New Origins: Beauty and the Beast

Great fun!

Funny show with great performances, an original story that folds itself wonderfully into the existing Beauty and the Beast cannon. Would recommend!

Very fun show

This was a very clever and enjoyable show. It was a great pre cursor to the original and a unique story to tell. Go see it!

Very satisfying theatrical experience.

Very satisfying back story for Beauty & the Beast. I recommend a little internet review of the plot and characters. As a musical, I appreciate when critical theatrical junctures are punctuated with memorable hamonies. Rex Isom Jr. masterfully juxtaposes a loving father and the tyrannical king. Distinguishing the two characters with a crown. Aaron Cook plays the wise fool to masterful effect, driving the plot by constantly messing things up. Ellie Harstad has a voice that belongs on Broadway. Excellent all around.

Fringe Fun

A clever musical prequel to the story was we know it. A strong Fringe show and worth a watch.

Great start, deserving of more workshopping

Lots to like here: great costumes, keyboardist, scenery, and idea. However we found that the many, many scenery changes and the complexity of the plot distracted from the work Also, like other reviewers, one of us is VERY familiar with Beauty and the Beast and had lots of 'wait a minute that isn't right' moments. Keep working on this, it could become great!

Very good show

I enjoyed it. I could tell a lot of thought and time went into this production. It succeeded at being a ‘full production’

Interesting Concept

I thought this was a great idea for a show that could have used another week of workshopping. There was great attention to costuming and staging and the actors were all very committed, but the songs felt a bit lacking and often seemed to be just regular dialogue put to music rather than having the traditional elements of a musical number that you'd expect from something inspired by a Disney piece. A couple of them had catchy moments, but none were especially memorable. However, I really enjoyed the live accompaniment and the inventive use of rotating panels. I'm also a huge fan of Kaz Fawkes, who has such a beautiful, powerhouse voice and had a marvelous turn as both a villain and a hero in the show (as did Drew Atwood). It was an interesting bit of reverse engineering to explain why Gaston as we know him is so vile and why the Beast is sympathetic and redeemable. Might be a fun one to take kids to, although there's a fair amount of innuendo - I suppose that's the case with many Disney movies anyway.

Excellent show

A very talented cast combined with a unique and fun story makes for an excellent show. The musical numbers were great, lots of humorous dialogue, and clever scenery and props. This was a wonderfully produced show.

Fun Re-telling of a Classic

I thought it was a fun prequel to one of the most well known fairy tales, although like other, I did have some questions about how everything played out compared to the actual story. I liked the costumes, props, and set, and the live music (although one of the songs' chords sounded like Jack Black's Peaches song from Mario Bros and I couldn't get that out of my head). The acting by Gaston and the Prince was especially great - you could really see the switch. I hope to see a longer version of this someday!

Phenomenal

Great cast. Great acting. Great script. Absolutely amazing show and would definitely go again.

Great show!

Such a great show. Lots of humor and great precursor to a timeless classic.

big story, not enough time

these actors are talented, and they can sing. i don’t think an hour was enough time for this story. i also wish they showcased the powerful pipes of those actors. i like the idea a lot though!

The Story Before the Story.

This story before the story most of us know is quite delightful, entertaining, and informative of the possible back story of the fairytale. It was fun to be in the audience watching this talented group of actors and musician create this powerful tale. I will never see Beauty and the Beast the same again.

Excellent production

A fun show including a talented cast, witty lines, and a creative story. Highly entertaining, with attention to theatrical details keeping the audience engaged. I particularly enjoyed the use of a live accompanist. It is obvious that a lot of time and passion went into the production. Well done!

The re-wrote the tale that's old as time...

There are many aspects of this show that I enjoyed. The vocals were great and I'm a sucker for Fringe shows that actually have sets and use props and have actors in costumes! The cast did great. They are talented, no question. But I found myself screaming silently to myself things like- 'No! She doesn't like Gaston! He's not a sensitive reading type!' 'Belle doesn't have a mommmmm!' 'It's gonna end like that? He's just gonna sit--' So while the set was great and that costumes were lovely and the set was fun- down to the giant turkey on the table (that made me smile big!)- I wanted to slap the script across the face. Open handed, of course.

Creative new backstory to old classic

Beauty of a show

This show was very fun and the cast were excellent singers! The content seemed contrived at parts, but for the most part the talent of the cast outshined it. There were a few gay jokes that I thought were not in the best taste (do we really need to laugh at gay folks?) and one I thought was pretty ballsy to include in a family friendly show. The sets were fun and having a live pianist accompany the show was an excellent detail! If you love fantasy musicals, this one’s for you.

A lot of fun!

Good music. Fun, creative story. Actors mad great characters choices. Very entertaining

Best Fringe Show I've Ever Seen!

Very entertaining, great cast and clever/funny script. Music/lyrics are well crafted. When I see the movie again, I will see it from a new perspective. A must see this year at the fringe!

So much talent! Great show!

Great production, characters, costumes, story and music (songs with wonderfully witty lyrics). One of the most talented group of comedic actors and vocalists I've ever seen assembled on a Fringe stage. Not a weak link in the bunch. An ambitious story that pulled off well. Very fun time!