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  • Lincoln Christian students prepare for their rendition of Beauty and the Beast. The cast includes: ­Maddie Phippen of Broken Arrow (left to right), Hope Dabney of Claremore, Megan Devers of Sand Springs, Ben Self of Claremore, Grant Sackett of Owasso, Kayleigh Chisman of Tulsa, Cameron Edman of Tulsa and Clayton Sackett of Owasso.

    Lincoln-Beauty-&-web.jpg
February 1, 2012

‘Beauty and the Beast’ showcases at LCS

Amber Smith Special to the Progress

CLAREMORE — At first glance, the Oneighty auditorium seems like any other building, yet for the past seven months, it has been the stage for approximately 71 students whose goal is to put on the best performance that their future audience has ever seen.

Clayton Sackett, Brant Campbell and Kayleigh Chrisman, all three students at Lincoln Christian School, have had their fair share of challenges and triumphs in this year’s production. Playing the roles of the Beast, Gaston, and Belle, these three dedicated and talented students have pushed their limits and practiced for months leading up their live performance at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Feb. 9-10.

“I love my cast family and our directors,” said Chrisman. “They have made a challenging role enjoyable. I’m nervous, excited and can’t wait for an actual audience to be able to see the fruits of our labor!”

No strangers to the stage, Sackett, Campbell, and Chrisman, have shared the lime light on more than one occasion. Campbell, a senior, having before been in four plays and staring as Mr. Bucket in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” plans to continue his music career at the University of Oklahoma with a major in Music Education.

Chrisman, only a sophomore, has also stared in four of Lincoln’s musicals and hopes to continue on with her music as well.

“Acting as Gaston has been a blast!” said Campbell. “It is definitely the most fun I have had in any of Lincoln’s plays that I have been a part of. However, it has been the most challenging role to grasp. It all comes down to the old saying that I have been told since my first play during my freshmen year: ‘If you don’t feel silly up on stage, your not doing it right.’”

Sackett, a gentle-spirited individual and rather the opposite of beastly, will steal the stage as one of Disney’s most dynamic characters, the Beast. With an extensive background of productions under his belt and a vision of becoming a voice actor, this senior is thrilled to have the opportunity to play such a protagonist.

Countless hours spent on watching Broadway just to learn how to walk like a beast and even more time spent on the beast’s voice, Sackett said, “If you want to be the best, learn from the best. I really do enjoy being the beast. Honestly, I like it better when he becomes kind and gentle because that’s more me. Yet, I have always wanted to play a villain, and the ‘beauty’ of this story is that it teaches people to look beyond the outside, to look for people’s real motives and while the beast is the antagonist in the first act, in the second act, his love for Belle changes him.

“It was difficult at first to find the right amount of rage that could be portrayed, but really the rage comes from the pain that is deep inside the Beast,” Sackett said. “He desperately wants to have the spell broken, to be human again but he has to learn to love. He even sings a song called ‘If I can’t love her’ which basically is his howl at the moon, where he realizes that loving Belle is his last hope.”

Leading the group of young talent are Lincoln’s administrative assistant and play director Gayle Sackett and assistant directors Sandy Logsdon, vocal music and drama teacher, and Wes Atkinson, jazz band and drama teacher.

The production includes 50 actors and 21 crew members.

“This has been one of the largest casts we have ever had!” said Sackett. “We have a lot of new upcoming artists, and it has been a blessing to sow into their lives and help them further develop their gifts and talents. Our seasoned lead actors have far exceeded my expectations.”

Tickets are on sale for both nights for $5. Kids ages 4 and under are admitted for free.

“The music is fabulous, the talent is extraordinary and everyone loves a happy ending, says Sackett. “It’s the best five dollars you will ever spend.” 

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