Beauty and the Beast on Broadway: Introduce the Magic of Theatre to Your Children!
Written: Jun 18 '02 (Updated Nov 15 '03)
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Pros: music, costumes, sets - it's all dazzling!
Cons: if children can't sit through the movie, don't try to bring them to the play
The Bottom Line: Children and adults will both be enchanted! This is a great way to introduce them to theatre on a level which they can understand and will interest them.
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| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: Beauty and the Beast |
Living just outside New York City, I had the opportunity growing up to see many plays. However, as I got into my twenties, I think the only thing I hunted for in the City were watering holes (with good music).
When my oldest daughter was only four, we had the opportunity to take her to see Beauty and the Beast. At the time, it was only two years on the stage. I can still remember to this day the gasp she took the first time she saw Belle come out in that dazzling golden dress "That is beautiful!" she cried out.
Even with that wonderful experience, I didn't think much about Broadway again for quite some time. In an abstract way, I'd talk about going to see certain shows, but never got around to doing it.
Last September changed all that. I looked at my city in a totally different way. I wanted to harvest the richness that was there. I felt a responsibility to teach my children all about what our City has to offer.
With two daughters now (ages 7 and 11), I decided to try a repeat performance. My oldest didn't really remember her first viewing of Beauty and the Beast, so I purchased three seats in the orchestra for just before Christmas. On a rainy Saturday afternoon in December, we ventured in for the matinee.
The story is that Belle is a young woman living with her father in a small French town where she doesn't quite fit in - a bit too cerebral for a woman in that day and age. The Beast is a prince who was cast under a spell after his shallowness led him to send away a sorceress he deemed too ugly. His terrible looks make him want to stay in the castle and not venture outside its walls.
The story has the two of them meet. The Beast must find true love and be loved in return for the spell to be broken before the last petal on a magical rose falls off. Is Belle his true love? The staff of his castle have a vested interest in the outcome. Under the spell, they have been turned into various accouterments such as candlesticks, a teapot, a clock, and a feather duster.
The sets for the show are wonderful but simple. We don't get every detail of the town, or the various insides of the Beast's castle, but enough is there that we have a good feeling of being in the castle. We are shown what appears to be a beautiful place hidden for so long. On one side of the stage was Belle's room, the other wing the Beast's with the rose beginning to droop. In the center is a grand staircase. The sets revolve, so at other times we see the grand library with all of the books Belle could ever want to read, and later on the ballroom. With such a basic set, the storyline is created.
The costumes for the household staff are also amazing. Each of the characters is a life-size incarnation of the household item, rather than the small size they are in the movie. Mrs. Potts is a rather large teapot, Cogsworth a clock, and Lumiere lights up the "candles" on his left and right at various times in the show. The actors do not dominate the costumes nor do the costumes seem to hold back the actors at all. This is especially true of The Beast. I was fortunate - at this last viewing - to see an actor I knew formerly from a soap opera in the role. He fit in very well in this cast and did very well as The Beast. Wearing such a heavy and big costume covered by fur on a stage under hot lights is a very hard job. Yet he seemed to have an easy time of it, making The Beast seem as believable as any "real" character.
One effect I could not figure out for the life of me was that of "Chip", Mrs. Potts' young son. Most often he is portrayed on a cart being wheeled around, so I figured the rest of his body was hidden below the top of the cart. At one point, though, you can see through this and he is still speaking (and yes, it is him and not just a model head as they do when he is "carried" on a tray) and I was totally dumbfounded.
If you've seen the Disney movie, be prepared to be blown away by the stage production. You might wonder how certain scenes such as the dazzling Be Our Guest musical number are going to translates to the stage. It does so with amazing beauty. The Broadway version generally has a larger cast than the touring companies, so I would have to wonder if it translates as well.
The music is glorious. All of the songs from the Disney movie are here, along with a few new ones such as If I Can't Love Her, Home, and Human Again. These add a definite richness to the production and fill out the story nicely.
Both of my children were totally enchanted and I had no problems with their behavior during the show. The staff at the theatre watches the audience closely. After paying so much for a ticket, you don't want to be disturbed by rowdy or misbehaving youth. No one that I saw was asked to leave during our performance. Matinees are great for the kids, evening performance might drag on a bit long for the younger ones. There is an intermission to stretch your legs, but don't count on being able to get tot he bathroom! I made sure they both went before the show so we wouldn't have to face the crowds at intermission.
We were in the orchestra since I wanted to be sure they could see well enough that they would not lose focus and it was wonderful. I think the front of the balcony would work just as well.
Since we had such a good experience, we are going to try to see more shows. Next on our agenda is The Lion King. Thanks to the cast of Beauty and the Beast for giving my children such a wonderful, enchanting and positive introduction to the theatre in New York City!
© 2002 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Reviews written: 1982
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