Review Roundup: Critics Sound Off On BEACHES at Theatre Calgary

Beaches the Musical, starring Kelli Barrett (Bertie)  and Jessica Vosk (Cee Cee), is now on stage at Theatre Calgary through June 16th, 2024. 

Rounding out the cast are Cecilia Currie (Little Bertie), Emily Dallas (Rose, Ensemble, Bertie Cover), Jillian Huber-McManus (Teen Cee Cee,  Ensemble), Sierra Holder (Janice, Ensemble), Nathan Gibb Johnson (Michael Barron, Ensem ble), Jamie Konchak (Leona, Ensemble), Hailey Loyns (Cover), Kayla MacKenzie (Cover), Katie  McMillan (Teen Bertie, Ensemble, Bertie Cover), Brent Thiessen (John Perry, Ensemble), Addison  Wagman (Little Cee Cee), Alba Evora Weiler (Nina), and Eric Wigston (Cover).  

The creative team for Beaches the Musical includes scenic design by James Noone (Theatre  Calgary: The Louder We Get; Broadway: Sunset Boulevard, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, A  Bronx Tale), costume design by Tracy Christensen (Broadway: Sunset Boulevard, Harold Prince: The  Director’s Life), lighting design by Ken Billington (Broadway: New York, New York, Waitress, Chicago), sound design by Kai Harada (Broadway: Merrily We Roll Along, Allegiance, Kimberly Akimbo), projection design by David Bengali (Broadway: Water for Elephants, The Thanksgiving Play; UK: Bhangra  Nation), and wig/make-up design by J. Jared Janas (Backstage Artistry).

Tickets for Beaches the Musical are now on sale at theatrecalgary.com.

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Louis B. Hobson, Calgary Herald: It’s essentially a work in progress, and what Calgary audiences are fortunate enough to witness, is a most promising endeavour, because few expenses were spared to import the top talent to mount it. [...] Even if it could do with a few more rewrites and some tweaking, this Beaches is slick and classy, and, from a pure entertainment standpoint, it looks and sounds good, and is genuinely rewarding.

Stephen Hunt, CTV News: The book, by Beaches author Iris Rainer Dart, and playwright Thom Thomas, feels undercooked and sketchy – but so did The Producers and it won 12 Tonys, so who’s to say? Musicals have their own love language, which generally involves singing your feelings so suspend your disbelief and hum along. And while the book might not exactly nourish your ears, Rainer Dart has a real talent with lyrics, particularly when Currie's young Bertie is carefully enunciating them.

Jacqueline Louie, Intermission Magazine: A two-and-a-half hour show, including a 20-minute intermission, Beaches the Musical is a crowd-pleaser, garnering chuckles at the jokes, applause after most of the songs, and a standing ovation at the conclusion of last Friday’s premiere.  If you have a yen for catchy tunes, love stories, and everything else that makes the most successful Broadway productions so memorable and universal, invite your bestie to Theatre Calgary to see Beaches the Musical. 

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