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Have you noticed the skyline glowing a shade of enchanted purple in the Marina Bay Sands area lately? It’s all to welcome Disney’s Beauty and the Beast to Sands Theatre for its only stop in Asia. After the massive successes of Frozen and Aladdin here, the bar for Disney Theatrical productions in Singapore is at about the same altitude as the MBS Infinity Pool.
And Singapore fans are embracing it; as I found my seat, a young lady glided in, resplendent in a brilliant yellow gown so magnificent that I honestly mistook her for a cast member mingling with fans. The suggested Cocktail dress code is in keeping with the beautiful BATB photo op installations in the Sands Theatre foyer. Dress up to take full advantage for your photos — the setting is the best of all the musicals I have watched at Sands Theatre.
My standard disclaimer: I am no seasoned theatre veteran. But add to that the fact that I haven’t watched the 1991 animated film, either, and I really was a blank slate for Beauty and the Beast. I am very happy to revel in my ignorance — it lets me enjoy the unfolding of a plot as a child would, free of foreknowledge and easy pickings for every shocking plot twist.
Performance
Leading the show is Shubshri Kandiah as Belle. If she looks familiar, it’s probably because you saw her take the stage as Princess Jasmine. Of course, the character of Belle is “not waiting for a prince”, and the idea is conveyed here less gratingly than Rachel Zegler’s version. She may be a bookworm but she’s also a plucky lass, jousting verbally on par with man and Beast alike.
Opposite her, Brendan Xavier’s Beast is somewhat underdeveloped and underutilised. My impression from his name was that he would be a loathsome, terrifying character. Instead, both his lines and Xavier’s portrayal convey an impertinent child. It works great for comedy at certain times (a little boy in the audience roared back at him at one point) but perhaps undermines the breadth of the character’s ultimate transition.
Rohan Browne as Lumiere does steal the show, particularly in the scenes that he shares with Gareth Jacobs who plays Cogsworth. Their comedy, simple and playful, is endearing. Another pair that bounce off each other well are the very talented Jackson Head, perfect as Gaston, and Adam Di Martino‘s Le Fou. Jayde Westaby as Mrs Potts and Mark Owen-Taylor as Belle’s father, Maurice round off the main cast.
A couple of the song sequences are especially good. My favourite — and clearly the crowd’s, too — was Be Our Guest. It is an extended sequence that combines Busby Berkeley-type choreography, can-can dancing, tap dancing and various other dancings for a visual feast to accompany the lively music. It ends, very appropriately, in a shower of streamers over the audience. This is probably the closest you can get to a true Broadway experience in Singapore.
Final thoughts
Despite the doom and gloom of the Beast stomping about, the castle came across as a very happy place. The relationships between all the characters who live there are intelligently written, creating multi-layered, endearing personalities. I don’t think I have thought so fondly of the side characters of any other musical.
The only criticism I have is that the Beast sometimes seems to lack agency and almost plays a side role; I found myself wondering if Gaston got more time on stage than the eponymous character. Fortunately, that time is well spent.
Beauty and the Beast did not feel like it was 145 minutes (including the 20-minutes intermission) long, which I did not expect. It has just the right blend of humour, intrigue and classic appeal that will keep the whole family entertained.
Beauty and the Beast plays at Sands Theatre until 25 Jan 2026.
Get your tickets from S$64 on Klook
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