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DANIEL CALABRETTA TIMES & TRANSCRIPT

The Capitol Theatre will present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast - The Broadway Musical in February.

“It was really a leap of faith for our board of directors to grant us the funds and to believe in the public’s desire to see professional musical theatre here in our community,” Kim Ray-worth, managing director of the Capitol Theatre, said Tuesday. “It’s really a great opportunity for professional artists to return to their area as well, as it provides employment opportunities for all those members of our production team that are working on projects in and out of the region.”

This is the Capitol’s  fourth annual production of a professional musical in partnership with the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra’s Tutta Musica  - a group of musicians who are teaching artists with Sistema New Brunswick.  

“I feel that it’s becoming like a staple - something that is part of the cultural scene of the city,” said Maestro Antonio Delgado, conductor of Tutta  Musica.  “I’m very happy because it’s a project that helps to keep our musicians involved, our local artists involved as well, and then we complete [it] with a specific group of professionals from all around Canada.”  

Delgado said that there are about 63 musicians in Tutta  Musica  but since this production “requires a smaller orchestra,” there will only be 15 musicians performing. Delgado will be tasked with coordinating all the musical parts of the performance and will work with the singers as well. He said Tutta Musica  will follow the traditional musical score of Beauty and the Beast.    

The casting process for actors, singers and dancers has already started, the Capitol Theatre said in a news release. Auditions will take place on Sept.  17 in Toronto and from October 2-4 in Moncton, “by appointment only.” Those interested in auditioning must apply and those selected will be contacted with further information.  

Rayworth said that the end goal of this production is to deliver a “high-end, Broadway-like musical” to the Capitol Theatre’s guests.“We’re committed to that,” she said.   

The show will take to the Capitol’s  stage from Feb.  23 to March 3, 2019.