Beauty And The Beast extends Christmas season

I do not know if the original French tale begins with “Once upon a time.”  However, since we have gotten so used to those four words beginning tales of magic and enchantment, I might as well use them to refresh your minds about the old story of Beauty And The Beast.

Once upon a time, there was an enchantress who went about disguised as an old beggar. One winter night, she offered a handsome prince a single red rose in exchange for shelter from the cold. But he refused and turned her away. As a punishment, she changed the prince into a beast. She gave him a magic mirror so he can see what is going on in the world and the enchanted rose. There is only one way to break the spell. He must learn to love somebody who must love him in return before the last petal of the rose falls off.

We all know what happened after that. An old man lost in the forest came across the castle and was taken prisoner by the beast. To free him, his daughter Beauty offered herself up to take her father’s place. Of course, Beast accepted the exchange hopeful that Beauty might learn to love him before the rose dies. She did and the tale got its happy ending with the Beast transformed back into a prince and Beauty and everybody in the castle living happily ever after.

The tale is as old as time and has been retold again and again in various forms. But leave it to the Disney kingdom to take the sad and trite and turn it into something new and thoroughly enchanting. This was what happened to Beauty And The Beast in 1992 when Disney released the animated film version. An enjoyable blend of drama and comedy and spectacular sights, thanks to the latest in computer technology, Beauty And The Beast instantly captivated the world. Two years later, the movie became Disney’s first-ever musical on Broadway. It was again a huge success.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Beauty And The Beast is currently on tour. This started in Istanbul last Oct. 10 and has since then gone to Abu Dhabi, Thessalonik, Trieste and Milan. Tonight, the show will make its first stop in Asia with its opening at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) on Roxas Boulevard. There it will stay until Jan. 25 after which the tour will move on to other Asian cities, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Kazakhstan and Macau. But before those cities receive the treat, Beauty And The Beast will be here first in Manila.

It is no wonder then that music lovers, theater goers and most of all the children are very excited about the show. With its message of goodwill for everybody and its magical love story, it does feel like the Christmas celebration has been extended by a few more weeks. We have seen very well-mounted local productions of Beauty And The Beast and we have enjoyed the experience. But this one playing at the CCP is the real Disney deal. 

Everything seen in the Broadway version is now also here and that means all the fabulous costumes, props and marvelous special effects. If you have ever wondered how on earth will they make a teapot, a teacup, a candlestick, a clock, a wardrobe, a feather duster and other household objects, act, dance and sing in grand production numbers, watch Beauty And The Beast and you will wonder no more.

But while there is really a lot that will keep audiences excited throughout the show, Beauty And The Beast is basically a fairy tale musical. A musical is mainly about the music and there is much to admire about it in this department starting with the Academy Award-winning theme Beauty And The Beast that was performed by Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts, the voice of the teapot in the movie. This was composed by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. A duet pop version also became a big hit for Celine Dion and Phebo Bryson. You will now be able to watch Mrs. Potts, in all her teapot glory perform the song live. Note that keeping her company will be Chip, the cutest chipped teacup you have ever seen. 

You will also love, Be Our Guest by Belle and the household; Something There by Belle, Beast and Mrs. Potts; Human Again by Lumiere, the candlestick; and If I Can’t Love Her, Beast’s broken-hearted lament and other songs. There is also something to heckle at, Gaston by the dense, show-off of a man, the villain also named Gaston.

Beauty And The Beast plays at the CCP until Jan. 25. It is presented by Disney Theatrical Productions, Inc., NETworks, Broadway Entertainment Group, MKFAE and Ovation Production. Tickets are available at Ticketworld (891-9999) and online at ticketworld.com.ph.