By Jeanni Ritchie
Ten years after Descendants premiered as a Disney Original Movie, Lagniappe Theatre brought the stage version to Central Louisiana. I attended a school show last month, enjoying the popular musical with students from Rosenthal Elementary.
The show opened with “Rotten to the Core,” an energetic introduction to life on the Isle of the Lost. Mal (Evie LaFleur), Evie (Lily Claire Blakeney), Jay (Corbit Bonner), and Carlos (Jacob Jones) made an immediate impression—sharp choreography, tight harmonies, and a mischievous spark that pulled the whole room in.
One of the sweetest full-circle moments came from Jay’s casting: Corbit Bonner, playing the son of Jafar, is the mirror image of his father, Thomas Bonner, who appeared as Jafar himself. Watching the two side by side took me straight back to my own children’s theatre days, when Thomas was Corbit’s age. This is community theatre at its best—generations, memories, legacy.
Talon Dearborne shone as Maleficent, seamlessly shifting from her recent heroine role in The Little Mermaid to Disney villain royalty with stunning ease. Her duet with LaFleur on “Evil Like Me” was a vocal powerhouse and one of the musical’s strongest numbers.
The cast launched into a clever mashup of “Be Our Guest,” blending Auradon’s bright cheer with the Isle’s edgier attitude.
A comical “Remedial Goodness” class brought big laughs thanks to Fairy Godmother (A’melia Perkins), who played frazzled and fed-up with the accuracy of a third-grade teacher the week before Christmas break. Her attempts to teach the Descendants to be good appeared to be a lesson in futility.
Son of Belle and the Beast, Prince Ben (Denton Jaques) delivered the charming “I’m in Love With a Girl Like You” after Mal concocted a spell on him—a setup for her mother’s plan to steal Fairy Godmother’s wand during his coronation. When Ben discovered the truth, he briefly went “beast mode,” sending Mal fleeing back to the Isle.
Ben followed, aided by Evie, Jay, and Carlos, who taught him how to blend in with “Chillin’ Like a Villain,” one of the show’s most popular numbers.
Mal’s emotional solo “If Only” captured her inner tug-of-war between the life she was raised for and the love she’s beginning to feel.
Back in Auradon, Ben’s ex-girlfriend Audrey (Natalie Johnson) went full scorched earth, making Miranda Lambert’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” look like a choir girl. Johnson nailed her role.
The cast soared through “Ways to Be Wicked,” a high-energy ensemble number filled with pulsing choreography and playful rebellion as the descendants weighed their choices and considered slipping back into villainous habits.
The coronation sequence built toward a dramatic interruption from Maleficent in a reprise of “Evil Like Me,” and an equally dramatic—albeit surprising—villainous moment from Jane (Daisy Wester), daughter of Fairy Godmother. But ultimately, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos chose good over evil. Their unity became the heart of the show as they realized they truly are “Better Together.”
The musical closed with “Break This Down,” a celebratory finale showcasing Lagniappe’s exceptionally large ensemble—pulling double duty as both Isle of the Lost miscreants and Auradon children —and serving as testament to the company’s long-standing reputation for nurturing, inspiring, and elevating young performers across the Cenla community.
Jeanni Ritchie is a theatre-loving freelance writer from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
