North Shore Music Theatre — Attraction in Beverly

Dear Mr. Hanney,

I went to see the musical, "Beauty & the Beast" with my parents and three children under 12. I must sadly admit that I was very disappointed in the production that advertised to be kid-friendly & family friendly but in reality was not. In addition, I was in utter disbelief with a couple of scenes like the "Be Our Guest" number where the napkin girls do the "Can-Can" without any petticoats, then proceed to flip their skirts wide open thereby showing the audience their vivid red underwear front and back...essentially 'mooning' the audience which included a large number of small children. I had to cover my children's eyes!!

Furthermore, the tavern scene was decorated with flags—two of which were obvious political and/or religious statements. Why must you polemicize at a children’s show: does everything need to be politicized? It’s a never-ending bombardment of statements that puts people like myself off. There are times that adults want to enjoy a simple fairy-tale with their children, especially when the political statements have no bearing on the story itself. On a side note as a critique of the set design, one of the flags looked like the Flag of Scotland…why didn’t you have a French flag in the tavern considering the fairy-tale is set in France?

Penultimately, my family and I did not appreciate nor understand the liberties that were taken in scenes of the musical that weren’t even in the 1991 Disney Animation of “Beauty & The Beast.” In the town, Gaston tells the townspeople his intention to marry Belle, and the three blonde-haired Mesdemoiselles exclaimed their disappointments. However, he assures them that they will continue their licentious liaisons together despite his marital status changing in the use of a double entendre. Another scene at the castle includes Lumiere and Babette arguing about each other’s various failed relationships and naming past lovers. Was any of this asinine brouhaha necessary? Impressionable children are present! Finally, why did you decide to dumb down the Beast’s intelligence? In the 1991 version and the 2017 version, Belle & Beast connect, kindred spirits, on their love of books, while the antagonist Gaston is an imbecilic foil showing the stark contrast. Why would you knowingly diminish one of the Beast’s greatest character strengths, thus re-writing the love story?

In conclusion, North Shore Music Theatre has lost my business. I was planning on signing up for my own yearly membership but I’ve decided against it. My parents have a yearly membership but will not be renewing their membership due to this intentional and controversial debacle.

Sincerely,

Cecilia Hale Updated on August 8, 2017: I sent Bill Hanney my review and this is what he said, "It’s a Disney show get real and see you later."~Bill Hanney

I have heard from the grapevine that Mr. Hanney is unpleasant and very cumbersome to deal with as a person and as an owner, especially when it comes to constructive criticism or anything that goes against his Machiavellian agenda. Bill Hanney's mantra is his way or the highway, which causes an insalubrious environs for his employees, staff, and patrons. It's apparent to me that he's flippant and uncouth when it comes to a parent's concern. All Bill cares about is making money. I would have appreciated a modicum of decorum and civility when he had responded to my e-mail with a formal response considering the time I took to address him but instead I receive a churlish and grammatically fragmented detritus which he was so kind enough to carbon copy his serfs i.e. subordinates. I'm looking forward to passing along Bill's e-mail to my parents' friends who are also supporters of North Shore Music Theatre at the moment and see what their thoughts are on the matter. Yes, it is a Disney show, so why does he have the need to overtly debauch, sexualize, and politicize a classic and tarnish a supposed kid friendly brand like...

Horrible experience due to staff's total disregard for HP people and monitoring of them at all times. They boast that they are HP friendly and considerate to all even people with dementia. Not the case! Here's why: we were not allowed into any door. They had made us walk and walk around being sent from one end to the other before allowing us into the seating area. Very painful experience. SI and AR walking issues. We were at the right area and were sent on a wilde goos chase by staff that dont know where B section is and how all doors lead to the same area inside. Then the staff police then relentlessly aggravate the patrons who have disabilities endlessly made my HP teen cry because they have each staff at doors it seems on bungee cords running down at you from behind to bug you. Worse than school monitors. We where wondering if you just bought tickets into a weird experience of toture. One women at the doors had harassed my Make a Wish kid for having her cell phone in her hand and on her lap as she needed to hold it for anxiety and to read what they were saying on an app because they voices of the actors fluctuate and sometimes you can't hear whats going on. Just overpriced tickets for a show for the amount of visual blocking they do with their positioning of actors and huge puppets. They put them to stand directly in front of one side blocking any ability to see anything even the total ending of the show. When they have big paths where no on is seated at. At times when no actors are using these pathways. They keep them clear of actors puppets but instead position them to stand for long times in front of the stage action like a huge wall where they could position the people on stage to stand and not block the show for the patrons to see something. The online purchase say show what's blocked seating and it did not show anything bait and switch. We were totally blocked throughout the show. Never going here again and we drove 1hour 45 min there and back to be wardened and bugged. Totally waist of money gas and time. The theater was made to be so cold we had to leave and miss the beginning and buy a blanket for sale there so my youngest child won't freeze inside making me miss alot of the show and I had to find the staff to make a purchase $30 little blanket. This is not a way to treat people who spent alot $190 tickets hoping to have a good time and relax. It was not at all a delight! More like staff that were incompetent with what door to go into and like an experiment gone wrong with policing patrons all the time who wants to be policed at a show that was soposed to be ADA friendly. They even would not allow me to photograph my kids in their oun seats and not the actors at all. A big time downer and the staff seem power hungry and have no care at all for people's experience except to boss them around and force them to not hold onto their own electronics when it is in their oŵn possession. I been to so many shows and never had thisbtype of running down the path to your seat to distract and punish you for being HP disabled. So if this is what your hoping for a prisoner warden type situation where the policing is done by idiots power hungery abusive jerks with tons of blocked actor's backs for you to not see a thing and bad audio wher you cant hear at times and using huge puppets to block out total scenes to you then enjoy yourself here. We even got harassed by the parking staff at the jump should have been our first clue how this...

Last evening we had the rare treat of bringing my family to an exceptionally well produced version of Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella. As an avid theatergoer with years of professional experience I give my unqualified "double thumbs up" to a remarkable, professional rendition of this classic musical. Every aspect of the production - acting, singing, and dancing; production values, and overall ambience of the theater-going experience were par excellence. And although the theater held a sell-out crowd of 1800, the proximity of a large segment of the audience to the stage action (intertwined with liberal use of aisles) qualifies the experience as an intimate performance. The genuine enthusiasm of the ushers and theater personnel transmit a family business vibe immediately - most welcoming to the patrons, and especially younger ones. I defy any professional production to best the startling quality of the vocals - dead on in terms of intonation and timbre, all aided and abetted by a tastefully mixed audio production and sound design, and an amazing pit orchestra which never overpowered and always delivered. A special shout out to Kevin Hill, Producing Artistic Director who executed a choreographic tour de force in that most challenging of stage environments - theater-in-the-round, and masterfully executed by an enchanting cast . Costumes, lighting, special effects - all on a high level of professionalism. Thank you for a great evening out. HIGHLY...