What do we know about the BEAUTY & THE BEAST revival?

[aces25]

Posted: 8/1/20 at 8:08pm

Is this going to be a duplicate of the original production or completed revamped?

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/1/20 at 8:25pm

It's going to be based off the live action movie just to taunt me. They'll use the Cruise line show as a base, just you wait...

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/1/20 at 9:37pm

TheatreFan4 said: "It's going to be based off the live action movie just to taunt me."

 

I'm assuming you're being hyperbolic, but your post did make me wonder if they might incorporate some changes from the film. I don't think they would write a whole new adaptation of the story based on the new film, because there were quite a differences, and at a certain point it would cease to be a revival, and becomes a new show based on a different film. However, I can see them making some tweaks to the book inspired by those in the new film, like some of the ones that fill in plot-holes.

As for adding in some of the new songs - situations like that are not without precedent. I'm thinking about how "Maybe This Time" is now regularly performed in Cabaret, and how "You Must Love Me" was added into the stage version of Evita. The problem is, some of the new songs Menken wrote essentially serve the same dramatic purpose as songs added to the stage version. The big example, I think, is "Everymore" vs. "If I Can't Love Her." And I think most people would agree that "If I Can't Love Her" is a far, far superior song. In fact, I thought all of the new songs in the film were pretty dull and lifeless. I was pretty baffled by the fact that they chose not to use the gorgeous songs from the stage version. I guess I can't fault them for trying to do something "new," and give the film an identity of its own; but the project as a whole pretty much felt like an artless cash grab; it was already lacking in imagination, so they could have at least gone all the way and just used the superior songs from the stage show. 

 

 

 

Updated On: 8/1/20 at 09:37 PM

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/1/20 at 9:47pm

I'm more concerned about the set & costume design reflecting the new movie. The thing is the new movie isn't really any different than the original movie. Just less good. Nothing is really changed, just "expanded" in the worst sense of the word and it's uglier. I could see them cutting If I Can't Love Her & putting in Evermore.

[aces25]

Posted: 8/1/20 at 10:56pm

The movie is TERRRRRIBLE.
The Broadway songs are great and they kept none of them.
Horrible, drawn out screenplay that advanced or added nothing of value or worth.

Keep Stephen Chbosky away from musicals.

Ruined RENT
Ruined B&tB
Next target... Dear Evan Hansen.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 8/1/20 at 11:13pm

Rent was by no means his fault; the first draft, while not very faithful to the text of the play, is incredibly evocative of its spirit, and -- for my money -- would've been the perfect film, with a few adjustments. Chris Columbus advocated for a lot of changes that led to the wishy-washy product we got.

[Dolly80]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 7:29am

This is opening in London. Various scenic shops have been contacted about it.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 8:52am

The interesting thing about the If I Can't Love Her/Evermore debate is that they aren't even in the same spots of the show.  There's a reprise of If I Can't Love her where Evermore was in the movie, but the actual song is the Act I finale (and a darn good one, at that).  As someone who (gasp) likes both songs, why not have them both?  Have the full song as the Act I Finale, have Evermore as a replacement for the reprise, give the Beast a little more to do, problem solved!

[BJR]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 10:46am

It's a complete revamp. Original team, but completely new design and production. Schumacher discussed it on a podcast last year, but of course now I'm forgetting which one.

[JennH]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 12:44pm

Dolly80-Uh what? Source? I guess it's possible since all they said was revival, not necessarily Broadway revival which just hurts. 

In the end we really know nothing about it right now. And I'm with JBroadway about everything. If it has more basis in that live action, that'll just upset me. The ONLY writing/story structural change I'll accept is having the Beast be just as literate and intellectual as Belle. The more I've been able to think it over, the more I realize that the original musical having him be near illiterate was a terrible idea. Not only does it make more sense that a royal would be highly educated, it also gives these two something real to bond and communicate over. It's just better character writing. 

