Lights, Camera, Action!
The Belle Theatre is open! They are a new theater that opened right before the dreadful Hurricane Ian came for a visit. The Belle Theatre may seem like a cute little theater from the outside, but make no mistake. The love, care, and talent that not only the production team shows, but everyone on the stage as well, makes you believe you are in Gershwin Theater in New York!
When I first met Tyler, the owner of Belle Theatre, I immediately felt at home. I have a strong arts and theater background and when we talked about our love for the arts, it was as if I was talking with someone whom I have known my entire life. He makes you feel so welcomed when walking into his theater, and when he talks about the children in his shows, he has that sort of twinkle in his eye, that to me, shows he cares for each and every one of them while they are under his care. After our chit-chat about the arts, Tyler then invited me to come back and enjoy Seussical Jr. Of course, I couldn't refuse!
Seussical Jr. is about Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, and all your favorite Dr. Seuss characters springing to life onstage! When you first walk into the theater, on the left, is the cute little concession stand where they sell the normal snacks and drinks, but also themed items that pertain to the production. Of course, we had to pick out a Thing 1 and Thing 2 pen! To your right, the Belle Theatre puts together a photo booth area (pictured above) that is a sneak peak of the wonderful colors of Dr. Seuss that we are about to see inside the theater. Every staff member greeted us with a welcoming smile and a bright hello! A small detail I enjoyed is that I could show my tickets to them right from my phone and not have to have anything printed. It made for a quick and easy entrance and eco friendly! After they scanned our tickets, an Usher greeted us to show us to our seats. The theater was absolutely beautiful! The seats were comfortable. Everyone had a good view no matter if you were the front row or the back, and the set was stunning! I felt as if I was walking straight into a Dr. Seuss book myself! They even had colorful decorations hanging from the ceiling! They did an amazing job at transforming the entire theater.
The lights dimmed and music played. Showtime!
Twenty-eight children ran onto the stage and they started to dance and sing and have a wonderful time! It was an absolute treat to watch each one so immersed into their roles. Each child with their own adorable costume and hair/makeup to match! During the performance I laughed, I got teary eyed, and even got annoyed with silly ole' Mayzie for leaving her nest. But of course, it all works out in the end. By the end of the performance, I was already planning when I would be coming back for the next major production. Big congratulations to the production crew and the cast for putting on an absolutely beautiful show!
The Belle Theatre does have some amazing summer camps available if you have a child who is ready to shine up on that stage. All of the Summer Camps are listed here!
Now the Belle Theatre isn't just for children to perform. Us adults can get on that stage as well! The next production is Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella starting June 9th - 18th. If you aren't ready to be on stage center spotlight, there are plenty of other options for you as well. You can help with set design, makeup, hair, or if you are a tech person, sound and lights! There are so many roles that go into putting on a production, that no theater can do it alone.
Thank you Tyler for inviting me out for a wonderful and whimsical evening. Great job to all of the production crew and cast members on stage. You all did a great job and I look forward to attending Cinderella in June!
