1. Craig Newton
11/10/17
Beautyand the Beastassessment
3. Contributions made toBeautyandthe Beast:
LindaWoolvertoncontributedmassivelytothe productionof Beautyandthe Beast as she wrote the
original screenplayandthenlaterconverteditintothe Musical stage versionwe see today.She was
the firstfemale toeverproduce andwrite ananimatedscreenplayforDisney.
AlanMenkenwaskeywhencreatingBeautyandthe Beast as he wrote the musical score for the
animatedscreenplayandwhenitwasconvertedtoamusical helpedwiththistransitionandadded
songsthat were leftoutof the original animation.Thiswasinordertomake the show longenough
to be a musical.Soitcouldbe arguedthat withoutAlanMenken itwouldhave beenhardtocreate
Beautyand the beastthe musical version.
Howard AshmanandTim Rice were alsoheavilyinvolvedincontributingtoBeautyandthe Beast.As
Howard AshmanandTim Rice wrote the lyricsformany of the songs of Beautyand the Beastright
up until HowardAshman’sdeath.AtwhichpointTimRice continuedandfinishedoff the songsthat
were yetto be completed. Theywere keycontributorsastheywrote the famouslyricstomany
favouritesinBeautyandthe Beast.
RobertJessRothwas essential tocreatingthe Musical productionashe helpedandcontributedtoit
inmany ways.
Matt Westwas essentialtothe Musical stage productionof Beautyand the Beastas he
choreographedthe entire show.Withouthim iconicmomentsof the productionsuchas“Be Our
Guest”and itsintricate display enthusiasmneverwouldhave beendevisedinthatway.
However,overall itcouldbe arguedthatLindaWoolvertonisthe keypersonoutof all of these when
producingthe Musical productionaswithoutheradaptionof the original itwouldneverhave been
possible.
4. Relationships betweenBelle,GastonandBeast
Lightingiskeytechnical aspectof theatre toindicate the relationshipsbetweenthese characters.For
example inthe “Battle”towardsthe endof Act two,whenGastonattemptsto kill the Beast.Blue
lightinganda general washcouldbe usedtosuggesthow Gaston hasa resentment tothe beast,
whilstalsocreatingasombre atmosphere due tothe blue lighting.Thisisbecause of the colour
connotationsof blue beingmelancholy,depressedoranguish.Contrastingtothisshowingthe
positive relationshipbetweenBelleandthe Beastwhenhe isdyingshortlylaterthe blue lightcould
be liftedtoshowthe beastishappy whenBelle isnear.Conveyingtothe audience the love they
have for eachotherat thispoint. Thisishow the use of lightingcanallow anaudience tounderstand
the emotionsbetweendifferentcharactersandtherefore theirrelationships,story.
The reoccurringthemes of costume colourbeingblue betweenBeastandBelle conveyshow they
are similarandtherefore displaystheircharacter’srelationship.Thisalongside the reoccurringuse of
propslinkingthe BeastandBelle clearlyindicateshow the charactersare linkedanddestinedto
meet.Asthe onlytwopeople touse booksinthe playor evenownthemisBelle andthe Beast.Belle
isseenas weirdinhervillage for likingbooks,whilstthe Beastalsoviewshimself asseparate from
societydue tohisfigure andownsan entire library.Thisclearlyportrayshow the twocharactersare
linkeddue totheirlove of books,andendsupwithbeinghow theybond.
2. Craig Newton
5. Technical challengesof convertingthe filmfromscreenplaytoMusical
One example of achallenge thattheyfacedwasthe transitionsinthe show asset changesbeing
quickand fluentwere essential.Asinthe original animatedfilmitkeptcuttingfromone location to
anotherall of whichwere verydifferent.Forexampleadrearycastle to a quaintFrenchvillage.They
didnot wantto use blackoutstoooftenas thiscreateda stop start feelingtothe show andtherefore
slowedthe pace downof the show. Theyovercame thispartlythroughingenuityof the scenic
designersof the showhavingmarvellousideasonhow toincrease the pace of eachtransition.Such
as usingrails.Aswell asprojectionsinthe show.
Theyalsofacedan issue whenitcame to the makeupand costume of the enchantedobjects,
especiallythe Beastastheyhad to completelychange the actorsface to resemble thatof a twisted
Beast’s. Thisrequiredlotsof hoursexperimentingwithlatexandotherprosthetics.
