Page 12 THE REVERE ADVOCATE - Friday, May 17, 2019 “Tale as old as time” at Garfield Middle School Gaston (Teo Hood) tries to kill the Beast (James Ortiz). (Advocate Photos by Tara Vocino) By Tara Vocino G arfi eld Middle School students recently put on a stellar performance of “Beauty and the Beast.” The production tells the story of a beautiful enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman who arrives at a castle during a ball and offers a rose in return for shelter from a storm. She eventually falls in love with the Beast, but only after a series of dramatic events. James Ortiz, who played the Beast, said the role is nerve-wracking because he didn’t know what would happen. “I prepared as much as I could, but I’ve never played a lead role,” James said. His favorite scenes were where he gives Belle gifts and talks to her about dancing and where he confesses his love for Belle. Julianna Marchese, who played Belle, said her hard work paid off . A member of Boston Children’s Chorus, the soprano singer was nervous about her voice being shaky. Her favorite scenes were where she performs “Home,” The cast of “Beauty and the Beast” which is about being homesick, and “Something There,” with the ensemble. Teo Hood, the antagonist, said the fi rst scene was the hardest – having never sung in front of an audience before. After the performance, audience members told The Revere Advocate what they thought of the play. Angus Baker called it the best performance of “Beauty and the Beast” that he’s ever seen. He never saw anyone bake as well as the baker, who was played by Luna Merry. “The choreography was good enough to miss the fi rst game, second round of the Boston Bruins playoff s,” he said. Melissa Reynoso called it a beautiful play. Her favorite scene is when Madame DLGB, who was played by Kaylianna Rodriguez, tells Belle to get dressed for dinner. She also liked the classic scene where the Beast turns into a prince and Belle kisses him and falls in love. Five-year-old Melanie Jimenez said the play was amazing. Her favorite scene is when Gaston, who was played by Teo Hood, bragged about his strength in an attempt to win Belle’s heart. The directors also shared their thoughts on the performance. Co-director Steve Flannery said it was fantastic watching the students grow as actors, adding that there’s nothing like it. Co-director Rachel Newman said it was crazy watching the students pull together such a big show in a short amount of time. Tara Vocino may be reached at printjournalist1@gmail.com. The lead characters of “Beauty and the Beast” in costume. Julianna Marchese, who played Belle, said singing about being homesick was one of her hardest roles in “Beauty and the Beast.” The Beast and Belle The crew of “Beauty and the Beast”
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