Theater Review: 'Beauty and the Beast, the Musical' Wows With Stage Magic and an Enchanting Ensemble

As a child of the '90s, I grew up in a time when Disney was probably at its peak (if I may say so). We've got Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Little Mermaid, and many more, where animation was the ultimate vehicle for magic, transporting me to worlds that felt impossible to replicate in real life. Yet, more than three decades after I first fell in love with Beauty and the Beast, I found myself at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, to witness it as a musical at the production's exclusive stop in Asia.

Could a physical stage ever capture the energy of "Be Our Guest", the transformation of the Beast, and all the other magical scenes? Turns out, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, in its brand new and reimagined adaptation, could. It's a high-tech spectacle that prioritizes visual wonder as well as the collective energy. While the love story between Belle (Shubshri Kandiah) and the Beast (Brendan Xavier) provides the narrative we're familiar with, the real reason to secure a ticket is the breathtaking stagecraft and the "enchanted objects" ensemble: Rohan Browne as Lumiere, Gareth Jacobs as Cogsworth, and Jayde Westaby as Mrs. Potts.

Projection mapping is at the heart of Beauty and the Beast's video and projection design (by Darryl Maloney). The production takes things further. We never see static backdrops; instead, dynamic environments and immersive digital art make the whole show alive. We see clouds drifting and changing colors, the moon waxing and waning, and the shifting labyrinth of the Beast's lair.

Depth is even added through a transparent screen in the foreground, such as in the scene of the wolf's attack on Belle. Instead of puppets or actors, the production uses digital shadows of snarling wolves that are projected from one screen to another, providing a terrifying sense of scale and jump scares that I thought could only happen in the movies. The wolves appear to emerge from the depths and darkness of the projected forest onstage.

The biggest scene is the showstopper that is the "Be Our Guest" kaleidoscope. While it is a rather long song at seven minutes, it is far from a dragging sequence as the digital mapping not only serves as a moving background, but as a movement in itself that's part of the choreography.

The stage is transformed into a high-energy cabaret, where the ensemble shifts through seamless costume changes. A mirrored, overhead kaleidoscope effect as the dancers become intricate floor patterns (through a camera positioned high above the stage) that are projected in real-time onto the back screen. It is a moment of pure theatrical maximalism, with dancing plates and pink ostrich-feather fans that put the audience in a trance, and finally surprises them with a rain of confetti.

While the leads deliver their roles with vocal grace, they often find themselves overshadowed by the sheer magnetism of the supporting cast. In this production, the "enchanted objects" keep the narrative moving with their comedic heavy lifting.

Browne's Lumiere and Jacobs' Cogsworth share a love-hate frenemy chemistry that's a joy to watch. Then there's Westaby's Mrs. Potts, who feels like a warm hug. Even Chip, played by a homegrown talent, catches the audience's attention with a whole optical illusion going on every time he's onstage. This boy in the teacup (as in a human head resting on a rolling tea trolley with no visible place for a body to hide) is just baffling.

Obviously, illusion, with design by Jim Steinmeyer (apparently the same Steinmeyer who worked with David Copperfield), is also a huge part of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. There are several sequences employing a marvel of theatrical engineering, which combines lighting misdirection and genius mechanical rigs. Blink one, and you'll miss these, so....don't.

For anyone looking to recapture the wonder of the Disney we grew up with, this production is a visual and auditory feast. Come for the nostalgia of the 1991 classic, but stay for the breathtaking illusions, high-tech projections, and engaging, enchanting objects. In Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a fairy tale, the magic is the main event.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the Musical, runs until January 25 at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Tickets, with prices ranging from S$70 (roughly P3,100) to S$260 onwards (roughly P11,700), are available through the Marina Bay Sands website and Klook.

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