WARNING: This is NO amateur production of Beauty and the Beast.
You know those shows you go and see that are so magical. the ones you were glad you can say YOU were there. You witnessed it and you will never forget it!, This is the ONE!
Disney’s Beauty and The Beast is touring it’s NEW production and I was lucky enough to catch it at Sunderland Empire.
You may think you know what to expect because who hasn’t seen Beauty and The Beast?
Spoiler but no spoiler, there are added new songs but don’t worry because all the classics are still in there!
Did you know Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the Beast was the first ever animated feature to be nominated for an Oscar!
It’s been 26 years and it’s back! The new production on tour is a reimaged show with brand new sets and staged by the original award winning creative team behind the original award winning musical. The show still remains the amongst top 10 running shows in Broadway history. It’s easy to see why once you’ve seen it.
The first thing about this show that you simply cannot look over is the state of the art technology of the sets and the creativity behind them. Each scene transitions into another magical and charming set and the effects are mesmerising. It felt truly immersive throughout the show!
The effects brought so much emotion to the show, without giving too much away, some of the big favourite songs including Be our Guest were just too amazing to put into words.
For those of you, like me, with childhood memories or the film, the costumes really stood out for me. They way they brought the characters to life, literally, were magical and sparkling. Belle’s dresses did not disappoint!
The casting couldn’t have been any more perfect! Although we had understudies on our performance I had no idea until I read the programme at the interval. The standard of the actors set the show apart from what I was expecting. Their voices were showcased at the new singing intervals throughout the show. And the Dancing….was amazing, expect to see all types of dance throughout the show to the highest standard. They really were all singing all dancing experts! They simply have the creme de la creme of cast.
Some stand out performances for not just me but the audience were Gavin Lee as Lumiere. He brings the humour and charm to the show and his oozes experience and you can see why he is the winner of outstanding actor in a musical award. And another was the famous Sam Bailey, X factor winner. For previously playing in Blood Brothers, she appeared a natural on the stage and the crowd fell in love with her!
The buzz after the show was great to see and of course it had standing ovations. It was the one show that i felt needed standing ovations throughout the show and not just at the end!
The show is here until 19th of February 2022. There is plenty of time to get your ticket, trust me you will regret not seeing this one, the word is already spreading fast!
*press tickets
To find out what’s on tour at the moment check out my other theatre reviews