Songs? Oi...those new movie songs are ranging from awful to underwhelming. Someone here on BWW brilliantly said that Evermore is very Wildhorn...it's a general and pedestrian pop tune. Which works for Wildhorn despite his lack of hit shows, but coming from Menken, it's just downright disappointing. IICLH is better overall, more creative in melody and text, and the stakes are HIIGGHHHH. Which always makes for better writing, character development, and over arching plot lines. I'm not necessarily saying it should have been used in the film...even Menken said it was too much of that act 1 break song to be able to be used correctly on film because he did try...Menken does know how to adapt how he writes for screen v stage, he inherently knows they have different needs. It just happened to be the songs he wrote fell very flat, they do nothing for the overall story. 

[Joviedamian]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 1:21pm

It's a complete revamp. Original team, but completely new design and production. Schumacher discussed it on a podcast last year, but of course now I'm forgetting which one.

 

Tom has discussed this almost everywhere! He discusses it here with Michael Riedel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlVFSa3QSto

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 1:51pm

“ The ONLY writing/story structural change I'll accept is having the Beast be just as literate and intellectual as Belle. The more I've been able to think it over, the more I realize that the original musical having him be near illiterate was a terrible idea. Not only does it make more sense that a royal would be highly educated, it also gives these two something real to bond and communicate over. It's just better character writing.”

Being royal or of-status doesn’t mean you’re of higher education.

The character is a spoiled, arrogant prince, that’s the whole point of the curse being put on him:

“ Prince Adam was cursed to a beast form by an enchantress who saw no love in his arrogant heart for others. The one way he could break the spell was to learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal from his enchanted rose fell, which would bloom until his twenty-first birthday.”

If he was ‘properly educated’ I don’t think half of the story makes sense or would have even happened.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 3:16pm

>If he was ‘properly educated’ I don’t think half of the story makes sense or would have even happened.

And yet we can look around at the world today and see plain as day that being "properly educated" does not in anyway stop you from being an asshole...

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 11:25pm

Well funny thing: My friend was a music director for a production in NJ late last year and Disney chose them to use a early draft of brand new score that will be used for the revival. So, expect that.

I’m defientely anticipating Evermore to replace the reprise of If I Love Her. And I also think this won’t happen in 2022 if Hercules is indeed going to Broadway and I’m imagining in the way it’s going, it could be there as soon as that time. It’s in pretty good shape.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/2/20 at 11:36pm

Well there is possibly an argument to be made for Disney to invest in multiple new shows next year on Broadway as a way to be a leader in getting tourists back to the theatre and if there’s a shortage of family oriented shows running, then they’ll be the only game in town to get that money.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/3/20 at 12:09am

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Well funny thing: My friend was a music director for a production in NJ late last year and Disney chose them to use a early draft of brand new score that will be used for the revival. So, expect that.

 

If it has a "brand new score," I'd hardly call it a revival. Like I said above, if they base it heavily enough on the new film in terms the book and score, it ceases to be a revival of the 1994 musical, and becomes a new musical based on a film released in 2017. 



"I’m definitely anticipating Evermore to replace the reprise of If I Love Her."

 

But like, why? If the new songs from the film had blown up, and become pop-culture staples similar to "Let to Go," then sure, at least I'd understand that potential decision (even if I vehemently disagreed with it). But does anyone really care about "Evermore"? I'm not saying there aren't people who like it - obviously there are, including in this thread. But is it so beloved that they'd feel the need to put it in the show as a means of appeasing the masses? Are tourist families really going to be more likely to see this if it has the songs added for the 2017 film? And do they really feel that Evermore is good enough to replace 'If I Can't Love Her?" 

MollyJeanneMusic brings up an interesting point about the songs being in different places within the story. Frankly, I actually forgot about the song placement in the film. My mistake! Though I still stand by my statement about the two songs serving a similar dramatic function (i.e, giving the Beast a solo to express his feelings of longing and dismay about his fate). But since they don't even have the same placement in the story, that makes it seem even LESS likely that your prediction will come true. Why would they cut If I Can't Love Her in favor of Evermore, if they aren't even mutually exclusive? 

