Monday, June 26, 2023

Josie and the Real Beauty and the Beast


I went to theater camp last week! It was in Burnsville and on Friday we did a performance of Beauty and the Beast at the Parkway Playhouse. I was Fancy Girl Number Seven, and my best friend Scarlett was Fancy Girl Number Eight, so we sat next to each other on stage. I had lines to say--it was part of the narration. I said "There was a talking wardrobe, clock, candle, feather duster, and a tea pot." I did not forget my lines even though I was a little nervous. I also knew Scarlett's lines--"There was even a barking footstool!"

It was a lot of fun and I hope I do it again next year.

Meema had a bad headache that day and she could not come to the performance. But I went to see her Saturday afternoon and she asked me to tell her all about it. So, I did, and I drew picture to go with the story.

This first picture is Belle. She is the Beauty. She is on a path near her house. Meema asked if there was a castle and I said No, this is in the village.
                                                   

In this scene, Gaston, who is the bad guy, sees Belle and wants to marry her. Gaston has a friend named Le Fou. Le Fou looks a lot like Gaston but is very short.

Meema asked if Belle was afraid of Gaston and I said No. Then I showed Meema how Belle looked when Gaston was talking to her. At the end, Gaston gets locked away in a cell.

Then there is a scene with an old woman who is an enchantress. She gives the Prince a Rose and turns him into the Beast and puts a curse on everyone in the castle that turns them into living objects--like the Barking Footstool. I did not draw this scene because I was already getting tired of drawing.



Meema kept asking me to draw the Beast, but I told her NOT YET. This is Belle's house and her father whose name is Maurice and his horse named Felipe. Maurice's hair is gray like Meema's and he had a mustache like Grumpy. He also has a green vest.



This is the Beast's castle. Over there is Felipe, peeking at the castle. And Maurice's foot is there too. He is also looking at the castle. The tree is there because Meema said I needed something in the empty space.

I was going to do some of the living objects next but I needed a break, so I just told Meema more of the story without drawing it.

This is what happens. Maurice goes to the castle and finds the Living Objects. The candle shows him to a chair by the fire, but the clock says it's a bad idea--what if the Beast finds out? And the Beast does find out and he locks Maurice up in a small cell. Felipe the horse runs off to find Belle.

Bella and Felipe rush back to the castle and Belle offers to take her father's place in the cell. Her father says it's a bad idea, but Belle isn't listening.

The Beast shows Belle everything in the castle and says she can go anywhere she wants except for the secret staircase that leads to the rose. Remember the rose? 

Belle loves books and the candle tells her there is a great library up the secret staircase. She goes up it and finds the rose and the Beast finds her and he roars a loud scary ROAR!

She runs down the staircase to her bedroom and starts to cry. Then she finds the talking wardrobe and the teapot and a teacup named Chip. They give her tea and invite her to go to dinner that night.

When she walks into the dining room, all the Living Objects sing a song called Be My Guest.  She eats her dinner and is quite tired and she goes back to her bedroom and falls asleep. A noise wakes her. Something is knocking at her door! It is the Beast and he asks her to take a walk outside.

Meema interrupts me and says Was all of this in the performance last night? NO, I tell her. This is the Real Beauty and the Beast from the Disney movie. Our performance was mostly a bunch of songs from the movie and some narration. 

Meema has been writing down every word I say, and her fingers are tired and so am I. So we take a break. You probably know how the story ends anyway. 



                                                                                      
Also we made pumpkin bread.


3 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

I've not seen the movie, and now I have to because 1. I love Josie's rendition and 2. I love the music and 3. I love Angela Lansbury!! Great to have the art to go along with Josie's story too! Hope your migraine is gone and won't be back ever!

Marcia said...

Josie is a doll. Sounds like you were typing her narration as she spoke. Good for you.

Sandra Parshall said...

It sounds wonderful, except that Josie should have been Belle. What a great experience for the kids!