Farewell, "Beauty and the Beast"

The three main women in my life in New York are quite different from each other. But one of the the things that they have in common is a favorite Broadway Show -- "Beauty and the Beast". So, for my sister's birthday, I got the four of us tickets to go see "Beauty and the Beast" just one more time before it takes it's final Broadway bow on July 29th.

I actually have never seen the show, so this was going to be a new experience for me.
The show is currently starring Disney Channel's "That's So Raven" star, Anneliese Van Der Pol. On that show, she plays the quirky (and more than slightly obnoxious) best friend of Raven Simone. So I went in being really nervous. Had Disney cast her just because of her ties with the corporation? I am pleased to say that I don't think so. I'm sure it helped, but the young leading lady had enough vocal and acting chops to really pull it off!

The music and design were wonderful. It's a BIG show. It's the show that set the standard for Disney's other HUGE productions, like "The Lion King" and "Mary Poppins". It's looming grandiosity takes you right back to your childhood. I remember seeing that movie, and from the moment the introductory melody began last Thursday night I remembered feeling that movie as well.

Unfortunately, it wasn't all magic and merriment. There were some very disappointing aspects of the production. The most disappointing this was the ensemble. The dancers were not together, which was seriously distracting from the illusion that they were flatware and plates. The character Lefou was slapstick, rehearsed, and completely annoying. Gaston was fine…but a little bit too…well, gay. He took self-admiration to a level only to be matched by the muscle queens in Chelsea. It was rather disconcerting.

When all was said and done, I was happy to have gone. I didn't want the show to leave the Broadway stage without ever having had the opportunity to see it.

But I assure you, after a little more than 13 years on the stage, the show is ready for retirement. It was fun, but there are newer, bigger, and better things to see now. So "Goodbye!" Beauty and the Beast... It's been fun!