Beauty and the Beast

I'm playing in a pit for a high school production of Beauty and the Beast this week. I can't remember the last time I saw the Disney film, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'd ever seen the full production before, although I have vague memories of possibly seeing it as a young kid. (If I did in fact see it, this is where my parents roll their eyes and realize all those culturally enriching experiences were wasted on me...sorry, Mom and Dad!) Anyway, I had forgotten how much I love the music. Despite some slightly horrific singing at times, the kids are doing a good job and the music itself shines through. As we read through the first rehearsal last night, I'm pretty sure I was tearing up during "Tale as Old as Time" at the end, after the Beast is transformed and everyone is "Human Again."



But nobody, nobody, can sing that song like Angela Lansbury:



All in all a wonderful show to play with really lovely string parts.