of many of their musicals.

“The rehearsal process for this show has been a blast! The students love the show, and it really comes through with each one of their performances,” Thompson claimed. “In every production, I always ensure the students are put in roles that will help them grow. Because of that, many students are playing roles unlike they ever had in the past. For example, Nicole Hughes plays Mrs. Potts and she is typically cast as a comedic role and she is handling the new role beautifully! As for many of the younger students that I have had for the past few years now, they are stepping up to more advanced dance numbers and it is just so awesome to see how much they have grown as young artists. I cannot say enough about the students that come through PACT! They are always up for a challenge, and they never cease to amaze me.”

Like Hartlage, Thompson is very familiar with the show.

“As we all know, Beauty and the Beast tends to be a giant undertaking for any company or program,” Thompson said. “I have been in this show a few times myself and I absolutely love being on this side of it. I have unique visions and I love that I get to employ those with such talented students.”

Beauty and the Beast will welcome the public October 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. and October 22 at 2:30 p.m. The performances will be held at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2023 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.