amykissangel said:
I am the biggest NON Tony Braxton fan perhaps on the planet...if I heard "Unbreak my Heart" one more time, I literally could've put my fist through a wall.
But I LOVE the song they wrote for her, "Change in Me?" I first heard it in Disney's ON the Record musical, since Change in Me isn't on the original Beauty and the Beast album. LOVE IT!
AND the lead from ON the Record who sang Belle's song is now Belle on Broadway. Loved her.
Ugh, I cannot agree with you more regarding Toni Braxton. I managed to get my hands on a recording of her as Belle, and I thought her performance was dreadful. Not to mention the costumes they redesigned for her. The blue dress was modified, and I believe the final gold ball gown for the finale looked like a junior high school prom dress. The only reason I can think of was that Braxton demanded they be changed, because the costume variations haven't been seen on stage since.
But, as you said, the one bright spot was the addition of "A Change in Me." It's very difficult to sing. I preparing to audition for a regional production of "Beauty and the Beast," and "A Change in Me" Is my biggest obstacle yet. Awesome song, but a huge obstacle nonetheless.
Ashley Brown sings "A Change in Me" in "On the Record." She actually left "Beauty and the Beast" recently, and is going to star as Mary Poppins on Broadway in the fall. I can't wait to see that.
As for "Voyage of the Little Mermaid," I doubt it's going anywhere anytime soon. I always enjoy it when I visit WDW. It is a bit disjointed ("Under the Sea" opens the show, correct?). However, the combination of puppetry, animation, and live actors make for a very entertaining break from the Florida sun. My only gripe with the show is Prince Eric. It is way too obvious that the actor who plays him is lip-synching to a pre-recorded voice track at the end. I could be wrong. Maybe all that water from traveling down to the sea is clogging my ears. But I seem to recall a huge audio discrepancy between the actress who plays Ariel and Eric when they reunite during the finale.