BEAUTY AND THE BEAST IN CONCERT
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Special medley performed live by Alan Menken
Special appearance by Page O’Hara
Performed by The Orchestra Japan
Conducted by Richard Carsey
Belle sung by Mone Kamishiraishi
The Beast sung by Ikusaburo Yamazaki
February 22, 2020
Yokohama Arena
Kanagawa, Japan
PART 1: BEFORE THE WORLD CHANGED
This was the last concert I attended before COVID-19 arrived and turned the world upside down.
In light of what was happening in the news at the time, I wasn’t even sure this concert was going to happen, so I repeatedly checked the organizer website in the lead up to the concert.
Luckily enough for all the fans, the concert did go ahead but there was one rule in place: we had to mask. While there was no government mandated rule to mask at the time, this being Japan meant that everyone would be doing it anyway.
The last time I wore a mask was when I had measles a few years earlier, and even though I was masking for very short periods in my house when I went to the bathroom or downstairs to grab a drink, it was hard to breathe – it still is now, even after 4 years of regular masking!
In any case, I did my best – fully masked – for the 2-hour commute to and from Yokohama Arena as well as during the concert itself.
PART 2: PRE-CONCERT TALK & SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
Stepping into the auditorium of Yokohama Arena I was immediately taken aback by the gorgeous design of the stage and screen. Perfect for selfies and Instagram posts, it gave an air of elegance and prestige to the concert.
Now, although this was billed as an “in concert, live-to-picture” event, the main draw for me was to see Alan Menken, the soundtrack’s original composer, perform a live medley at the piano of his most beloved songs for Disney films. He did this right after a short on-stage interview with Paige O’Hara, the original voice of Belle in the film.
To hear Menken sing and perform his iconic songs at the piano was truly magical and left many in the audience wiping away tears throughout the lengthy performance. Every piece vividly recalled the scenes they were written for and proved, beyond a doubt, that Alan Menken is one of the greatest songwriters of our time.
It just wasn’t possible to choose a highlight during the medley because all of them were gold. But by the time the medley got to the final bars of the last piece, “A whole new world” from ALADDIN, I was struggling to hold back the tears; the stripped-down arrangement for piano complete with Menken’s sincere and comforting vocals was a truly transcendent moment.
PART 3: A LIVE-TO-PICTURE PERFORMANCE
The concert proper was, despite my initial reservations, excellent.
See, I tend to write off film music concerts that aren’t conducted or performed by the original artists, but this was any exceptionally good performance under the skilled baton of Richard Carsey. The orchestra hit every beat and accompanied every climax to perfection. In fact, it was so good that I completely forgot that a live orchestra was playing until they took their final bows at the end!
The Japanese singers also did a bang-up job throughout the night, successfully putting their own stamp on the many iconic songs while retaining the spirit of the originals.
The concert ended with an utterly gorgeous rendition of the title song. The Japanese vocal, by Mone Kamishiraishi and Ikusaburo Yamazaki, really brought out the beauty of the song and helped the melody shine. I actually preferred it to the original! It truly is a shame then that there is no official recording of it…
PART 4: CONCERT MERCH
As with all Disney concerts in Japan, there was a large array of concert merch on sale at the venue.
Let me to draw your attention to the fabulous concert program as an example of how to produce a good concert program. It’s extremely informative, printed on beautiful paper, chock full of production photos, full song lyrics, and even a map of the orchestra explaining what each instrument does!
PART 5: VIP TICKETS!
I had coughed up the cash for a special VIP ticket and received the following when I arrived at the venue: the program, a Gaston towel, and a limited edition A4-sized clear file. I also bought the standard non-limited clear file.
The VIP ticket also gave me seating in the main arena block. While I was towards the back of the VIP area near the audio mixing board, there was another benefit that I did not expect: Alan Menken sitting a few rows away from me when the concert began! He disappeared before the intermission though, no doubt to avoid being mobbed by all his Japanese fans.
There was one final surprise for VIP ticket holders. During the curtain call, beautiful Styrofoam roses floated down from the roof into our seating area, with one falling directly onto my right shoulder. But before I had time to take it, the person behind me grabbed it – I know, how rude right?! 😅
As people were filing out of the arena, I quickly scanned the floor for an “undamaged” rose as many had been trodden on or broken. It took some time, but I found a pristine rose which I have preserved for your viewing pleasure 😊
PART 6: OTHER ALAN MENKEN CONCERT REVIEWS
Three years after this concert I again had the pleasure of seeing Alan Menken perform live in concert in Osaka. You can read about my memories of that wonderful concert here.
PART 7: OVER TO YOU
Did you also go to this concert? How did you like it?
And what did you think of my report? Feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly in the “Contact Me” section.
