Adventures in Polishland

Beauty and the Beast

Played at Citizens Opera House

Musical or play? Musical

Lottery or Rush tickets? Digital Lottery available on Lucky Seat

What I Paid: $47.00 (Lottery Win)

My Rating: ★★★★

Official Website: https://beautyandthebeastthemusical.com/

Be Our Guest at Disney’s enchanting and beloved musical of Beauty and the Beast, the breathtaking musical filled with the romance and grandeur audiences know and love. This enchanting and timeless tale has been brought to life like never before, with spectacular new sets and dazzling costumes. The show boasts the Oscar®-winning and Tony Award®-nominated score, including the classic songs “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Reuniting to create this new production are members of the original Tony Award®-winning artistic team, including composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, book writer Linda Woolverton, with direction and choreography by Matt West, scenic design by Stanley A. Meyer, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward and lighting design by Natasha Katz. Beauty and the Beast is the beloved musical that will fill your heart with joy and Disney magic.

REVIEW

Beauty and the Beast was the second Broadway show I ever saw over twenty years ago, so I was very excited when I won the ticket lottery for its current National Tour when it stopped at the Citizens Opera House in Boston. While I fully expected to enjoy the performance, I was surprised with how much I absolutely loved the show, and how much I emotionally connected to it in a brand new way seeing it for the first time as an adult. Beauty and the Beast continues to deliver Disney magic over 30 years after its Broadway opening, and is a rare piece of musical theatre that is family family, but still has a depth to the storyline.

The stage version of Beauty and the Beast tells the story of the animated classic that we know and love with the addition of several original songs. We follow Belle, a bookworm who is considered odd by the local townsfolk. When her father gets lost in the woods on the way to an inventor fair, he gets imprisoned at an enchanted castle where the prince has been turned into a beast and all of his servants into household objects due to a spell that can only be broken when the Beast learns to love and is loved in return. Belle ends up finding her father, and agrees to take his place as prisoner at the castle. Of course, everyone at the castle is hopeful Belle will be the girl to break the spell.

I really appreciate that the musical includes all of the songs from the movie so we do not miss out on the big numbers like Gaston and Be Our Guest, which feature incredible staging and choreography. My favorite songs, though, are the additions of ballads Home, sung by Belle (Kyra Belle Johnson), and If I Can’t Love Her, sung by the Beast (Fergie L. Philippe). Each piece conveys the emotions of our main characters and the challenges they are facing. I have always loved Home, and listened to it a lot when I was away at college and missing my own home. I also have a new appreciation for If I Can’t Love Her. When the Beast says, “There’s not much of me left,” referencing that his transformation from man to beast is nearly complete, it really broke my heart. When the Beast then begins his song, I couldn’t help but get choked up.

As for the cast, both Johnson and Philippe embody their characters perfectly. They have wonderful chemistry with one another, and Philippe has great comedic timing all while being able to turn ferocious when the Beast’s temper gets the best of him. All of the castle’s servants are likewise very well cast, including Danny Gardner as Lumiere, Kathy Voytko as Mrs. Potts, and Javier Ignacio as Cogsworth. My only criticism of the cast is that I wish Gaston (Stephen Mark Lukas) had bigger muscles, and his voice seemed a bit thin in the lower register. I couldn’t help but think of how Broadway’s Nick Adams has the perfect biceps for this role. Nonetheless, this is a minor (and somewhat petty) critique. The cast is otherwise very strong, living up to what can be difficult shoes to fill as beloved Disney characters.

Moreover, the set is the only aspect of this production that I found a bit lacking. Understanding that this it a tour, so the set has to be packed away and rebuilt in each city, it was a bit disappointing to see how much the use of screens is relied upon throughout the show. For instance, the screen is used for Belle’s house, the wolves in the woods, and (most unforgivably) the library in the Beast’s castle. It did feel as if the set is the area where they made budget cuts, and I kept imagining how incredible each scene would look on a permanent stage. That being said, while the set left something to be desired, the costumes were incredibly well detailed and beautiful throughout. From the ensemble’s outfits to Belle’s iconic yellow gown, the costumes stood out on the stage.

Overall, I am thrilled I got the opportunity to see the current National Tour of Beauty and the Beast. As you might expect, the audience was filled with families, and the audience was so engaged with the performance, making the energy in the room buzz with excitement. It may be cliché, but I truly laughed and cried throughout the show. As a bookworm who loves her father dearly and understands what it feels like to not fit in, this show got me in ways I did not expect. Beauty and the Beast really encapsulates what I love about musical theatre in that it is big, exciting, and magical, all while capturing tender moments. I highly recommend attending if the show makes a tour stop near you.