In 1991, New York Times theatre critic Frank Rich—with much controversy—called Disney’s 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast the year’s best musical (much to the disdain of the creators of the now-forgotten Best Musical at the Tony’s for that year, Crazy for You).
It is said that this piece of commentary prompted Disney execs to venture to a whole new world: the Broadway stage, a place they had strangely avoided despite the obvious attraction given the success of its film musicals.
$1.4B in ticket sales worldwide and 5,461 Broadway performances later, Long Beach’s Musical Theatre West (MTW)—after a long bout of vying for the musical but being refused by Disney due to Long Beach’s proximity to Disneyland—has now put on the massive spectacle in the company’s most expensive production to date.
And it’s well worth it.
Beauty and the Beast is arguably one of Disney’s masterpieces, albeit one of its stereotypical princesses-need-men-to-fulfill-their-happiness masterpieces. This is mainly due to the brilliant work of composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas) and lyricist Howard Ashman (Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), whose captivating pairing has made for some of the most iconic songs ever penned. After all, if you don’t appreciate “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” you are indeed a poor unfortunate soul.
If there is one thing to say about the Menken-Ashman pairing, it is that they certainly do not lack a flair for the grandeur, which MTW executes in a way that is impressive for the theatre company. Massive costumes, equally massive sets, aerials, and an array of dancers (mainly due to the impressive choreography of Bill Burns) prove that the welcomed excess of the original is not forgotten.
Though it is sad that Ashman passed before even seeing the success of Beauty and the Beast as a film, MTW captures the fun and always-Broadway-like lyrics of Ashman with exuberance thanks not only to the aforementioned grand production value but its thoroughly enjoyable cast (and a little help from Tim Rice post-Ashman, who became Disney’s go-to musician for The Lion King and Aida).
Leading lady Gwen Hollander, who plays the iconic Belle, is no stranger to Beauty given she played the role under the direction of David Arisco at the Actor’s Playhouse. Her charming performance encapsulates the nerdy-ness that makes Belle simultaneously affable and sexy, but also reigns in the drama when it could be easy to let things go the way of the jazz-hands (thanks to the fact that we are, after all, dealing with Disney).
But it is certainly the males who dominate MTW’s production, mainly through Garrett Marshall (Beast) and Michael Paternostro (Lumiere).
Marshall’s Beast is, at first, eerily like the character of the film in both vocal-mimicking and personality. However, as the play nears the last third of the first act, it clear that the Beast becomes a lovable monster, much like the puppy who destroys a lot but wins you with the melting eyes and facial expression that says, “I did that but I did not mean to do that so let’s forget that happened.”
Meanwhile, Paternostro takes the charisma of stereotypical Frenchman Lumiere to an awkwardly enjoyable level: his strange struts and hip-thrusting gesticulations at first seem odd but before you even question it, you find yourself wanting more of his comedic physical peculiarity.
When Babette, the former maid-turned-feather duster, fears that Lumiere is losing his fire for her, Paternostro’s slightly sarcastic delivery of Lumiere’s response, “Chériiiii, you have cut me to the wick” is perfect.
What it ultimately comes down to is the fact that MTW deserves applause for more than just putting on this production. They’ve put on a stellar, difficult production, recreating all of the intricate details of a classic Disney tale. Despite one’s opinion of how the Mouse House itself creates those intricate details (hello, Escape from Tomorrowland), it is no simple endeavor to take on. MTW may have thrown down the dollar in what is unquestionably an expensive production but even more than just spending, they show off that Broadway-caliber grandeur is not unattainable in Long Beach.
Musical Theatre West’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast runs through July 27 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E Atherton Street. For tickets, click here.
{FG_GEOMAP [33.788396,-118.1126051] FG_GEOMAP}