Wren's Back at DPAC for Disney's Beauty and the Beast

By Wren Motley

Back for another incredible season at DPAC, I had the pleasure of starting my season by seeing the Disney Broadway classic, Beauty and the Beast. Read along to hear of my jam-packed day as an Ambassador filled with shadowing DPAC’s President’s Club Hospitality Manager, watching an unbelievable show, and participating in a talk back with the cast!

I began my night by working alongside Ms. Wilhelmina, DPAC’s lovely President’s Club Hospitality Manager. The BMW of Southpoint President's Club, is an exclusive club with their own specified area located on the second level of DPAC. The beautiful lobby has generous seating and complimentary snacks and beverages, succeeding at providing a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere for members to sit back and enjoy themselves before making their way to their assigned seats. Ms. Wilhelmina is one of the first faces that members will see upon entering and is dedicated to guaranteeing that guests leave the club feeling better than when they entered. We made sure to greet guests with the utmost positivity and do rounds through the space to guarantee that everyone was enjoying themselves. When talking to Ms. Wilhelmina about her thoughts on the position, she remarked on the joy that talking with members brought her. We discussed a guest who once told her, “He [her son] doesn’t come to see the show, he comes to see you.” This quote sat with me, proving that Ms. Wilhelmina had not only succeeded in brightening my day through our short time together, but also has likely left a larger impact on any guest to walk through those doors because of her kindness, attentive care and dedication.

Following my shift, I took a quick pit stop at concessions for my obligatory DPAC pretzel, then I headed straight to my seat. This production of Beauty and The Beast was truly a one of a kind experience. The cast made sure to bring a wonderful liveliness into their performances while also bringing unique takes and characterizations to separate their version of classic characters from the many actors who have previously taken on the role. Technical aspects of the production such as the sets and costumes were also huge highlights for this production, pulling the audience into the story as if you were part of the bright fantasy world of the original tale. I always find Disney Broadway shows to be in a world of their own, but this show truly stood above the rest and I highly recommend it to anyone with the ability to make their way to DPAC before the end of their Durham stop on Sunday, September 14th. To end off our night, my fellow DPAC Ambassadors and I were granted the opportunity to have a live talkback with seven of the inspiring cast members. Not only were these people incredible onstage but they were offstage as well, talking to us with the utmost humility! We were able to talk with these cast members about their experiences in a touring cast vs. a local production, their biggest takeaways from the industry, and some of their favorite aspects of the show. I could not think of a more perfect night for my first show back of the season, and cannot wait for many more to come! Be sure to check out fellow Ambassadors' content from this wonderful night and be sure to book your tickets to see Beauty and the Beast at DPAC!