Belle is a beautiful girl living in France with her father, the crazy inventor. The Beast is a prince that was turned into a beast by a beautiful sorceress because of his selfishness, and greed. Gaston, the handsome brute of the town, wishes to marry Belle, and is willing to do anything to make that happen. When Belle’s father trespasses in the castle of the Beast, he is captured and held prisoner. Belle offers to take his place, and stays with the Beast. At first, the two despise each other, but after Belle tries to run away and gets attacked by wolves, Beast saves her life. Belle and the Beast slowly fall in love, and all is well, until Gaston hears of the Beast, and tries to kill him. The town attacks the castle, and a battle rages on. The castle’s inhabitants win over the townspeople, but Gaston manages to stab the Beast before the Beast kills him. Belle breaks the spell, and the prince survives because of her love.

The story was well put together, and well delivered for what the directors had to work with. The blocking was clever, and used almost the entire lecture hall, keeping the audience on their feet. The actors did a great job of staying in the light, and made a conscious effort to stay loud when they didn’t have a microphone. The energy levels varied, but stayed mostly high during exciting parts of the show. The effort of the smaller characters made the difference between a dull and exciting show.

Belle, played by Molly Fowler, and Beast, played by Dalton Mathis, were paired perfectly with his strong voice and persona, and her soft, lovely presence. The contrast showed the audience how easily even two opposites could work together. They complimented each other perfectly, and gave the audience a hope for a happy ending between the two of them.

Although the lead actors showed true talent, the supporting cast was the icing on the Beauty and the Beast cake. Even though some voices may not have been the strongest without microphones, these actors gave it their all. Mrs. Potts, played by Annabelle Gyngard, and Gaston, played by Brandon Janssen gave true examples of extreme characters. From Gyngard’s loving persona towards Belle to Janssen’s extreme confidence, these two had a lot of talent, and showed the audience just what they were made of.

The set didn’t look fabulous at first glance, however a plain black background proved to be more than met the eye. There were countless furniture props and wall decorations that made this set special, and kept the audience looking for small details throughout the show.

Having come such a long way to find this particular stage, Northwest High School showed the audience why Beauty and the Beast is such a classic, and should be continued to be seen and heard throughout the years.

by Jessi Reynolds of Pattonville High School

Any Number Can Die is centered around a group of people who come together to read the will of a very wealthy family member. But right when they start reading the will, people start dying. Any Number Can Die premiered at the Dorset Playhouse by the Caravan Theatre Summer Stock Company. The Dorset Playhouse was owned by Fred and his wife Patricia from 1949 to 1975.

The play was portrayed uniquely by the outstanding lead roles, the detectives. Brandon Janssen, who played Hannibal Hix, was a captivating actor that brought depth to the character. He captured the sense of humor of Hannibal and delivered them to the audience. The lead female was Michelle Brinkman, who portrayed Ernestine Wintergreen. She performed her character amazingly, and was obviously well-rehearsed. The lead actors were clearly well-trained and put forth a lot of hard work.

The supporting actors also did a fantastic job, and contributed greatly to the show. The best character was Sally Vanviller, the sweet niece, played by actress Haley Korn. She executed the “nice” and “moral” personality very realistically, and seemed to actually become the character, while continuously maintaining a different voice. Jack Regent, played by Dalton Mathis was also a nicely done character in the show. The supporting actors all made the show a collectively better experience.

The crew was just as amazing as the actors. The set was impeccable, and was made by the students. Several of the costumes were also created by students. The cues were just right and contributed to the mood of the play. Particularly, the creative aspects were well done. The creativeness for the type of play was just right, especially because it is easy to go overboard with a play that is supposed to be so simplistic.

The lights and sounds were inconsistent with the rest of the play, but that is understandable with the budget and accessibility for them in the theatre. Other than this, there were only a few petty things that needed improvement. Overall, this play had very few issues.

Any Number Can Die was a very entertaining and in-depth show. The great comedy and occasional seriousness made it enjoyable to a more diverse audience, as does the story itself. The cast and crew were fantastic, and evidently hard-working. This play was turned into a fantastic performance by NHS. They all did an amazing job with numerous aspects of the show. They all “killed” this performance!

by Emma Butler of Bishop DuBourg

Based off of the Harold Gray comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” this musical opened on Broadway in 1977 and ran for six years. Annie is an international sensation that has been translalted into several languages around the world, Annie won a Tony for best musical, and is still produced around the nation. Living in a run-down orphanage, Annie soon sets out to find her parents. Yet the hero is soon backtracked until she meets the business tycoon, Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, who transforms her life.

As the adventurous orphan, Annie, Casey Richards portrayed how difficult Annie’s journey was. Richards brought a childish tone to the character, illustrating how childish Annie was at times. Also, she was able to bring upon a more mature tone in the serious parts of the show. Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks (Matt Arndt) displayed the rough, harsh exterior of Warbucks in songs such as “N.Y.C.” and “Something Was Missing.” Arndt was able to vividly show the contrasting parts of Warbucks as he acted on the stage. There were also some others that stood out as well.

Being the cruel matron of the orphanage, Miss Hannigan (Riley Price), contrasted that of Annie. Price was able to add in humor into a rather malevolent character that lightened the atmosphere during dull parts of the show. Rooster (Brandon Janssen) had comedic timing, and always maintained energy even when others lacked it during certain parts of the show. Janssen’s vocals shined in “Easy Street.” Even when others were not audible at certain parts, Janssen kept a consistent, clear diction that was understood.

From the Orphans to Hooverites, the ensemble shined in such songs as “Hard Knock Life” and “We’d Like to Thank You Herbert Hoover.” In ensemble numbers, the ensemble lacked energy with the choreography; but the ensemble helped vividly tell the story of Annie.

Creating an illuminated stage and helping with sound, the crew was evident in Annie. Throughout the show, there were parts where the actors could not be heard. Yet the sound crew frantically picked up other actors with the use of choir mics. Lighting helped enhance the show with the bright lights used in numbers and the use of contrasting lights. Yet the excess time during set changes digressed from the story.

Northwest’s production of Annie proved that it is a “Hard Knock Life” for orphan Annie.

by Brandon Simpson of Rockwood Summit High School