#1
Posted: 4/7/06 at 11:42am
My wife won out on the debate of whether to see Beauty and the Beast or Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, so we attended the matinee Wednesday afternoon. First, those people that work the door must be getting hazard pay because it was absolute chaos with the bus loads of children that were screaming and trying to get in. Once inside the theater, I would say that 75% or more of the audience was 12 and younger.
You'll have to forgive me because I don't have my playbill in front of me, so I don't remember everyone's names.
The performance was much better than I thought it would be though. I don't know what I was expecting, but the show kept me entertained for the majority of the time. There were some flow problems, but I guess that's to be expected when you blow upa ninety minute movie into a nearly three hour Broadway show.
I thought Ashley Brown was great as Belle. Her voice compliments the songs and I thought she played the role very well. She's very charismatic as well and the show just has a different type of energy when she's on stage.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for The Beast himself. I thought Steve's performance was phoned in and the show actually got painful to watch during his solo numbers that just drug the energy out of the theater. I think it's really time for the producers to re-cast that role and bring in someone who'll bring some new energy to the role. Also, this was my wife's major complaint, when The Beast transforms at the end, he looks way too old to be a handsome, young prince.
Grant Norman did a good job with Gaston and was just having fun with his performance. Cogsworth, I wish I could remember his name, but all I can remember is how my wife described him, Nathan Lane, Jr., and Lumiere both did decent jobs as the comic relief too.
If it weren't for Ashley, Beauty and the Beast would be in some trouble, but because she's so likable, she helps to carry the show and make it seem better than it really is. Ashley is the standout with Grant, to me, being second and everyone else falling a notch or two below. It's kind of like when old Chicago Bulls were just Jordan and four other guys. Yeah, they won a few games, but they didn't start winning championships to solid role roleplayers came into the mix. Like I said, I wish they'd re-cast The Beast becuase I think it's kinda obvious that there's not a ton of chemistry between them. And as long as school bus loads of children keep showing up and the lobby is selling the hell out of those stuffed dolls and roses, this show will be open for a long, long time.
You'll have to forgive me because I don't have my playbill in front of me, so I don't remember everyone's names.
The performance was much better than I thought it would be though. I don't know what I was expecting, but the show kept me entertained for the majority of the time. There were some flow problems, but I guess that's to be expected when you blow upa ninety minute movie into a nearly three hour Broadway show.
I thought Ashley Brown was great as Belle. Her voice compliments the songs and I thought she played the role very well. She's very charismatic as well and the show just has a different type of energy when she's on stage.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for The Beast himself. I thought Steve's performance was phoned in and the show actually got painful to watch during his solo numbers that just drug the energy out of the theater. I think it's really time for the producers to re-cast that role and bring in someone who'll bring some new energy to the role. Also, this was my wife's major complaint, when The Beast transforms at the end, he looks way too old to be a handsome, young prince.
Grant Norman did a good job with Gaston and was just having fun with his performance. Cogsworth, I wish I could remember his name, but all I can remember is how my wife described him, Nathan Lane, Jr., and Lumiere both did decent jobs as the comic relief too.
If it weren't for Ashley, Beauty and the Beast would be in some trouble, but because she's so likable, she helps to carry the show and make it seem better than it really is. Ashley is the standout with Grant, to me, being second and everyone else falling a notch or two below. It's kind of like when old Chicago Bulls were just Jordan and four other guys. Yeah, they won a few games, but they didn't start winning championships to solid role roleplayers came into the mix. Like I said, I wish they'd re-cast The Beast becuase I think it's kinda obvious that there's not a ton of chemistry between them. And as long as school bus loads of children keep showing up and the lobby is selling the hell out of those stuffed dolls and roses, this show will be open for a long, long time.
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