Cast Announced for The 5th Avenue Theatre’s New Production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Porsha Shaw Riley Brack
The 5th Avenue Theatre returns to Live Theatre with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Kicking Off 2021/22 Season; Single Tickets On Sale Tuesday, November 9, 2021
January 12 – February 6, 2022
Music by Alan Menken | Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice | Book by Linda Woolverton
Directed by Jay Woods | Choreographed by Kathryn Van Meter |Music Direction by R.J. Tancioco
(Monday, November 8, 2021—SEATTLE) The 5th Avenue Theatre announced today the cast for its new production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, playing January 12 to February 6, 2022. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is The 5th's first fully-mounted musical created for an in-person audience since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and is the first production in its spectacular 2021/21 Season. Starring in this magical tale’s title roles are Seattle’s Porscha Shaw (Seattle Rep: Shout Sister Shout; Nina Simone: Four Women), who makes her debut at The 5th as Belle, Riley Brack (Village Theatre: My Heart is the Drum) as Beast, and Lisa J. Estridge (The 5th: Mamma Mia!, Into the Woods) who returns to The 5th as Mrs. Potts. Jay Woods, who has directed regionally for ArtsWest, Sound Theatre Company, and Washington Ensemble Theatre, makes her 5th Avenue Theatre directorial debut; returning to The 5th are Kathryn Van Meter to choreograph and R.J. Tancioco for music direction.
The cast features Anne Allgood (The 5th: Candide, The Sound of Music) as Madame de la Grande Bouche, Nicholas Japaul Bernard (The 5th: Rock of Ages, Annie) as Lumière, Arika Matoba (The 5th/ACT: Urinetown; Village Theatre: Spelling Bee) as Chip, Reginald André Jackson (ACT: The Crucible; Seattle Rep: Two Trains Running) as Maurice, Be Russell (Showtunes!: Legally Blonde; Village Theatre: She Loves Me) as Babette, John David Scott (Village Theatre: Guys and Dolls, Seattle Shakespeare Company: A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as LeFou, Jason Weitkamp (Disney: Finding Nemo – The Musical) as Cogsworth, and Jaysen Wright (Kennedy Center: Acoustic Rooster; Olney: The Royale) as Gaston.
The cast also includes ensemble members Kate Ella Cook, Rebecca Cort, Alyza DelPan-Monley, Joel Domenico, Candice Song Donehoo, Jose J Gonzales, Richard Gray, Nehemiah Hooks, Eric Polani Jensen, Danny Kam, Mallory King, Shanelle Leonard, Cheryse McLeod Lewis, U.J. Mangune, Trina Mills, Antonio D. Mitchell, Charles L. Simmons, and Shelby Willis, understudy Jonelle Margallo, and swings Cy Paolantonio and Jimmy Shields.
This season, we invite you to “be our guest” at one of the most enchanting musicals of all time: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast! This is a tale as old as time: a brilliant young woman in search of something more than her small town has to offer and a Beast—who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. Return to the magic of live theater at The 5th with unforgettable performances, spectacular costumes, and dazzling sets. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a joyful opportunity to bring your family together for musical theater at its best.
Porscha Shaw (she/her) makes her debut at The 5th as Belle. Shaw is a disabled actor who is a graduate of the Professional Actor Training Program at the University of Washington. She is a native of Texas and a graduate of Santa Fe University of Art and Design where she majored in Drama under the training of Jon Jory. Her Seattle credits include Shout Sister Shout, Nina Simone: Four Women, Richard III, The Last World Octopus Wrestling Champion, and Marisol.
Riley Brack (he/him) makes his debut at The 5th Avenue Theatre as Beast. A Boston Conservatory at
Berklee grad, Riley synthesizes training in music, mindfulness, and mental health to offer selfcompassionate voice lessons, youth mentorship sessions, and stress-management workshops.
