'80s Tearjerker Washes Out As Stage Musical

Key Points:

• The Broadway musical "Beaches, A New Musical," based on the 1988 film, opens to largely negative reviews, criticized for its broad performances, cartoonish characters, and cheap-looking sets that fail to capture the original's charm.
• The story follows the lifelong friendship between CeeCee and Bertie, portrayed as brash and prim characters respectively, but the musical struggles to make their relationship convincing beyond nostalgic appeal.
• Jessica Vosk's portrayal of adult CeeCee channels Bette Midler heavily, with an over-the-top performance style, while Kelli Barrett's Bertie is more restrained but lacks depth, leaving the audience questioning the characters' bond.
• The musical's score by Mike Stoller and inclusion of the iconic song "Wind Beneath My Wings" fail to elevate the production, with the hit song's nostalgic power tied mainly to Midler's original performance rather than the show itself.
• Supporting roles, including the caricatured mothers and smarmy male characters, receive little praise, though Zurin Villanueva’s natural performance as a hospice caretaker offers a glimpse of potential that the overall production misses.