Oregon Straw Hat Players to Perform Beauty and the Beast

The Oregon Straw Hat Players (OSHP), a volunteer-run community theater group based in the Oregon area, is in the final leg of rehearsal for its upcoming production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

The musical is set to run at the Oregon Performing Arts Center, 456 N. Perry Pkwy., for six shows: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 and Friday, Aug. 11; and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12.

Founded by a group of Oregonians in 1984, OSHP takes its name from the “straw hat circuit,” which refers to the long-standing tradition of smaller theaters putting on summertime productions outside of mainstream art centers. Since its creation, OSHP has kept its roots in summer theater but expanded into the other months as well, producing up to three shows throughout the year.

Putting on household-name shows such as Titanic in 2019 and West Side Story in 1990 in addition to theatrical adaptations of offbeat titles like Miracle in Mudville in 2017, OSHP has covered lots of ground in its nearly 40 years of existence.

Summer 2023 marks the group’s first-ever production of Beauty and the Beast: the romantic tale of a beautiful princess and an arrogant young prince who is magically turned into a hideous monster.

Director Sarah Karlen said that OSHP is licensed by Disney to present a musical adaption of the film through a contract with Music Theatre International, meaning that while the group credits and follows the plot of the original film, it can take creative liberties throughout the movie-to-musical transformation.

Reshaping a film into a live performance presents both opportunities and challenges. Bringing Beauty and the Beast’s unique cast - which includes an array of talking inanimate objects - to life on stage without all the “bells and whistles” that filmmaking allows has been an endeavor that Karlen enjoys, she said.

Cast and crew have been meeting for rehearsal at Oregon High School since mid-June. OSHP has a small office in Oregon, but does not own or rent a building for rehearsal and typically seeks out vacant spaces in the Oregon area as needed.

To prepare for the August shows, the group has rehearsed throughout the week and on weekends for up to three hours at a time, according to OSHP’s website.

While the cast must meet as a whole to practice large musical numbers and the performance as a whole, most of the rehearsal process has been split into groups to accommodate the cast’s large size of 59 members. These groups are based on character types like castle objects or musical-specific roles like singers and dancers.

Karlen is looking forward to celebrating the hard work and talent of the entire cast and crew on opening night, but she is particularly excited about revealing one character’s costume.

“Basically, The Beast is not going to be in a big hairy suit like you would expect,” she said.

The show’s stage crew has engineered intriguing backdrops to complement the characters’ vibrant ensembles. Using light and shadow work, OSHP will invite audience members into the world of Beauty and the Beast by emphasizing the physical set and creating optical illusions.

The director said that the most rewarding part of rehearsal has been watching each actor come to life on the stage, not only fulfilling their characters’ roles but also exploring their vocal gifts. Each part of the show is spectacular, but its magic lies in music.

“The cast really sounds great,” Karlen said. “When they all come together on stage for the musical numbers, it’s just wonderful.”

Tickets can be purchased at oregonperformingartscenter.com.

What: Oregon Straw Hat Players present “Beauty and the Beast”

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5; 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10; 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12.

Where: Oregon High School Performing Arts Center, 456 N. Perry Pkwy.

Info: Visit oregonperformingartscenter.com

If he could, you know Archie would thank you with a big, wet smooch.

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