As Onstage at the Freeland presents its production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” from June 9 through 11 at the Freeland Center for the Performing Arts, it will also offer an interactive experience for youngsters prior to the Saturday evening show as a ticket addon option.“The Be Our Guest Tea Party” will be a magical event for youngsters of all ages, but tickets are limited and selling quickly.
Beauty and the Beast Director Chapman Shields noted that for one day only, Bristow’s historic Rollestone Manor will be redecorated and transformed into Beast’s enchanted castle for the one-of-akind, magically immersive tea party. Beginning at 4 p.m., tea party guests will be treated to themed character interactions, sing-alongs, treats and drinks, and photo opportunities in the castle. Youngsters and adults alike are encouraged to dress up for the tea party and show and join in the festivities as they meet Belle, Mrs. Potts, and the Beast. Attendees may sing with the characters and see Belle and the Beast dance.They will be served delicious treats by enchanted castle staff as well.
The Be Our Guest Tea Party tickets must be purchased in advance via Etix.com.Tickets appear as an add-on option for only the Saturday evening, June 10, show on the website. Each tea party ticket includes Saturday’s performance of Beauty and the Beast as well. Further, tickets for both the immersive, magical experience and show are quickly selling, leaving procrastinators with few, if any, options for entry.
In addition to offering the new, interactive experience for patrons, Director Shields also shared why the cast and crew chose Disney’s Beauty and the Beast for its theatrical production this summer. The production focuses on themes meaningful to the diverse cast.The cast views the true beast of society as being the judgment, apathy, a bullying mentality, and lack of acceptance among us. Themes of inner beauty and acceptance develop within the storyline of the production and exist among the cast and crew.
In fact, the cast includes Gavin Drew, a talented performer despite having lost his hearing. Although deaf, he performs aided by a cochlear implant. He overcame an overwhelming obstacle by facing it. Similarly, local, beloved talent Makayla Wilson holds multiple jobs and will perform as Chip despite having been born with Down syndrome. Although those two cast members willingly share their challenges, every person involved experienced a challenge or fear in their lives at some point, many of them invisible. For those reasons, the cast celebrates its differences not because they always agree with one another but because they choose to accept one another’s inner beauty and value as contributing team member. Director Shields said, “While we may not agree with everyone or all of the time, we can still love, empathize with them, and accept them in our lives. We’ve made it our mantra throughout rehearsals as we support each other. We hope that these themes carry through to our audience as well.”
Whether choosing to attend The Be Our Guest Tea Party with the show or the show alone, be sure to buy tickets early. Additionally, Director Shields conveyed that patrons should only purchase tickets via Etix.com as several scalping sites are charging exorbitant fees. Show-only tickets cost $25 plus processing fees.