Angela Mendez in Vintage Theatre’s ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Photo by Christine Fisk.

(The DCPA NewsCenter regularly profiles actors performing in theatre productions throughout the state of Colorado.)

MEET ANGELA MENDEZ

Belle in Vintage Theatre’s ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ running now through Jan. 15.

• Hometown: Lakewood
• Home now: Denver
• High school: D’Evelyn
  
• College: Regis University
• What have you done for us lately? I played Jo in the Aurora Fox’s Little Women, the Musical, and was part of the ensemble that traveled with Director Christy Montour-Larson to perform “I Am Alive” a musical about the Armenian massacre, at the Alex Theatre in Los Angeles.
  
• At its core, what is Beauty and the Beast about? It’s about getting to know people. Looking past what is on the outside and falling in love with what you find underneath. Well, that and dancing dinnerware.
  
• Tell us about the challenge of playing your Belle: Like many of our audience members, I grew up watching the original animated version of Beauty and the Beast on endless repeat in my living room. If you say “Little Town, it’s a quiet village…” to a group of people, before long they will answer back every villager’s, “Bonjour!” and continue into Gaston’s “Right from the moment when I met her, saw her…”  without needing much prompting.  This is an iconic soundtrack that lives in our memory banks. With my character, Belle (originally voiced by Paige O’Hara), my determined task is to take what I loved about the original and then freshen her up and ground her in my life experiences. What is most important to me is to unearth what is not cartoonish in Belle’s story, but real and human and true.
• What do you love most about the Colorado theatre community? Clay White, our director, has brought together the most warm and generous collective of people to bring this show to the Vintage stage. The production staff, crew and cast are all such exceptional people to be around. The glow they bring to a room is very real, and does not stop when we finish running a scene. When a room has that kind of palpable warmth, you get all the more excited to bring an audience into the experience.
• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I’m a bit of an ambivert – a person whose personality has a balance of extrovert and introvert qualities. I love people, but I often forget to ask them out to coffee.  So, if you ever need a listening ear, or a friend, hit me up. I like you. 
• What’s one thing you want to get off your chest? Denver theatre family: Love your actors. Develop their talent. Mentor them. Teach them. Put food in their bellies. Give them dollars for their time. Kindle the sparks in an actor and you are sure to see that magic reflected on the stage and in the world.

(Pictured above right: Angela Mendez, far right, with Jenna Bainbridge, Katie Jackson and Chloe McLeod in the Aurora Fox’s 2015 ‘Little Women.’ Pictured below: Mendez with James Francis in Vintage Theatre’s ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ Photo by Christine Fisk.).

Beauty and the Beast: Ticket information
• Written by Alan Menken; Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Linda Woolverton
• Directed by Clay White and Trent Hines
• Through Jan. 15
• Presented by Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. in Aurora
• Performances: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays; 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5
• Tickets $28-$31
• Info: Call 303-856-7830, or go to vintagetheatre.org 

Cast List:


• Angela Mendez (Belle)
• James Francis (Beast/Prince)
• Craig Ross (Maurice)
• David Gordon (Gaston)
• Ben Hilzer (Lefou)
• Preston Lee Briton (Lumiere)
• Caitlin Conklin (Babette)
• Jeffrey Jesmer (Cogsworth)
• Onna Poeter (Madame De La Grande Bouche)
• Suzanne Connors Nepi (Mrs. Potts)
• Sullivan McConell (Chip)
• Ensemble: Michael Barlow, Court Clark, Jessica Clayton, Holly Joyce Dalton, Gina Eslinger, Katie Jackson, Kayla Mally, Jordan Manchego, Eli Stewart. and Ryan Walkoviak

More ‘In the Spotlife’ profiles:
Meet Lauren Bahlman of Wide-Eyed West’s theMumblings
Meet Mark Collins of And Toto Too’s Lost Creatures
Meet Carley Cornelius of Colorado Springs TheatreWorks’ Constellations
Meet Emily Paton Davies of Miners Alley Playhouse’s God of Carnage
Meet Sam Gregory of the Arvada Center’s Tartuffe

Meet John Hauser of Curious Theatre’s Hand to God
Meet Jeff Jesmer of Spotlight Theatre’sThe Crucible
Meet Wayne Kennedy of BDT Stage’s Mid-Life 2
Meet Seth Maisel of Town Hall Arts Center’s The Firestorm
Meet Tim McCracken of Local Theatre’s The Firestorm
Meet Joelle Montoya of Su Teatro’s El Sol Que Tu Eres
Meet Anne Oberbroeckling of Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company’s Ripcord
Meet Jessica Robblee of Buntport Theatre for All Ages’ Siren Song: A Pirate Odyssey
Meet Petra Ulyrich of Germinal Stage-Denver’s Johnny Got His Gun
Meet Megan Van De Hey of the Arvada Center’s Sister Act
Meet Sharon Kay White of the Arvada Center’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas

More Colorado theatre coverage on the DCPA NewsCenter

Last year at this time, Sharon Kay White was in another Arvada Center holiday production, ‘Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,’ with Paul Page. Photo P. Switzer.