Reviews for Beauty and the Beast

New York Times - December 2002

by Laurel Graeber

Behind the Mask

“Beauty and the Beast” may be a “tale as old as time,” but many children today probably believe that Disney invented it. And after years of the Disney version on video and on Broadway, anyone else planning a musical adaptation needs nerve as well as creativity.

Literally Alive Children’s Theater has both. The company is presenting a smaller, more intimate 90-minute variation that also includes (at least after Beauty moves in) a kinder, gentler beast (Todd Eric Hawkins). Suited to children under 10, this “Beauty and the Beast” doesn’t have any debonair Frenchmen or motherly cooks masquerading as household paraphernalia, but it does have a sense of humor and eminently hummable tunes by Mark McGee.

Brenda Bell, who wrote the book and lyrics and also stars as Beauty, has adhered more closely to the original tale, restoring the heroine's two selfish sisters, who are even threatened with the punishment the Grimm Brothers reserved for them: being changed into statues. But since this is a happily-ever-after musical, they are given a second chance.

Like other Literally Alive productions, this one offers a pre-performance art workshop in which Mr. Hawkins assures the children that he is really just a nice guy in disguise. Then the young theatergoers make their own masks, allowing them to be little beasts (or beauties).

Big Apple Parent - January 2003

by Judy Antell

Beast Goes East

There’s another Beauty and the Beast in town, at the Y on East 53rd St. The hour-long production by Literally Alive! is an original musical, designed for kids ages 3-10; before each show, there is an interactive workshop, where children can make their own beast masks and learn about the show.

Artistic director Brenda Bell, who wrote the book and lyrics, gives the heroine a contemporary spin: Beauty is an adventurer, not a ‘damsel in distress,’ who chooses to live with the Beast. Like all previous Literally Alive! productions, this one combines professional acting and singing, humor and faithfulness to the story. This troupe goes to the source material - not Disney, but the story from the 1700s, by Marie Leprince de Beaumont. If your child is addicted to a certain version, this show might be a way to get her to branch out. We have so many different ‘Beauty and the Beast’ books that my 5-year-old is very accepting of variants, especially one as fun and engaging as this.

Going to the workshop is a great way to enhance your child’s enjoyment and understanding of the show. The Beast, Todd Eric Hawkins (a Literally .Alive! regular), tells the story and gives some background into turning a book into a musical. He also reassures kids that he is a nice guy underneath the mask, the perfect segue into having kids make their own masks. The show is recommended for ages 3-10; workshops are best for kids under 7.

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