The holiday season is approaching quickly, and what better way to spread some cheer than a reimagined Disney classic? On December 15th, 2022, The Wonderful World of Disney and ABC partnered to bring together a two-hour spectacular “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” in honor of the beloved tale’s 30th anniversary. This special interweaved scenes from the animated tale with a live-action reimagining of the musical numbers and other smaller scenes by the talented cast. As a fan of the original “Beauty and the Beast,” I was more than excited to hear about this show, and even more excited to see my favorite Disney tale come to life.
The Cast
ABC found a large, diverse cast to play each of the roles for the live-action parts of the show. With H.E.R playing the titular role of Belle, and Josh Groban getting the role of the Beast, I already knew that the show would be a huge success. Alongside the leads, we get to see our favorite candlestick Lumiere played by none other than the iconic Martin Short, and his sidekick Cogsworth played by David Alan Grier. This duo added a layer of humor and whimsey through their comical banter between musical performances that kept smiles on the faces of fans around the world.
The role of Ms. Potts was given to music icon Shania Twain, and the role of Gaston was given to Joshua Henry, who recently played the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton on Broadway. Both roles were played very well, with Twain’s rendition of the iconic song “Beauty and the Beast” oozing magic and elegance during the ending dance sequence, and Henry’s biceps and brawn adding some much-needed tension to the primary plot. LeFou, Gaston’s gullible and idiotic sidekick was played by Rizwan Manji, best known for his roles in Schitt’s Creek and Wedding Season, while Chip, the chipped teacup was played by Leo Abelo Perry. Each of the cast members embraced the characters they were to portray, imitating the French accents that many of the characters have, and embracing the whimsical nature of the original tale.
The Musical Numbers
The show featured 13 musical numbers, each one of them choreographed and re-imagined featuring the phenomenal cast members. Of all the numbers, some of my personal favorites were the opening number “Belle,” and the infamous dinner scene “Be Our Guest.”
The opening number “Belle” saw H.E.R, alongside Henry, Manji, and the rest of the talented ensemble make their way down to the theatre, mirroring Belle’s original stroll through town in the animated movie. This number, however, featured the original black and white artwork as the backdrop of the various stops she makes while in town, showing viewers how the original movie was developed from paper to the big screen. When the entire ensemble finally reached the main stage, the entire backdrop was a projected black-and-white drawing of the town as it was originally imagined. When the cast sings the last note, color slowly faded in, to show how the town was depicted later in the actual animated movie. This use of projection and black-and-white art showed how much thought and effort was put into each of the shots and scenes in the animated tale, and how animation comes directly from paper to what we see on our television screens.
“Be Our Guest” was another number that was beautifully made and choreographed. While I was initially skeptical as to how the producer and directors would be able to show levitating foods and dishes, the creators did an excellent job showing the magic of this scene in the live action setting. With strategic design choices of the dining table, allowing for ensemble members to move dishes without being completely seen, and with other ensemble members taking the role of levitating plates and utensils (through wonderfully made costumes), the magic of this scene was kept intact. Both Martin Short and Shania Twain embraced the French accent and delivered a number that will go down as one of the best versions of this famous tune.
The Costumes
The costumes for each character were also a vision to see during this magical show. Each costume took meticulous planning to try its best to mirror the wardrobe of the original movie. From the iconic yellow dress that Belle wears in the ending scene, to the teacup and candlestick costumes worn by Twain and Short, all of the costumes brought forward the Disney spirit and magic. Of all the costumes, the most notable is that worn by Josh Groban, who played the Beast. Rather than just simply wearing a full body suit to portray the character, the costume designers created a puppet-like beast costume (that weighed more than 60 pounds), in which Groban stands inside controlling its arms and basic movement. Raj Kapoor, the producer, mentions that the costume was created in a way to show how the prince is trapped in the new form of the Beast until he can learn to love another, and earn their love in return, which is the main premise of the story.
“A tale as old as time”
“Beauty and the Beast” is not only a story filled with laughter and magic, but at the forefront, it is a story of love. A story about how love is found from within rather than from the outside. This special was a wonderful way to take a walk down memory lane and revisit this classic story that made its debut in November of 1991. The essence of this tale will never grow old and will hopefully live on for a very long time.