There are two reasons to get this Original Broadway Cast Recording (OBC) over the Original London Cast Recording (OLC). Firstly, the orchestrations sound much more complete in this recording. Secondly and more importantly, I feel that Terrace Mann's Beast sounds a lot better than the portrayal by Alasdair Harvey in the other recording. There is nothing inherently wrong with Harvey's tenor voice. It is just that Mann's baritone and his lower key used in The Beast's songs seem to bring out the anguish and torment of The Beast better. This does not come out so strongly with a higher key employed by Harvey and the later London Beast, John Barrowman.

Disney's Beauty And The Beast made more than $171 million when it was released in 1991. Being a musical animation  where characters sang the songs (rather than an animation with songs like Disney's Tarzen), moving the movie to the theater stage seemed a natural and easy transition. Unfortunately, there were not enough songs in the movie for a full Broadway production. To address this issue, Disney roped in the lyricist Tim Rice to replace the late Howard Ashman to work with the original composer, Alan Menken.

The result is this musical and its cast recording has one of the most beautiful scores in musical theater. 

All the songs from the movie such as the saccharine "Belle", the self-absorbed "Gaston", the title song sung by Mrs Potts ("Beauty And The Beast"), the lively ensemble piece "Be Our Guest" as well as the lovely "Something There" remain in the theater production. 

However, it is the new songs that really impress. Mann's "If I Can't Love Her" and "How Long Must This Go On" are two of the most heart-wrenching pieces I have ever heard. "Home", sung by Susan Egan's Belle, is probably one of the most beautiful female solos that embody a variety of emotions and feelings ranging from  resentment, hatred, despair, sadness, hopefulness, determination and acceptance. 

Unfortunately, the new song entitled "A Change In Me" which is sung by Belle was added during the run of the musical and it is not included in both the Original Broadway Cast Recording nor the Original London Cast Recording. This song can be found on Susan Egan's solo album -- "So Far...".

Although Burke Moses sings the role of Gaston on both the OBC  and the OLC, he actually sounds better on this cast recording than the other one which seems rather odd. A new entertaining song is added for Gaston entitled "Me" even if it does little to advance the plot since he has his other self-loving number, "Gaston".

This cast recording also contains one more track ("The Battle") than the Original London Cast Recording. While this song, incorporating the music and sounds from the final battle scene between the villagers and the magical objects in the castle, does not add much to score, in some way, having this additional track makes the OBC more complete than the OLC.

I would definitely recommend this cast recording over the OLC. As a whole, it sounds much better and is the more complete version. For me, Mann's Beast  is probably the most important reason why I listen to this cast recording rather than the OLC.

Reviewed on 22 June 2004

Track Listings

1. Prologue (The Enchantress)
2. Belle
3. No Matter What
4. No Matter What (Reprise) / Wolf Chase
5. Me
6. Belle (Reprise)
7. Home
8. Home (Reprise)
9. Gaston
10. Gaston (Reprise)
11. How Long Must This Go On?
12. Be Our Guest
13. If I Can't Love Her
14. Entr'acte / Wolf Chase
15. Something There
16. Human Again
17. Maison des Lunes
18. Beauty and the Beast
19. If I Can't Love Her (Reprise)
20. The Mob Song
21. The Battle
22. Transformation
23. Beauty and the Beast (Reprise)

(Libretto with lyrics is included)