![Rich Hamson, costume designer and Nanci Aeilts from the costume crafts department at the Chanhassen dinner theater props department. The take a break from the of the 'Beauty and the Beast' work, goes to the extreme. ] Chanhassen opens "Beauty and the Beast" on Friday and it's the chance for the costume department to really stretch its legs, pulling out all the stops creating great costumes to the tiniest details. [ STAR TRIBUNE PHOTOS BY TOM WALLACE ï tom.wallace@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/L3YEM4J36IZXXL7PBRHYRVSBHI.jpg?&w=1080)
PICK OF THE WEEK: When the scenery starts singing and dancing, it's clear that the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' high-energy production of "Beauty and the Beast" is going to leave no stone — or teapot — unturned. Ruthanne Heyward is dazzling as Belle, the beauty half of the title, while Robert O. Berdahl rises to the challenge of letting his character shine through the heavy beast makeup he wears for most of the show. Extremely popular with children, the show's last performance is Sept. 24. (chanhassendt.com)
Cheat sheet: Everybody's talking about the State Fair opening this week, so here are some ribbon-worthy facts you can add to the conversation.
• The fair predates the state. The first Territorial Fair was held in 1855, three years before Minnesota was granted statehood.
• Until 1899, the fair closed at sunset. That was the year electricity made it possible to stay open after dark.
• Trying to avoid deep-fried foods? Apparently, not everyone is. More than 2.6 million fried cheese curds and 4 million mini doughnuts are consumed during the fair. Geez, that makes the 365,000 corn dogs that are scarfed down seem almost paltry in comparison.
Day by day: Are these really the dog days of summer? Must be, because Thursday is national Dog Day.
recommended reading: Hand-cut ice cubes are the hottest thing in cold drinks. See what the artisan ice movement is all about in Wednesday's Variety section.
JEFF STRICKLER
