Does もさることながら imply a judgment?


In my JLPT textbook, it defines `～もさることながら` as saying that the speaker feels
one thing is true, and in addition another thing is true.

One example they give which makes sense to me is:

> 美{うつく}しさもさることながら、彼女{かのじょ}の魅力{みりょく}は何{なん}と言{い}ってもその人柄{ひとがら}にある。

Here the speaker is saying that while the woman is beautiful, it goes without
saying her personality is part of her charm. _Note I'm not trying to make a
perfect translation, just focusing on the essence of`～もさることながら`._

But there is this sentence in a test question in the book:

> 舞台{ぶたい}のセットもさることながら、俳優陣{はいゆうじん}もこの上{うえ}なく豪華{ごうか}だ。

I'm a little fuzzy on what this is trying to say, partly because `舞台{ぶたい}のセット`
is just a neutral thing. There's nothing inherently good or bad about it.
Unlike, for example, `美{うつく}しさ`, which is presumeably a good thing.

To me, the sentence seems to be saying something like, "While it's true that's
a stage set, the acting group is no more superior." I might be wrong about
what `上{うえ}なく豪華{ごうか}だ` means too, but partly that's because my confusion over
`～もさることながら` is giving me little context to build on.

The point is, I don't see how a stage set can be said to be true or not true
in any way that one can attach `～もさることながら` to it.

So I'm probably wroing about what `～もさることながら` does. Does it imply a judgement?
Is the sentence in the question saying that the stage set is good?




`～もさることながら` means ["even more
than"](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E3%82%82%E3%81%95%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8C%E3%82%89)
or ["not
only"](http://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/%E3%82%82%E3%81%95%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8C%E3%82%89).

`[A]もさることながら[B]` expresses that `[B]` is of greater consequence than `[A]`.

> 美さもさることながら、彼女の魅力は何と言ってもその人柄にある。  
>  "Even more than (her) beauty, when all is said and done her charm is in her
> personality."
>
>
> 舞台のセットもさることながら、俳優陣もこの上なく[豪華](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E8%B1%AA%E8%8F%AF&dtype=3&dname=2na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=01382800)だ。  
>  "Not only the stage sets, the cast is also as magnificent as could be."

[`この上なく`](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8F)
means "to the fullest degree", "as ~ as [can/could] be", "extremely" etc.




`～もさることながら` means ["even more
than"](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E3%82%82%E3%81%95%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8C%E3%82%89)
or ["not
only"](http://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/%E3%82%82%E3%81%95%E3%82%8B%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8C%E3%82%89).

`[A]もさることながら[B]` expresses that `[B]` is of greater consequence than `[A]`.

> 美さもさることながら、彼女の魅力は何と言ってもその人柄にある。  
>  "Even more than (her) beauty, when all is said and done her charm is in her
> personality."
>
>
> 舞台のセットもさることながら、俳優陣もこの上なく[豪華](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E8%B1%AA%E8%8F%AF&dtype=3&dname=2na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=01382800)だ。  
>  "Not only the stage sets, the cast is also as magnificent as could be."

[`この上なく`](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E3%81%93%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%8A%E3%81%AA%E3%81%8F)
means "to the fullest degree", "as ~ as [can/could] be", "extremely" etc.

