Meet the leads of Worcester Prep musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Feb. 23-24

All are invited to come see Worcester Prep's Upper School musical fairy tale, “Beauty and the Beast,” at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24, in the WPS Athletics and Performing Arts Center, Berlin, Md. The three talented WPS students cast as the leads are freshman Jacob Osias of Bethany Beach as Gaston, sophomore Annika Larsen of Ocean City, Md., as Belle and junior Dominic Anthony of Seaford as Beast.

While Larsen and Anthony are no strangers to the theater, 15-year-old Osias will be making his stage debut. Larsen earned her first lead role at the age of 11 in the Ocean Pines Children's Theater. Since then, she has starred in numerous productions in local theater and at WPS, such as Flounder in “The Little Mermaid,” Annie in “Annie” and Jasmine in “Aladdin.” At WPS, she was cast in the role of an ancestor in last year's production of “The Addams Family.”

Anthony began singing and acting by the age of 12 when he made his debut on the Possum Point Players stage in “Les Miserables,” playing the lead of Gavroche. Since then he has starred in numerous productions in local theater and at WPS, such as “Bye Bye Birdie” and “Hairspray” at Possum Point Players, and “Into the Woods” and “Cinderella” at Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth. At WPS, he was cast in the lead roles of Lord Pinkleton in “Cinderella” and Uncle Fester in “The Addams Family.”

This may be Osias' breakout role as Gaston; however, he has studied voice since sixth grade and made his debut playing the drums on The Freeman Stage that same year. He currently is studying guitar under the direction of Mike Curry, guitarist for the Dewey Beach-based rock band Love Seed Mama Jump.

Tickets are on sale now for $12 in advance; they will be $15 at the door. To purchase tickets, go to www.worcesterprep.org/ticket-sales or call 410-641-3575.