 

"And I also think this won’t happen in 2022 if Hercules is indeed going to Broadway"

 

Has there been any indication that this will happen? Last I heard, there was going to be some other iteration of the material, but not necessarily Broadway. And before this additional production was vaguely announced, I thought they had previously said that they planned to go straight to the licensing route. My guess is that they're more likely to re-conceive the material in a more licensing-friendly format (i.e, without an ensemble of 100+ amateur performers), then produce the show regionally, make a cast recording, and then release the show for licensing. Similar to what they did with Freaky Friday, Hunchback, etc. 

I have no memory of them implying that Hercules is headed to Broadway. It seems to me that most people just jumped to that conclusion as soon as they heard that there were plans to give the material a future life.. But if I missed some announcement that specifies their intention to bring it to Broadway, then I'm happy to eat my words. 

 

 

 

 

 

[JennH]

Posted: 8/3/20 at 10:06am

TheatreFan4 said: ">If he was ‘properly educated’ I don’t think half of the story makes sense or would have even happened.

And yet we can look around at the world today and see plain as day that being "properly educated" does not in anyway stop you from being an asshole..."

Exactly this. I'm not saying it makes you nicer, I'm saying a royal being uneducated makes next to no logical sense. Yes I know it's a fairytale. And as much as I now almost entirely detest the live action, that change was the only one I liked. It's a way better character bonding arc, but even then they still tease each other over it and it shows they're each others intellectual match...which I like to call the Lizzie/Darcy dynamic. There's a reason P and P has lasted as long as it has, it inspired countless similar story tropes ever since it's own inception. 

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "Well funny thing: My friend was a music director for a production in NJ late last year and Disney chose them to use a early draft of brand new score that will be used for the revival. So, expect that.

I’m defientely anticipating Evermore to replace the reprise of If I Love Her. And I also think this won’t happen in 2022 if Hercules is indeed going to Broadway and I’m imagining in the way it’s going, it could be there as soon as that time. It’s in pretty good shape."

I know exactly who and what production you're referring to, I auditioned for it myself. I'm sorry I didn't end up going to see it now, but I had barely any time to do so anyway. I"m curious how much was changed....

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/3/20 at 10:19am

disneybroadwayfan22 said: "And I also think this won’t happen in 2022 if Hercules is indeed going to Broadway and I’m imagining in the way it’s going, it could be there as soon as that time. It’s in pretty good shape."

Where do people keep getting this notion that Hercules is coming to Broadway? What I saw in the Park last summer was NOT a Broadway production, but rather a production well tailored for community theatres, churches, schools, etc - which is what I think they said they were going for all along.

[sparksatmidnight]

Posted: 8/4/20 at 7:42am

Original team but essentially a new production, not opening on Broadway and it's going to be filmed.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 12:54am

>Original team but essentially a new production, not opening on Broadway and it's going to be filmed.

Isn't that basically the tour from a few years ago...

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 12:13pm

TheatreFan4 said: ">Original team but essentially a new production, not opening on Broadway and it's going to be filmed.

Isn't that basically the tour from a few years ago..."

That tour was atrocious. 

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 12:48pm

The latest tour was produced by Networks and besides the original creative team featured little if no involvement with Disney Theatrical Productions. It was a registered production. Disney Theatrical Productions and the entertainment divison of the cruise line have always been seperate segments and I doubt that latest staging will have any influence to the new revival. However, I do think Evermore would be serviceable in Act 2. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 8:26pm

But I am entirely willing to bet part of the contract for it gave Disney control over all the redesign that they could use in the future if they chose to. And if this is going to be just filmed (as claimed above) and released with no eye for Broadway I can't imagine this is going to be any huge production design wise... I'm calling a hybrid. Cruise Line style sets & backdrops with Broadway costume designs.

And I mean... Evermore isn't a truly horrible song when sung by someone who can sing and not Dan Stevens so maybe there's a spot a truncated version of it in this.

Updated On: 8/5/20 at 08:26 PM

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 9:54pm

Seems like wasted revenue not to do more with it than just film it. Audiences would eat it up.

I wish they’d take another crack at The Little Mermaid.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 8/5/20 at 10:20pm

Producing a West End revival and recording it for Disney+ makes sense! But also I'd expect a Broadway revival, it would be a great choice in terms of audience interest to help reopen Broadway.