"Be Our Guest": Lancer Productions' Beauty and The Beast

As most of the student body knows, our Lancer Productions Crew puts on amazing shows throughout the year! 

I remember going to these shows when I was little and even now, I continue to be astonished by what they accomplish.

The Lancer Productions crew undergoes so much hard work and puts a lot of love into their production in order to make them as entertaining as they are. We all had our favorite movies growing up, and nine times out of ten, they were Disney movies, and my favorite was Beauty and The Beast so I could not be more excited for this show; I'm here to convince you to be excited too!

The Process

To give the student body an understanding of what the Lancer Productions Team goes through in order to put on these shows and also convince you guys to go this April, I interviewed Mrs. Hintze, Head Speech Coach and Lancer Productions Director, to give us some insight. 

Initially, I asked Mrs. Hintze about the process regarding the production of this musical; in a chronological explanation Mrs. Hintze allows us to get a glimpse at what the team undergoes: “[t]he process of putting on a show (after it's been selected, which is a whole other process the directing team goes through) begins with auditions. After auditions and casting, we begin, for the musical, starting officially in February. We start with the basics, like learning music, choreography, blocking, and lines, and then move into putting all of those elements together. We rehearse after school, and the schedule is dependent on who is called for the day. So, not every person is required for every single rehearsal (or the whole time) each day.

The whole process with everyone is about three months, but a lot more goes on behind the scenes to make those three months happen when they need to happen. For example, the work we do in the fall and winter prepares us to have materials or designs or funds to make what needs to happen in March actually happen.” She also adds, “the exact amount of time someone spends working on the show is hard to really say. We have our scheduled rehearsal time, but that doesn't include the individual practice or time spent memorizing lines. So maybe they have ten hours of rehearsal each week, but they spend another ten hours learning their lines, practicing their music, practicing their dancing, or something else. We also have people who are involved in tech (this would include props and costumes, building the set, designing the sound and lights, stage managing, and more) who might spend 20 hours putting something together, but another 10 designing it. Some of our crew/cast members already have over 90 hours of tech put into just this show.”

Buying Your Tickets and Getting The Best Seats

In previous conversations, LP (Lancer Productions) members have mentioned that their shows do sell out, so I asked Mrs. Hintze when the best time was to buy our tickets. If you want better seats especially on opening night or the busier show days, get them as soon as possible. She also mentions, “[w]e are already about 20% sold for our tickets across all shows, and we are still over 20 days out from the opening. We have seen truly amazing support from our community for this show, so I anticipate seeing a lot of those friendly faces in our audience come opening night!”

“But - if you need tickets on the day of, I will be there to help you find a seat!” -- Mrs. Hintze

Important Information

Finally, I wanted to see how she would convince you guys to come, because no one can be more convincing than Mrs. Hintze and I'm not a part of LP, so maybe it's best to hear it from someone that is. . .

1. “The cast, crew, pit orchestra musicians, and directing team have worked so hard to create magic with this show - go see the talented people of North Scott. We see you out in our audience and we appreciate that you support us!”

2. “This story is amazing! Disney's Beauty and The Beast was the first Disney show to go to Broadway, and it really is top tier as far as story, aesthetics, music...you name it. It's a fabulous story that is really just an absolute bop."

3. “There's something truly special about the theatre. Experiencing live theatre is fantastic. The actors on stage are literally reacting in real time to their audience - the laughs, the applause, the drama - all of this is happening as a collective experience between the actors, musicians, and crew and the audience. Each show is different because of this - and it's so awesome.”

4. “Theatre isn't just for 'theatre kids' - it's for everyone. Truly - everyone. As a senior teacher, one of the biggest regrets I hear students say is that they didn't go see more shows (and it's not just because I'm the theatre person - Sambdman and Chapman will back me up here). There seems to be some sort of idea that only certain people can do or see theatre, and that's not true. It's for you, your neighbor, your grandma, your nieces and nephews...everyone. There's a place for you in the theatre. But, if you need one, here's your personal invite - YOU are welcome in the theatre. As Lumiere says: ’Be our guest!’”

5. “The show is a bop.”

Lancer Productions has been very successful throughout the years of putting smiles on our communities faces. It truly is amazing how much talent our student body has. If you haven't already, go buy your tickets to see the amazing production of Beauty and The Beast!

How to Buy Tickets

Dates: April 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, & 28 

Dinner Theater: 4/26 and 4/27

Ticket Prices: Adults $12, Students/Seniors $10

Please go to tix.nshslp.com and buy all the tickets! See you there.