Beaches. Based on the novel by Iris Rainer Dart. Developed in collaboration with David Austin. Book by Iris Rainer Dart and Thom Thomas. Music by Mike Stoller. Lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart. Directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart. Choreography by Jennifer Rias. Music supervisor and arranger Joseph Thalken. Scenic design by James Noone. Costume design by Tracy Christensen. Lighting design by Ken Billington. Sound design by Kai Harada. Video design by David Bengali. Wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas. Music director Paul Staroba. Orchestrations by Charlie Rosen. Music coordinator Michael Aarons/M-Squared Music. Associate director Neil Robinson. Associate choreographer Travis Waldschmidt.
Cast: Jessica Vosk, Zeya Grace, Samantha Schwartz, Sarah Bockel, Lael Van Keuren, Emma Ogea, Bailey Ryon, Kelli Barrett, Ben Jacoby, Brent Thiessen, Harper Burns, and Zurin Villanueva.
Theater: Majestic Theatre
Tickets: Telecharge.com

Jessica Vosk and Kelli Barrett Photo by Marc J. Franklin

With a book by Iris Rainer Dart and Thom Thomas, and based, as was the 1988 movie, on Dart's novel of the same title, Beaches relates the story of a thirty-year friendship between two women who are polar opposites in almost every respect. The movie was not well received by the critics, but it has retained a following that was ample enough to encourage the developers of this musical to keep plugging away.

The central characters are Cee Cee Bloom (Jessica Vosk), brassy, self-centered, and determined to succeed in show business; and Bertie White (Kelli Barrett), quiet, refined, born into wealth and privilege. They meet as children and remain closely connected in an on-and-off friendship until Bertie's death. Unfortunately, the early scenes featuring the youngsters (Samantha Schwartz as the smartass Little Cee Cee and Zeya Grace as the genteel Little Bertie) lack credibility or charm, a problem that largely runs through the entire production.

Going back to the film for a moment, what remains most memorable is the performance of Bette Midler as Cee Cee. She delivered the goods, giving us an impactful character who is a force of nature to be reckoned with.

The Cast Photo by Marc J. Franklin

Otherwise, there is little else that rises to the level of what we expect from a full-scale Broadway musical. Since plans for a national tour were announced from the outset, perhaps the goal here was simply to get Beaches on its feet on a Broadway stage in the hopes of garnering some marketable nominations during award season.

So here's some Monday morning quarterbacking. What if the show were to amp up the Vosk-Midler connection even more by having its star perform songs drawn from Midler's career? After all, they have given "Wind Beneath My Wings" the featured end-of-show spot. Why not replace the diegetic numbers used for Cee Cee's career-related performances with some others associated with Midler?

The central story of Beaches is a compelling one, and being a tear-jerker is not necessarily a bad thing. At the performance I attended, I could hear audible sobs coming from several places around the theater. Assuming these weren't plants, it shows there is a receptive audience out there. But it will take a lot more than a few handkerchief moments to warrant this production.