More Disney Magic Than Theatricals
Curious fact about me: I was “enchanted” (see what I did there?) by Disney’s Beauty and The Beast prologue, the animated version’s, of course, up to the point where I can recite it by heart. I am not special, as there are many of us who can… now, with the many Disney iterations of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s fairy tale, different audiences have been reached generation after generation. For me, Alan Menken’s music for that cartoon will always have my heart. West Wing lives in my favorites playlist, and I still have the CD lol.
Anywhoosies, Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, The Musical is passing through San Diego and just celebrated one year of its national tour. There is some interesting history here as Disney Theatricals launched the musical worldwide in 1994. It was Disney’s first-ever stage musical (yes, even before The Lion King),a big deal. Disney even undertook the remodeling of several important theatres worldwide to debut the musical. I am happy to have witnessed this history in various ways and get to write about it now. The Mexican production debuted in 1997, and I remember seeing it at the freshly remodeled Teatro Orfeón, a gorgeous space, perfect for such an occasion. I have to fangirl, dear reader, as this was huge back in the day. If you are not familiar with Mexican actors and/or novelas, you can skip this part. Belle was played by Lolita Cortés; The Beast by Roberto Blandón; and Mrs. Potts by Norma Herrera.
Ten years later, in 2007, another production took place in Mexico City, with Mauricio Herrera as The Beast and Ana Ceci as Belle, which I also saw. I do not know about the rest of the world, but in the States, the musical was now touring under NETWorks, and I was fortunate enough to handle the Spanish-speaking press for the 2011, 2014, and 2015 touring productions on their San Diego engagements. I know the show well, so getting to experience it eleven years later, now, back with Disney, I got emotional, not going to lie.
I have to get into the different versions of the prologue because it is my favorite and now my peeve. For me, as mentioned at the beginning, the absolute best version is the one in the animated feature, because the voice, tone, and cadence are perfect. The live-action movie version is horrendous to me, haha. All botched and fast-paced. Like, no, we are talking about an enchanted castle here due to a curse! Not the latest deals at the farmer’s market. The versions of the prologue in the NETWorks production were pretty faithful to the animated movie; now, in its revamped era, the prologue was updated to fit the times, I assume, as the rose will not bloom until the prince’s 21st year but “after many years”. The old woman’s ugliness just melts away, and he still conceals himself inside his castle, ashamed but no longer in a “monstrous form”. Take into consideration, dear reader, that I am sort of dissecting all the versions in my brain and tying them together into this one as a conclusion. You might consider them spoilers, so be warned! I will not spoil, spoil, but I know how sensitive some of y’all are, so aha.
The singing, dancing, acrobats, and delivery are phenomenal. Keeping a high pace and vibrant rhythm all throughout the two hours and change. The first act is an hour and a half. I do want to dive deeper into the creative, context, and form, as this has been such a classic for decades.
Stanley A. Meyer’s scenic design incorporated more moving pieces to mesh with screens and animations. The set pieces some fans might be familiar with are now animated and/or on screen. The charm and bubbliness of characters such as Belle, Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Babette, and Gaston’s faithful Lefou are there. Kyra Belle Johnson, yes, her name is Belle, is lovely as the character with a beautiful voice and great delivery; she’s also very playful and now wears glasses when reading (haha). According to Gemini: “She was given this accessory during a 2025 refresh of the stage production. Director Matt West decided to add reading glasses to Belle’s costume to make her bookish nature more relatable and to create a stronger connection with young audience members who wear spectacles themselves.” You know I notice things! I notice…
Ann Hould-Ward’s costume designs are just breathtaking, and the revamps spot on with Belle’s dresses, all of them; I will not spoil this for you. And The Beast’s attire, as well as the other characters, seemed more like velvety period pieces with nice lengths and flow. The iconic Cogsworth-Lumiere duo continues its reign, as Javier Ignacio and Danny Gardner did an amazing job with the classic mannerisms, tones, and innuendos. Lumiere lights up for real, something that was brought back from the original production, as in the others it was just an effect with paper and air flowing. And the little torches seem heavy. Gardner kept up the physicality and charm without a glitch. Ignacio played the role of Houdini in La Jolla Playhouse’s 2013 Sideshow. Good to see him on this coast again. Christina Rose Hall’s Mrs. Potts is charming and sweet, along with Chip, of course; the role alternated between Levi Blaise Coleman and Kanoa Edgar, with their respective magical effects that audiences love. Cameron Monroe Thomas’s saucy, playful Babette is fun and animated. Holly Ann Butler as the enchanted drawer Madame is a hoot. Lefou, from the sound and the look, totally takes you back. Harry Francis is agile and funny, with a great voice and wonderful choreography. The role of Gaston is majestically played by Stephen Mark Lukas, who is essentially a replica of the animation, looking and sounding practically the same, which is always fun to see. Something that I question, though, is the context because he is still that macho man wanting the six or seven strapping boys like himself and condemning women reading (without pictures) as they get “ideas” and then question the world…ok, that is the same as well as the hunting, narcissism, etc., but in this revamp the “Silly Girls” are basically no longer. Horrendously called “The Bimbettes” in the animated film, I get it. But it was such a high in the musical. I guess Gaston as the villain isn’t that revampable, and obviously zero PC, so the Silly Girls got the semi-chop. Speaking of Girl, that is another change, as Belle is called a Girl by the men but “young lady” by the women. I also noticed…
Now, The Beast. Fergie L. Philippe definitely brings a new breath, essence, and feel, with a dazzling voice and a commanding presence. The Beast, now in 2026, is leaning into his comedy and dazzles Belle not only with the library scene and try, but with the jokes and play. The fear was left behind to bring the funny. Meshed with everything- the creative, the cast, the music- although different, it works. The famous wolf scene where Belle escapes is now mixed with or accompanied by animations from the film, adapted and incorporated for this visual effect. The past iteration had a contemporary dance sequence that made it more dramatic and theatrical. I am not being a buzzkill, ok? I am just pointing out what I noticed was different…There is a lovely tap sequence with Belle, and the three new songs in the musical that have always been in that version: “If I Can’t Love Her”, “Home,” and “Me.” Although delivered powerfully by Philippe, Johnson, and Lukas, well, they make me miss Howard Ashman, who just made magic everywhere he went.
The special effects are all there, literally deceiving the eye, which is always fun. The music is absolutely gorgeous, as always, and, probably, my conclusion here is that I am old and getting older, liking what I like the way I like it.
Still totally worth seeing (no singing. Sing inside your heart and in the car after you leave the theatre).
The merch is like Disney knows it should be: enchanting, fantastic, and pricey.
Three performances left at the Civic Theatre, practically sold out, but I think there are always seats available. Check it out. The tour will be in California for a while, so you can catch it in LA or Orange County too.
