A beloved classic, Beauty and the Beast is a popular choice amongst audiences. When a show’s high status is paired with Riverside’s well-earned reputation for providing Broadway-quality performances for the NOVA region, the result is a packed auditorium. I wasn’t at all surprised to see so many people at my performance (or lots of little girls in sparkly yellow ball gowns), nor was I surprised when that performance received an enthusiastic standing ovation at curtain call.