Mikey the lamb in a scene from Beauty and the Beast Jnr, currently on show at Levin Little Theatre.
Mikey the lamb in a scene from Beauty and the Beast Jnr, currently on show at Levin Little Theatre.
A brilliant performance from the cast and crew at Levin Little Theatre has put to bed that terrible old showbiz maxim to never work with small children or animals.
Among the talented young cast of Beauty and the Beast Jnr was a lamb called Mikey, whose cameo performance wasn't too baaaaad at all.
Mikey was being raised by one of the young cast, Mya Romijn, who managed to convince director Faith Watters that her pet deserved a shot at the big time.
Mikey the lamb has joined the cast of Beauty and the Beast Jnr, currently on show at Levin Little Theatre. Pictured to the left of Mikey is his owner Mya Romijn, Nita Gardiner and Carli Westerby.
There was no pulling the wool over anyone's eyes, though. There were conditions to the contract, just in case the excitement of showbiz and the adulation of an adoring crowd left Mikey feeling free to ad-lib.
Mya said Mikey had to wear an adult nappy each time he went on stage.
"It's just in case he does a wee or a poo," she said.
The Beast (Noah Watters).
Mickey was just a week old when the show was postponed due to another outbreak of Covid-19. The cast kept practising and singing via Zoom, and were ready to take the stage as soon as lockdown restrictions eased.
During that time Mya said Mikey had grown really big. He was 10 weeks old now.
The closing scene from Beauty and the Beast Jnr, with Beauty (Emma Conway) and Beast (Noah Watters) centre stage.
At home and away from the bright lights of showbiz, Mya said Mikey preferred to sleep outside and was best mates with Misty, the family dog, even though they sometimes playfight.
"Misty softly bites him and now Mikey headbutts Misty," she said.
An emotional scene from Beauty and the Beast Jnr at Levin Little Theatre, featuring Emma Conway and Noah Watters.
Meanwhile, the five Beauty and the Beast Jnr opening shows at Levin Little Theatre at the weekend attracted good crowds, with performances to match.
Cast and crew could be proud of a stunning show that featured singing and acting performed to emotive music and visual backdrops.
It followed the old Beauty and the Beast fairy tale with themes that show how vanity and cruelty are overcome by inner beauty and good deeds.
Miles Harrington as Gaston.
Kudos went to main characters Beast (Noah Watters) and Belle (Emma Conway) for their commanding performances, with Gaston (Miles Harrington) also brilliant in his portrayal as a self-absorbed villain.
The entire support cast were equally as good, which included Lefou (Kahu Newston), Cogsworth (Alrich Hoffman), Lumiere (Leo Arnault-Martin) and Mrs Potts (Amber Rollinson).
Lavara Makutu, Paige Vazey, Abi Harrington, Taylah Harvey, Abigail Sage and Myah Snow played the party of the "Silly Girls" and deserved mention, as did Neil Hoffman, Gwen O'Callaghan, Imogen Williams, Elissa Westerby, Danica Rowan, Verde Kjestrup, Eden Makutu, Charlotte Schleuss, Lillian Wardle, Isabelle Montague, Millie Allen, Holly Montague and Anais Chambers.
A closing scene from Beauty and the Beast Jnr at Levin Little Theatre.
Meanwhile, as can happen in showbiz, there was a sound malfunction partway through the Sunday matinee.
But the show must go on, and Amber Rollinson as Mrs Potts received a rousing ovation for continuing regardless, bravely singing a solo song "a cappella" without the expected musical accompaniment.
Amber Rollinson, as Mrs Potts in Beauty and the Beast Jnr, got rousing applause for singing a song "a cappella" due to temporary sound malfunction.
Beauty and The Beast Jnr continues at Levin Little Theatre this weekend with a show on Friday night, two shows on Saturday, and a matinee show on Sunday.
