Remembering BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (April 18, 1994 - July 29, 2007)

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 10:50am

Four years ago on this day "Beauty and the Beast" played its final performance on Broadway after an incredible 13-year run on Broadway. It was really sad to see a wonderful musical like this one close. "The Little Mermaid" really could have turned out better. When I heard the 1991 film "Beauty and the Beast" was being turned into a musical I was skeptical bout it because I thought nothing could beat the 1991 film. However, I remember seeing the original Broadway cast perform on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1994 and I was very fascinated with it. When I saw it live at the Dallas Musical Hall on tour I fell in love with the show. It was also a real treat for me to see Patrick Page steal the show as Lumiere and then see him do it again as Scar in the tour of "The Lion King" five years later. I was also really jealous that my sister got to see Christy Carlson Romano as Belle in 2004 since I loved her on the Disney Channel. The show also marked the Broadway debut of one of my favorite peformers Ashley Brown, who I later got to see as Mary Poppins on tour. I thought the national tour I saw last year was great, but I really hope the show will return to Broadway one day.






Updated On: 8/13/12 at 10:50 AM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 2:31pm

What sort of reviews did Beauty get?

Did the New York Times like it?

I remember seeing this by accident on a Sunday night, the only show on TKT's and was very skeptical, but loved it, how long did this show take to go to TKT's?

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 4:15pm

I've always had mixed feelings about this show. I like the music but had big issues with the technical side of things. I love the design for the castle, but hated the colour scheme. I also thought the costumes were quite garish, perticularly the costumes for the household objects.

But I loved the scenery and the transformations scene to scene and ofcourse the transformation scene.

What I did not like also is the second time I saw it (Only saw it twice, 1st in London and 2nd in Toronto, (US Tour) was that in the tour, they seemed to really beat the audience over the head with the idea that the longer the curse lasts the more they turn into objects, like they really were on and on about that for some reason.

I'd love to see it come back though, but not like the recent tour, not as a coppycat revival, but as a new big budjet revival. (not not for another 10 years at least)

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 4:23pm

^ I actually liked the "changing over time" theme- I thought it raised the stakes of the drama.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 4:28pm

I'd love to see a revival sometime soon. If for no other reason than to get a new cast recording which would hopefully include the Overture and the new version of "A Change in Me." I really love the score and the Overture is one of my favorites. It's a shame that it has gone unrecorded on every single cast album.

[jv92]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 4:35pm

I actually will not be remembering Beauty and the Beast today, though I hold no ill will toward the piece. Today, on the same date in 2007, Grey Gardens closed in New York and remains one of the most thrilling closing shows I've been to. Ever. Make that performances-- not just closing shows.

I still think Beauty is better remembered as a movie and works better as a movie, but oh well.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 4:50pm

*sigh* My first show. :)

[Barcelona]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 8:05pm

This was my first show too!

I played piano for a performance of this a few years ago, and did not care for "A Change In Me" at all. It seems so redundant and seems to just bore everyone

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 8:34pm

^ It is kind of pointless lyrically, but the melody is gorgeous and when you have a Belle that can belt the sh*t out of it it's a fun song.

[Craig]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 9:10pm

One of my favorite pieces that I've done for this site...

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW_TV_Exclusive_Saying_Au_Revoir_To_Beauty_and_the_Beast_20070727

[Barcelona]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 9:16pm

Haha, well our Belle did not "belt the sh*t out of it'. I think it's much better as a "stand alone" song than as part of the show

[adamgreer]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 9:31pm

I loved this show, especially when it played at the Palace, before they downsized it.

[OhTossums2]

Posted: 7/29/11 at 10:04pm

Beauty and the Beast was my first Broadway musical! I was in fourth grade and I fell inlove!

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 2:43am

This was my first show as well!
I really owe it to Disney for opening me up to such an amazing world of musical theater.
That's the reason it bothers me so much when people kind of trash talk other Disney shows, or even Spider-Man. Sure, some of them might not be the best, (cough cough Tarzan...) but these are the kind of shows that a little kid sees for the first time and is mesmerized by the sheer spectacle of a live Broadway production.

On a completely separate note... can someone explain the downsizing? I saw it once in the Palace and once in the Lunt, but I honestly can't remember the changes!

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 12:13pm

^ The castle set in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre was smaller and so was Belle's village. Also the setting for the ballroom scene was completey different than the one at the Palace.

This was when Deborah Gibson was doing the show at the Palace:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnhlLr_DcHE

This was when the show was at the Lunt-Fontanne (the ballroom dance scene looks different):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZsI_MiqDJA

There were also no candles rising from the ground during the "Be Our Guest" scene at the Lunt-Fontanne. Still, I thought the downscale production at the Lunt-Fontanne worked very well.

Updated On: 2/20/12 at 12:13 PM

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 12:35pm

That's very interesting. I wonder why they opted to scale down the show and actually make significant changes to the design rather than shift the scale of the scenery to fit the Lunt's stage (which is quite a large one as well!)...

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 12:58pm

Craig---I'd never seen that video before. Really excellent job of producing, shooting and editing. Bravo!

[candydog2]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 2:15pm

Kirbycat, they didn't actually design a new, smaller set as far as I know. I think that they just used the set from the first national tour instead, seeing as the tour had finished and it fit the Lunt-Fontanne stage. I could be wrong though.

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 2:58pm

I actually feel like I've heard that before.
But even still, it seems so silly to use the National Tour set instead. Disney is all about spectacle, and I feel like the scaling down must've changed the feel of it...

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/30/11 at 7:17pm

Craig the video you did was so amazing. It was wonderful tribute to such an amazing show. What I also loved about this show was that it had heart, which was something that I felt "Little Mermaid" and "Tarzan" lacked. The films they were based upon had that, but the stage adaptations did not have it. "If I Can't Love Her" and "If I Can't Love Her Reprise" made me feel so sad for the Beast. I also thought the moments that Belle had with her father were also very special.

My member name on here beautywickedlover means that I love both"Beauty and the Beast" and "Wicked" in cas no one guessed.
Updated On: 9/9/11 at 07:17 PM

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 7/31/11 at 12:05pm

In August of 1994, this became my first Broadway show. I saw it after the move, as well as on July 28, 2007. I still believe that it's an extremely well crafted musical and the best stage production that Disney has produced. I got teary watching that montage, Craig!

[theatrefreak0109]

Posted: 7/31/11 at 12:25pm

my first show I would love to see a revival soon, but i doubt that is going to happen anytime soon.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 7/31/11 at 12:54pm

^ Never say never. Look hoe how quickly "Gypsy"and "La Cage Aux Folles" got revived.

[brad3]

Posted: 8/1/11 at 1:51pm

;( why did they close it!?

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 8/4/11 at 1:17pm

If they ever revive it I think I know who should play Belle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NwteslgNMo