A scene from Disney’s musical Beauty and the Beast
Famed Disney musical Beauty and the Beast debuted on Saturday at the Venetian theatre and will run until July 26. As the show celebrates its 20th anniversary, musical director Michael Borth acknowledged that the musical has thrived for so long thanks to “a good story and the way people relate and empathize with the characters.”
Beauty and the Beast is based on an 18th-century French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Disney’s animated version of the tale in 1991 helped the story gain global fame. The show premiered on Broadway in 1994.
“One of the things I think that’s great about musicals is that there’s a story that’s being told and if you can get involved with the characters and empathize with them and feel what they’re feeling, you fall in love with the show, I think that’s one of the things that makes a musical last,” said Mr Borth at a media preview on Friday.
He believes Beauty and the Beast has a lot of these ingredients that make the audience fall in love with the story.
“There’s a great story, many people have seen the movie; they sort of know how it’s going to end. The musical, if anything, adds more emotion, more danger, more excitement, than even the animated movie. It’s a really exciting and emotional journey we go on every night,” he added.
Mr Borth recalled that one of Disney’s best features is its ability to tell stories that do not only appeal to children. “It’s a simple story but it’s not geared toward children. It’s definitely something children enjoy but it’s something we can all relate to.”
Company manager Kristin Steward also highlighted the show’s ability to capture the attention of all audiences: “It’s funny, there’s beautiful dancing, there’s comedic moments, there’s fight scenes, friendships (…) so many things represented in this particular show that makes it really unique and very relatable, which I think is why it’s played all over the world for 20 years.”
Beauty and the Beast ran on Broadway for over 5,000 performances between 1994 and 2007.
It tells the story of Belle, a young woman living in a provincial town, and the Beast, a young prince trapped by a spell that transformed him into a hideous beast, as a punishment for his cruelty. He imprisons Belle in his castle. In order to return to his old self, the beast must earn Belle’s true love, so that the curse will be broken.
Hilary Maiberger, who plays Belle in the musical, told reporters on Friday that she does not see Belle as “a Disney princess.”
“She’s not a princess until the very last two minutes. She’s just an average 16-year-
old girl, which is what I love about her. I can relate to her, I’ve been through what she’s going through (…) There were moments when I was unsure of who I was; I didn’t know if I was going to fit in the world, where I belonged in the world, I think everyone goes through that,” she said.
The actress added that, “it’s a dream to play such a heroine, such a role model. It’s truly a dream come true.”
Darick Pead, who plays the Beast, recalled that, “there’s something more” to his character than what people might see at first. “It does help me as an actor to act through it. Masks are crazy but they are also really awesome story tellers,” he stressed.
“I’ve always liked the costume. The only thing is it’s really hot, so I am sweating constantly in the Macau weather. But I love wearing a Tony Award-winning costume,” he added.
Since licensing of the title began in 2004, there have been 28,000 productions of the Beauty and the Beast in eight languages across 22 countries.
The show will run at the Venetian Theatre between Tuesday and Friday at 8 p.m., as well as Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from MOP280 (C Reserve), to MOP480 (B Reserve) and MOP680 (A Reserve). The show will conclude its Macau run on July 26.
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