When I was notified I’d be reviewing the musical “Beauty and the Beast,” many thoughts went through my mind. First was memories of seeing the Disney (now classic/then new) cartoon in the theater with my children. The second was seeing my son in the part of Maurice, Belle’s father, in his high school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.” I definitely can say an evening of introspection was not what I had anticipated.

Taking a production extremely well known by a large segment of the population and making it pop and seem new is, in part, the work of the director, Madeline Franklin. I forgot the previous versions of the production I had seen, and, instead, focused on the version I was at last Friday night.

The orchestra, led by orchestra manager Frank Rebeka, performed the score with precision. Orchestra members hit their cues in a fine-tuned manner, serving as the mark for the many performers to work with. They made the show sing, literally.

Before I enter into the production itself, allow me for a moment to discuss a bit about the venue. It is a quaint theater in Palatine, located off Route 14 on Wood Street. The name of the theater is Cutting Hall. It was part of a previous high school complex, yet has been a host to community theater for the last 80 years. There have been renovations and modernizations made to the structure on both its interior and its exterior. The repurposing of the structure is admirable. It is a hidden little jewel in the suburbs I had been unaware of until this performance.

The lighting, thanks to Kaitlin Moser, was well done, and set each of the moods needed for the production. From the streets of the small village, to the dark woods, to the various parts of the castle, to the local public house where braggadocio rules the day, lighting plays a large part to make the production real.

The scenery, to the credit of set designer Brett Baleskie, was developed nicely. A funny side note: as the trees appeared in a couple of the scenes, it seemed as if, in a few cases, the crew was trying to slightly adjust them to their correct marks, even as the scene had commenced. As I watched moving trees in a scene, I recalled “The Wizard of Oz” and the scene in the orchard as the trees became angered and came to life when apples were picked.

A subtle part of the scenery was lost on a large part of the audience. It was the larger gold and red suspended rose at stage left. It was set high upon a decorative trellis and was to represent the ever-decaying chance at redemption. Keep an eye out for its interaction in the production.

Choreography was put together in a nicely appointed manner by choreographer Kara Williams Posmer and fight choreographers Mark and Kristine Stickney. I especially enjoyed the wolf dance scenes. Of course, who of us cannot relate to being alone in a crowd (as Belle was in the village) or at a boisterous party (as was the case at the castle and the public house). The fight scenes and falls were done well. The transformation back from Beast to man did seem a bit forced, with the use of a blanket to comfort a mortally wounded person, but it was understandable as costume and headdress needed to be removed.

Now on to the cast, where the introspection occurred. The feelings and characteristics the actors and actresses evoked caused me and other members of the audience to do some soul-searching and realize we were, in small ways, comprised of bits and pieces of the assorted cast. Be it our past or present lives, we could see our good, our bad and our ugly. The characters are lovable and force you to feel for and associate with each of them.

Without a doubt, Belle, played by Amanda Walsh, brought a beautiful voice to the stage. The Beast, played by Brett Baleskie, gave a compelling performance, and, during his number immediately before intermission, he reminded me of the Phantom from the “Phantom of the Opera.” Maurice always will hold a special place in my mind, as my son portrayed the part years ago. That being said, even my son would agree Chuck Sisson gave life to the role.

Speaking of coming to life, I also must praise the people who brought the castle to life – Russel Badalamenti, Stephen Pickering, Karen Paterson, Courtney Miller, Mia Hirschel and Allison Kasbee.

Let us not forget the slapstick humor the dynamic duo of Gaston, played by Matt Russell, and LeFou, played by Josh Formeller. As with most productions, it was the ensemble filling in the fun and frolic.

I highly recommend the production for a soul-searching good evening. The short drive to Palatine will be well worth your time, and, who knows, you might even learn something about yourself.

• Ernest J. Varga has been an aficionado of the theater the majority of his life. He first wrote performance reviews while attending Loyola University Chicago and has worked within many facets of theater productions. He resides in unincorporated northeastern McHenry County with his wife Karen, whom he met serendipitously during a production at the Woodstock Opera House.

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST”

WHEN: Sept. 15-17

WHERE: Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center, 150 E. Wood St., Palatine

COST & INFO: Presented by Fremont Street Theater Company. One of the most acclaimed and treasured fairy tales of all time. Tickets: $21 adults, $19 for seniors, students and children advanced; $23 adults, $21 seniors, students and children at the door. Tickets and information: www.cuttinghall.org/beauty-and-the-beast.