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We saw Beauty & The Beast at the Berkeley Playhouse today, the 1993 musical based on the 1991 film, and I found it pretty meh.
Let's be honest, the plot is problematic. Beast imprisons Belle and holds her in his castle until she loves him. Meanwhile, her other suitor Gaston tries to win her over with sexual harassment and trickery. At least Belle's "I Want" song is about wanting to see the world ... though she pretty quickly forgets about that.
It also felt a little cookie cutter when compared to The Little Mermaid, out just a few years earlier. "Part of Your World" could have described Belle's desire to live beyond her provincial French village and the animated objects could have sung "Kiss the Girl" when they were trying to help Beast and Belle to fall in love, to end their curse.
Meanwhile, the actual music in Beauty & The Beast just wasn't nearly as good. The eponymous "Beauty & The Beast" is quite memorable and original, and the rest ... ? Not so much. In fact, I was shocked that the leads don't really have any good songs. "Beauty & The Beast" is sung by Mrs. Potts, while other songs that are pretty decent, such as "Gaston" and "The Mob Song" are ensembles. Belle and the Beast do have several songs of their own, but none of them stand out.
I think the musical is also hurt by the whole enchanted castle motif. The gothic elements can carry very well (and Berkeley Playhouse did so), but the animated objects: not so much.
The first Act was the most troublesome. Very little happens. Various people are mean or creepy. Beast is a jerk and Beauty hates him. The second Act was much better, and is the only thing that redeems the play. The heel turn toward Belle and Beauty loving each other is so sudden that it's a little hard to swallow, but seeing them together works better and we get lots of action.
Overall, I wasn't that happy when Berkeley Playhouse suddenly went heavy into Disney last year with Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid and this year with Beauty & The Beast and Tarzan. But, I liked Peter Pan and really enjoyed The Little Mermaid. The Beauty & The Beast was more what I expected: shallow and unmemorable.
(Ironically, I'd been looking forward to this one after the success of the last few and how catchy the theme song is; I just didn't know that was it.)
PS: Despite the fact that this musical didn't really strike me, Berkeley Playhouse's production was good. Belle was great, and thank god we live in a community where a very accomplished actress and singer can take the role without comment or complaint even when she isn't white. The staging was quite nice. The beast's costuming was very strong. But they weren't working with the best material.
Let's be honest, the plot is problematic. Beast imprisons Belle and holds her in his castle until she loves him. Meanwhile, her other suitor Gaston tries to win her over with sexual harassment and trickery. At least Belle's "I Want" song is about wanting to see the world ... though she pretty quickly forgets about that.
It also felt a little cookie cutter when compared to The Little Mermaid, out just a few years earlier. "Part of Your World" could have described Belle's desire to live beyond her provincial French village and the animated objects could have sung "Kiss the Girl" when they were trying to help Beast and Belle to fall in love, to end their curse.
Meanwhile, the actual music in Beauty & The Beast just wasn't nearly as good. The eponymous "Beauty & The Beast" is quite memorable and original, and the rest ... ? Not so much. In fact, I was shocked that the leads don't really have any good songs. "Beauty & The Beast" is sung by Mrs. Potts, while other songs that are pretty decent, such as "Gaston" and "The Mob Song" are ensembles. Belle and the Beast do have several songs of their own, but none of them stand out.
I think the musical is also hurt by the whole enchanted castle motif. The gothic elements can carry very well (and Berkeley Playhouse did so), but the animated objects: not so much.
The first Act was the most troublesome. Very little happens. Various people are mean or creepy. Beast is a jerk and Beauty hates him. The second Act was much better, and is the only thing that redeems the play. The heel turn toward Belle and Beauty loving each other is so sudden that it's a little hard to swallow, but seeing them together works better and we get lots of action.
Overall, I wasn't that happy when Berkeley Playhouse suddenly went heavy into Disney last year with Peter Pan and The Little Mermaid and this year with Beauty & The Beast and Tarzan. But, I liked Peter Pan and really enjoyed The Little Mermaid. The Beauty & The Beast was more what I expected: shallow and unmemorable.
(Ironically, I'd been looking forward to this one after the success of the last few and how catchy the theme song is; I just didn't know that was it.)
PS: Despite the fact that this musical didn't really strike me, Berkeley Playhouse's production was good. Belle was great, and thank god we live in a community where a very accomplished actress and singer can take the role without comment or complaint even when she isn't white. The staging was quite nice. The beast's costuming was very strong. But they weren't working with the best material.