A Look Behind the Curtain
This September, we are bringing Disney’s Beauty & the Beast: In Concert to the stage in a sweeping concert version, featuring a choir, orchestra, full cast, and the unique incorporation of other CFCArts members. We are working to create the largest, most inclusive production the region has ever seen, representing so much of the work that CFCArts does every year on a single stage.
We’re so excited to share this celebration of community and collaboration with you!
(Click here to read more of a show overview!)
Tune as Old as Song
Did you know the standard Broadway pit orchestra has just over 20 musicians? This particular version of Beauty & the Beast only calls for 11. But in true CFCArts fashion, we have a whopping 48 musicians involved!
The orchestra for this show will combine three different programs: Symphony Orchestra, Big Band, and Youth Orchestra.
This experience for our members is meant to share talent across the organization, allow them to learn from each other, and deepen the respect and relationships we have as a community. The process is now underway since the pit orchestra met for their first rehearsal just last night.
Justin Muchoney, the CFCArts vice president of creative and production as well as the Big Band and Symphony Orchestra director, is also leading musical direction for Disney’s Beauty & the Beast: In Concert.
“Because it’s a collaboration of three very different ensembles, the way they interact and learn the show is already intriguing. There’s going to be so much growth from individuals and as a group through this rehearsal process,” Justin said. “Plus, the chance to meet, work, and create together is just fun!”
Our trombones, drummer, and bass guitarist possess talents that typically fit best in the Big Band, yet this show gives them a unique opportunity to perform with strings and symphonic percussion.
One of the Youth Orchestra violinists will personally benefit from playing alongside talented, adult violinists. With the unique opportunity to perform in a Broadway pit orchestra, the youth performer will also bring a different energy and anticipation that will ripple across the whole violin section.
“This story, this music is supposed to move you, and with a nearly 50-piece orchestra, you’ll feel the music in a really different, visceral way than you’re used to when you see a Broadway show,” Justin said. “Oftentimes, the orchestra is an accompaniment to what you see on stage.
“Here, however, it’s really rather its own character in the show. It’s on the same footing as costumes and lyrics in creating this experience. It will bring power and majesty to this magic beyond what people are expecting.”
About the Show
Step into the enchanted world of Broadway’s classic, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: In Concert, an international sensation that has been produced in 37 countries worldwide. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the timeless songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. The original Broadway production ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. This concert version will bring you right into the magic!
The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
September 7-8 at 7:30pm
Northland Church (522 Dogtrack Rd, Longwood)
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