A “tale as old as time” was told magnificently at the Overture Center when the French-fairytale-turned-Disney-classic-turned-Broadway-behemoth “Beauty and the Beast” opened this past Tuesday.

Clearly this is a musical that needs no introduction, as it is a safe bet 70 percent of those in attendance knew all the songs and much of the dialogue by heart coming into opening night. Nevertheless, the show had a few surprises, interesting but subtle deviations and a certain personal nature that other incarnations of the story simply can’t match.

“Beauty and the Beast” started, as it always does, with the prologue to the story read by a narrator; opening night’s narrator, Logan Denninghoff, did a perfect job setting the stage. As Denninghoff narrated, the spoiled prince turned away the old beggar woman that would be his downfall. In a strange and slightly underwhelming design choice, the old woman (and her subsequent sorceress form) was a puppet, rather than an actual person. 

This really took the audience out of the moment, though the prince’s transformation into the eponymous Beast more than made up for it with impressive special effects. As the stage darkened at the end of the prologue, the opening strains of “Belle” slowly rolled out of the orchestra.

Thanks to the bustle of early morning that gives the piece its chaotic energy, the sheer number of different harmonies, and excellent performances by all members of the cast, “Belle” was the highlight of the entire performance. Typically when a musical, or performance of any kind, has its greatest success early it can leave the rest of the duration feeling underwhelming, but “Beauty and the Beast” continually came close to reaching the high benchmark set by the splendid “Belle.” 

Other memorable numbers include “Gaston” (which was impressive due to the complex dance and mug-clinking sequence reminiscent of the dance troupe Stomp), the burlesque-influenced “Be Our Guest” (which featured many scantily clad “utensils”) and the unforgettable classic “Beauty and the Beast” (which was beautifully sung thanks to Mrs. Potts (Julia Louise Hosack) and made the famous ballroom scene between Belle and Beast all the more perfect). Also, in a first for musicals, the songs that were not present in the original movie fit in wonderfully with the classic tracks.

Emily Behny performed pitch-perfectly in her role as the aforementioned leading lady, and she remained strong enough to be heard over the commotion of the rest of the performers throughout the show. The only gripe to be had about Behny’s performance was that her voice became a bit shrill and nasally at times, which, in turn, caused her portrayal of Belle to come across as “cute” rather than what her namesake means. However great Behny was, the real star of the show was Jeff Brooks as Gaston.

Brooks is the understudy for the role of Gaston, yet he played his part in a league of his own, surpassing the acting chops of nearly everyone else on stage. His Gaston was a cocky, smug, chauvinistic, yet charismatic and humorous pig; Brooks’ performance evoked visions of he-man Zapp Brannigan of “Futurama” fame. His deep voice resonated clearly throughout the Overture Center, allowing the audience to understand every word of his pompous machismo. 

Brooks was supported throughout by Andrew Kruep as Gaston’s sidekick, Lefou. Kruep’s mastery of slapstick comedy and the amazing similarity of his voice to the Lefou of the Disney classic was astonishing. Kruep sold Gaston’s bullying as good as an actor can in a Broadway musical, and, the little that he sang, he stayed in character perfectly. Oddly coming out of character at the right times was what made Dane Agostinis’s portayal of Beast unique and significant.

Agostinis certainly had the most demanding role from an acting standpoint thanks to the dynamic nature of the Beast’s character that the storyline hinges on. Thankfully, he is an accomplished actor and showcased anger, frustration, grief and jubilation convincingly throughout the show. His occasional dropping of character gave a much-needed humorous undertone to otherwise intense scenes. His singing, particularly in spotlight pieces such as “If I Can’t Love Her,” was also commendable, though amid the cornucopia of exemplary performances, his portrayal of Beast didn’t stand out as much as it could have, though this may be the fault of the script, which gives ample opportunity for standout characters.

Lumiere and Cogsworth, the candelabra and clock (Michael Haller and James May, respectively) are the very definition of a supporting cast. They carried the story throughout and kept the overall dark tone light enough to be enjoyable. Haller especially had the audience swooning for his faux-French accent and his romantic charisma. May, however, did a great job making Cogsworth even stuffier and more insufferable than he is in the Disney version. The rest of the supporting cast also did an excellent job, and kept the audience entertained and in the moment of the musical.

However, all of this gushing and overuse of the word “perfect” shouldn’t disguise this as a flawless performance. There was only one small problem that amounted to only an annoyance in comparison to the greatness of the musical as a whole. All members of the cast are guilty of over-enunciating their lines to the point that it seems awkward to speak or sing that way. This flaw kept the audience rooted in the reality that they were indeed watching a performed piece, though it is probably more attributable to the director, Rob Roth, rather than the cast itself.

“Beauty and the Beast” is an excellent musical that should not be missed by any lover of the Disney movie, any Broadway lover, or any family looking for a wholesome experience for their children (though, caution, the musical is much darker and has more innuendo than the Disney version of the story). This is a “tale as old as time” for a reason: It should be experienced by people of all ages.

“Beauty and the Beast” is playing at Madison’s Overture Center through Dec. 11.