Details, details, details.

Brenda Mueller, artistic director and founder of Lyric Light Opera of the Northwest, knows that attention to details often determines whether a stage production will be a beauty — or a beast.

The singing must be perfect in tone and volume, the hand movements at just the right angle during a scene. And the costumes and sets can make or break a show, Mueller said.

“It’s one of my sticklers, the costumes, especially with a show like this one,” Mueller said, while gearing up for Lyric Light Opera’s production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” on July 11-27 at McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon, and Sept. 19-28 at the Kirkland Performance Center.

“You can destroy a show with bad costumes,” she added, noting that she’s been heavily involved with designing and putting the costumes together.

During a recent rehearsal, it was apparent that her hard work was paying off. The costume details shined right down to the small flowers on the front of Mrs. Potts’ dress and the gold stitching on Lumiere’s belt.



Lyric Light Opera’s $150,000 production of “Beauty and the Beast” promises elaborate costumes and the largest set of any production at McIntyre Hall to date. Its 45-member cast lineup includes a mix of paid professional performers and locals from the Puget Sound region and Skagit County.

Most of the leads are professional theater performers who have worked at such prestigious venues as the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Village Theatre in Kirkland, the Seattle Children’s Theatre, and even on Broadway in New York.

Already, McIntyre Hall has sold several thousand tickets to the production that’s proven itself a favorite on Broadway — it was nominated for nine Tony Awards and won for best costume design — and at local theater houses across the country.

People can’t resist the timeless love story, Mueller said. Its theme of love and devotion is the perfect fit for the theater organization that concentrates on presenting family-friendly shows, she added.

“The theme of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is redemption, transformation and having a second chance through the power of love,” Mueller said. “You have a story that will bring tears to your eyes.”

Many people also enjoy the familiar music, including the theme song, “Beauty and the Beast,” the upbeat “Be Our Guest” and “Something There.”

It’s also one of the few Disney shows with characters who veer away from the traditional Disney pattern, said Elise Campello of Gig Harbor, who plays the lead character, Belle. Campello described Belle as a “nerd” who loves to read and speak her mind, traits that lead her to be labeled “odd” in her home village.

“Belle’s a little feisty — more powerful than other Disney characters, and more mature,” Campello said, although she noted that trying to be an un-Disney princess has presented its own challenge.

“I’ve had to be careful with my tone of voice, to make sure that she doesn’t have a really high voice,” Campello said. “I have to be able to belt without sounding like I’m screeching.”

Brian Earp of Shoreline, who plays the Beast, agreed that “Beauty and the Beast” is one of the few Disney fairy tale adaptations with complexity and depth. The Beast deals with a myriad of emotions, from depression and self-hatred to regret and eventually love.

For Earp, treading the fine line between human and beast has been a challenge. He’s seen several different performances of the Beast, but said he wants to make this portrayal his own.

He’s also struggled to work his voice down to that of the gruff and loud Beast without hurting his voice.

In the meantime, he’s challenged by the elaborate makeup, wig and costume, including the long wig, affixed horns jutting from his head and gloved hands.

Most of the actors have struggled to some extent with the costumes. They’re beautiful and detailed, but are hot, heavy and sometimes cumbersome. Many of the characters are actually inanimate objects, including Lumiere, who’s a candlestick; Cogsworth, a clock; and Mrs. Potts, a teapot played by Carol Swarbrick of Sequim.

“Holding my arm up” is the toughest part of portraying the teapot, Swarbrick said, as she carefully sat down in a chair during the recent rehearsal. Her left arm is perpetually extended to make up the spout of her pot.

Kevin Cobley of Mount Vernon can relate. He portrays the fussbudget Cogsworth in a costume that includes a protruding pendulum box that spans much of the front of Cobley’s body. It’s bulky and requires a little more care when it comes to dancing across the stage, he said.

“But that’s what the expectations are (elaborate costumes),” Cobley said. “It’s similar to ‘Cats.’ ” People come to see the production because they want to see the people made up as something else, in these big costumes, with all the makeup.”

“Beauty and the Beast” is Lyric Light Opera’s third major production since it was formed in 2006 from the remnants of Northwest Civic Light Opera. It’s also arguably one of the most expensive productions ever in Skagit County, thanks to Mueller’s constant attention to those details and drive to make every performance perfect.

“I won’t do it any other way,” she said.

Beverly Crichfield can be reached at 360-416-2135 or .