WHAT’S SO FUNNY:’Beauty’ of a musical

There’s a local show you probably can’t get in to see this weekend — “Beauty & the Beast” at the Laguna Beach High School Artists Theater.

It’s either sold out or close to it by now. But last Sunday, director Mark Dressler set up a few extra chairs on the aisle for walk-up customers, so if you can wangle a ticket you might get lucky, and you certainly won’t be sorry.

Over the years, Patti Jo, Katie and I have gone to a lot of Mr. Dressler’s musicals at the high school, and we’ve become accustomed to a high level of both talent and energy, but this one is the topper so far.

I have one problem with high school musicals in general and that is that they make me emotional. For an old theater geek, there’s something about the sight of a kid up on stage giving it everything that tends to mist up the old windshield. When they’re actually good, I break down altogether.

So imagine the carnage last Sunday afternoon when the Park Avenue Players played the daylights out of the Disney love story, accompanied expertly by the high-school pit orchestra, in front of a series of sets so mobile they practically danced along with the cast. It was quite a spectacle, and by the end, so was I. At least Patti Jo and Katie sniffled a bit too.

Now I hear you saying, OK, apparently you’ll cry at the sight of a good steak. Why should I go? What’s so great about this particular show?

Well, for one thing, I’ve never seen a high school production in which so many things could have gone wrong and didn’t.

The Disney folks can and do spend millions on dressing their stage shows up and making their effects work.

Presenting similar effects on a high-school stage with less than 1% of the budget calls for unbelievable ingenuity, talent and sheer grunt work on the part of students, staff and parents.

They’ve done a fantastic job.

This show is exuberant, funny, and touching as performed by Kimmie Reisman, Noah Plomgren, Sam Trusley, and Brendan McGrady.

Well, now I’m in trouble. I started naming standouts and I got too many people here: the other featured players, the dancers, the pit performers, the technical people, the costume and set designers, the choral, dance and instrumental directors, the boy who played Chip, the girl who played the carpet, and the villagers, milkmaids, bar wenches, plates and utensils.

So I’ll do it this way. If you want to know who does a great job in this show, read the program and don’t skip anybody.

To get that program, try to buy your way into the Artists Theater sometime this weekend.

Good luck.

Katie is a senior this year, and as we left the theater last Sunday, she said, “What a great one to go out on.”

Good show, everybody, and we do mean everybody.