Bringing back childhood with beauty and the beast

Once upon a time, when children were children, they believed in the birds and the bees and the stork that brought babies to their papas and mamas. They also believed in fairies and magic wands.

Kids nowadays are not what they used to be. In the old days, they danced with Dorothy, the Tin Man and the Lion over the rainbow, played with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys in Never-Never Land and wandered with Alice, the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat in Wonderland.

Not any more. Kids today don’t read Lewis Carroll and James Barrie. The modern world has robbed them of innocence and the wonder of childhood.

Little Jennifer pouts when told to hang her stockings by the fireplace on Christmas Eve. "But Mama, Santa Claus is going to steal them!"

To suspect Santa of being a common run-of-the-mill burglar is simply the pits, don’t you think?

Times have changed. Kids have changed. Even the meaning of bedtime stories has changed. In yesteryears, Lola Basyang spinned bedtime stories to put children to sleep. Today, bedtime stories keep adults awake!

Child psychologists do not approve of regaling kids with fairy tales. Many of these yarns have elements of horror that can give the little darlings nightmares. Won’t it scare the daylights out of those youngsters to hear about Jack who climbs a giant beanstalk to find himself in an ogre’s den? Won’t it scare them silly to hear about Little Red Riding Hood who notices that her grandma has big red eyes, pointed ears and big sharp teeth because the Big Bad Wolf has eaten up the old coot and now salivates to have her for dessert? And won’t they piss in their undies to hear about the cannibalistic witch who lives in a gingerbread house and who wants to bake Hansel and Gretel in her oven? Such stories will not meet with the approval of the psychologists who fear that children would be traumatized by such horrors. Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm are simply much too grim for young minds who need to be spared from such traumas.

Nevertheless, children need to have their fairy tales. They ought to be part of the memories of a happy childhood.

What tales are likely to charm the little people? "Thumbelina," "Tom Thumb," "The 12 Dancing Princesses," "Rapunzel," "The Emperor’s New Clothes." "Sleeping Beauty," "The Cobbler and the Elves," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Cinderella," to name some old favorites.

And now comes Repertory Philippines to revive the magic of childhood with a musical play Beauty and the Beast on stage weekends at the plush Greenbelt Mall on Paseo de Roxas in Makati.

The show with music by Michael Valenti, lyrics by Elsa Rael and book by John Ahearn and Peter del Valle retells the classic fairy tale by 17th century French fabulist, Charles Perrault.

A merchant (Oliver Usison/Nestor Boyd Tiñio/Amiel Mendoza) who has just recovered his fortune is on his way home when he is overtaken by a storm and he looses his way in the dark. When he wakes up at daybreak, he finds himself in the rose garden of an enchanted castle.

Before he had departed on his journey, he had asked his three daughters what they wanted him to bring home should he succeed in his mission to regain his business. Mimi (Maritoni Tordesillas/Ayam Barredo) and Fifi (Christine Escudero/Amparo Sietereales/Marisse Borlaza/Menchu Cueto) who had lived in luxury before their father’s misfortune wanted jewelry and beautiful gowns. Beauty (Leisl Batucan/Crisel Consunji/Christine Escudero) asked only for a rose.

Not forgetting his promise to his youngest daughter, the merchant plucks a rose, and lo, the rose bush screams in pain! The old man is terrified, and even more so when the owner of the castle, Beast (Arnel Carrion/John Frederick Cruz/Niccolo Manahan), demands that Beauty be sent to him to serve him as compensation for the loss of his rose.

Mimi and Fifi and their respective suitors, Pierre (Rem Zamora/Jejie Esguerra/Adrian Flor) and Jacques (N. Manahan/RV Guevara/ PJ Rebullida), rejoice when they receive their expensive presents. As for Beauty, she dutifully accepts her father’s promise to the lord of the castle, wondering with her song "How will he look like?"

And on the part of Beast, he wonders too about the outcome of the meeting with Beauty with his number "One day."

Beauty is not daunted by the fearsome appearance of Beast. She sees behind the hideous visage a gentle soul. When she teaches him to laugh – for laughter is a human gift – he is not unwilling to learn. Inevitably, Beast falls in love with Beauty.

Now, everyone knows that the fairy tale always has a happy ending. Director Joy Virata in her director’s notes reminds us that a fairy tale may do more than merely amuse and entertain us. In Repertory Children’s Theater "every production encourages appreciation – not only for the theater but, of the visual arts, classical music, and classical ballet." This vision accounts for the contributions to the show of lighting designer Naomi "Shoko" Matsumoto, set and costume designers Benny and Liz Batoctoy, rehearsal pianist Jojo Malferrari, the makeup artists of Avon, and choreographer Jaime del Prado, and, above all, the artistic direction of Zeneida Amador and Baby Barredo whose unerring taste is a boon to the company.

Virata furthermore affirms that Beauty and the Beast teaches significant morals: "Not to judge a person according to his looks, care of the environment, the perils of selfishness and vanity, and above all – the power of love to heal."

And love does heal the savage Beast, breaks an evil spell and restores his human self.

The magic of theater will likewise heal those kids in the audience who have lost their innocence in a crazy, cruel world torn apart by hate and violence. Let their papas and mamas relive their own childhood through the eyes and imagination of their youngsters: Let them all soar over the rainbow with Dorothy, never grow old with Peter Pan, wander in Wonderland with Alice, live in love like Beauty and the Beast forever after.

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For comments, write to jessqcruz@hotmail.com.