Ensuringthe curse and whoeach character wasmade itdifficultforthe costume department,thisis
whytheyhad to take the decision toinsteadof the actors startingas eachenchantedobject,that
theyslowlytransformedlayeringtheircostume onduringthe performance.For example, Lumiere
has greatlarge hair at the beginningof the show thatslowlytransformsintoa candlestickwithlittle
bitsof hairweavedin.Theydidthistoshow how the enchantedobjects are slowlylosingtheir
humanity.Thiscreatedchallengesforthe adaptionasthisfixedthe one problemof portrayingwho
each character is,yetcreatedanother problem.Due tothe costume departmentdecidingtouse
headdressesandmakingactorslooklike objectssuchaswardrobes,the costume departmenthadto
discusswiththe director,choreographerandactorsto ensure thattheyare still able todance in
theircostumesandmove as freelyastheyneedto.
6. Pre- production/rehearsal of the Ringwoodschoolversion
The researchof pre-productionhasbeencompletedandrolesare goingtobe assigned fortechnical
aspects.Howevermanythingsstill needtobe done suchas preparingkeyrehearsal propsand
makingcostumesforthe show.A postscriptanalysishasalsobeencompletedforthe show andhas
all beenblockedinrehearsals. The setalsostill needstobe decoratedandmade. The cast hasbeen
setand decidedandrehearsals have begunproperly,technical rehearsalsare still awaitingtobe
finalisedandcompleted. The bandisalsorequiredtobe decidedforthe dressrehearsal however
that isstill faroff before we are readyfor that stage of the productionprocess. Designsneed
finalisingtoallowustostart creatingcostumesandthe set.
7. Artisticintegrityandhowitcan be maintained
Artisticintegritycanbe maintained withahighproductionvaluebyensuringthateverythingis
correct and islike,if notas close to,as the original.Fromcostumestoactors playingeachpart and
the way inwhicheachline is deliveredexacttothe script. Thismeansthatthe ideasthat have been
createdby the creative teamsinthe initial productionneedtobe takenintoconsiderationand
executedpreciselyinthe productionwe are staging.Forexample the bluecoloursusedinsetdesign
of the castle andthe costume of Belle throughout the play,thenthe Beast’sbluetailedjacketduring
the song Beautyandthe Beast.Thishas all beenthoughtthrough indetail toportrayhow the Beast
and Belle are compatible.
To ensure thatthe artisticintegrityisupheldthe full companyneedtobe extremelywell rehearsed,
to make sure that the showkeepsa highproductionvalue aswell asensuringthe artisticintegrityis
kept. To alsokeepthe artisticintegritythe props sourcedforthe show needtobe fromthe correct
centuriesstyle of the show,beingthe late seventeen hundreds.Thisbeingsaidthe technical design
3. Craig Newton
of the show needstoalsobe keptin time withthe original conceptideasdevelopedbythe creative
teams.
Howeveroverall the keywaytoensure thatthe artisticintegrityiskepttowardsthe show istotell
the story well takingcare andprecisionkeepingtothe original creativeteamsoriginalideas.
8. Songs inorder
Belle
No matterwhat
Me
Gaston
Be ourguest
Somethingthere
Human again
MaisonDes Lunes
Beautyand the Beast
9. Transformation- howthe musicsuggeststhe transformationshouldlook
The risinginthe pitchand trumpetssuggestitshouldbe majestic,orroyal.The increasingpace and
additionof male singerssuggestthatitisbecomingmore grandandawe-inspiring.The risinginpitch
and pace increasingmayalsosuggesthow the Beast/Prince shouldbe risingupwards.Thenslowly
comingdownas the pace of the musicslowsattwo minutesfortyseconds. A sense of grand scale
and extravagance iscreatedbythe risinginthe pitchof trumpetswiththe additionof low pitched
male singersandtimpani drums.Thisconnoteshow the Transformationneedstobe ona grand scale
witha possibilityof brightflashinglightswithagoldcolouredgel.Asthislinksbacktothe sense that
the Beast isbecomingthe Prince again withhisroyal stature.
As the musiclayersbecomingmore chaotic,itcouldbe suggestedthat the Prince ashe rises
upwardsthat the Prince startsto spinas thiscouldwork effectivelywiththe music. The dynamicsof
the musicalsoconsolidatesmypointthatthe Prince needsto rise upquicklythen spinasthe music
reachesa climax thenslowlylowerandslow downspinningasthe songends.
