From our Friends at D23
Ever just the same, ever a surprise…
With a Tony-nominated book written by Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter of the ’91 animated feature, the musical expands upon the film’s themes. As Disney’s then-CEO Michael Eisner and then-Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg challenged the creative team, “You need the essence of the movie, but… you have to bring it its own qualities—qualities that can only be experienced in live theater.” From studying the costuming of rock groups to brainstorming how kitchen utensils would move, the multi-talented team indeed brought that “quality” production to life.
Composer Alan Menken expanded upon his Oscar®-winning original score for the ’91 film, writing several new songs for the Broadway musical with lyricist Sir Tim Rice—who came on to the project after the passing of film lyricist Howard Ashman. Menken and Ashman originally thought of the film as a musical, wanting the characters to “sing their thoughts and feelings within the story.” The film’s original Menken and Ashman tunes remain in the live stage production, including “Human Again,” which was cut from the ’91 film. These songs and that music have, over the years, gained new life with elaborate set decorations and the talents of various casts. (All three songwriters would later be named Disney Legends, the highest honor bestowed by The Walt Disney Company.)
One of those newly penned songs is a ballad for Belle called “Home,” which she performs after becoming the Beast’s captive. Its rich yet cold emotion served as inspiration for scenic designer Stan Meyer in designing Belle’s room in the Beast’s castle. He explained, “It juxtaposes… a fairy tale bedroom with the reality that Belle is the Beast’s prisoner.”
Beast—“the most fascinating character in the show,” according to Woolverton, though he didn’t have a full vocal number of his own until this production—also has a new song from Menken and Rice. “If I Can’t Love Her” reveals his tender, compassionate side after he has regrettably pushed Belle away. The song partly builds off the musical theme of the “Prologue” as well as a motif from “Belle Enters the Beast’s World” and “Beast Lets Go” from the original motion picture soundtrack. In repurposing original themes, Menken explained that he tried to “thread [the songs] out of themes that [he] had used in underscoring for the film,” giving the audience a sense of familiarity.
