By Kimberly Harper

Theatre by the Sea has been enjoying a hell of a good run this season, and its third show, “Beauty and the Beast,” is no exception. The fairy tale is enjoying a popularity resurgence anyway thanks to this winter’s live-action movie, making this production even better-timed.

Unlike some of Disney’s other stage adaptations, “Beauty and the Beast” is almost identical to the animated film, but with some stellar additional music numbers. Act 1 closes with the Beast’s plaintive balled “If I Can’t Love Her,” which Philip Bryan sings in a soaring baritone. There’s also Belle’s “Home,” which Lauren Weinberg does well. Weinberg definitely has a Disney princess voice versus a typical Broadway sound, but nonetheless gives a lovely performance. Opera singer Wayne Hu as Gaston has a truly outstanding voice, and is hilariously self-absorbed, especially when paired up against the funny and laughably incompetent Lefou (played to the hilt by Josh Walker). Other notable voices are Ellen Peterson as Mrs. Potts, who sings the well-known and –loved “Beauty and the Beast” effortlessly well, and Stacey Geer as the classically-trained-turned-classical-piece-of-furniture Madame de la Grande Bouche. It’s a vocally demanding role that also requires a character-role treatment and Geer does that quite well. Also a fun watch are actors Josh Houghton and Jeffrey Johnson II, who really know how to work the funny man/straight man angle in their respective roles of Lumiere and Cogsworth.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this behemoth of a show was not at all cramped on TBTS’s tiny stage. Instead, it’s a straight-up home run with this charming dream of a set. There are certain scenes that seem a bit rushed (the final battle is over in the blink of an eye and with seemingly very little actual battling) but the funny, tender and just plain pretty moments are  more than enough to redeem those hiccups.

You have until August 12 to get down to South County and see this tale as old as time. Will the characters live happily ever after? No, because they’re French aristocracy and Disney has gone ahead and set this one just before the French Revolution. But you’ll be happy you took the time to visit some favorite characters. This is also an excellent show to introduce children over the age of 4 to live theater, as long as they can handle the almost three-hour run time.

“Beauty and the Beast” runs through Aug. 12 at Theatre By The Sea, 346 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield. Tickets may be obtained online at theatrebythesea.com or by calling 401.782.8587