Top 5 Disney Songs from the Stage Musicals

For a bit of context, whenever Disney makes a stage musical based on one of their films, they will usually include all or at least two of the following:

• All or most of the songs from the source material
• Songs written for the original film but cut (such as Human Again in Beauty and the Beast, and Proud of Your Boy in Aladdin)
• Songs written exclusively for the stage production

I have covered the first two in previous reviews, so it is fitting that I should cover some of the songs written exclusively for the stage versions. I will be discussing when this song takes place in the show (so there will definitely be spoilers), the impact it has on the overall story, and my overall thoughts on the number. As was the case with the previous two reviews of this nature, I will only be doing one song per production, so each show gets their chance in the spotlight (pun intended). I will also be including links to the songs for you to listen to, so you can develop your opinions on which ones you like as well. 

#5: I Need to Know, Tarzan

(Source: TLMBroadway193)

Plotwise, this song takes place during the scene where the young Tarzan is trying to determine who (or what) he is, after a fallout with the gorilla tribe's leader, Kerchak. This song could serve as the customary "I want" number in a musical, something the original 1999 film lacked. Tarzan is trying to determine where he belongs and his place in the world, unaware of his humanity at this point in the story. He is later comforted by his adoptive gorilla mother, Kala, whom essentially informs him that even though they look different, they are indeed one in the same. I like how this song is used to develop Tarzan as a character, and sets up his development for the rest of the production (considering it directly precedes the iconic Son of Man from the original movie).

#4: Esmeralda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(Source: Adam Ostrowski)

At this point in the production, we have learned of the desires of both Quasimodo and his adoptive father, Archdeacon Frollo. Essentially, they have the same desire, "the gypsy known as Esmeralda". Matter of fact, Frollo's desire for Esmeralda is so insane, he decides to burn down a majority of Paris simply to locate her; it essentially sounds like a stalker horror gone completely wrong. It serves as a turning point for the majority of the main characters; Phoebus turns on Frollo, Esmeralda decides to stand up for herself and the gypsies, we begin to see Quasimodo rebelling against his master, and Frollo (of course) goes insane. The song serves as a powerful finale for the show's first act, leaving the production on a powerful (and somewhat bleak) cliffhanger. Like the song preceding it (Hellfire) and The Lion King's Be Prepared (coincidentally, Frollo's actor played Scar in The Lion King), this is definitely one song that will send massive chills down your spine. 

#3: He Lives in You, The Lion King

(Source: TheSonicMaster123)

After reuniting with Nala and being persuaded to return to the Pride Lands to reclaim his throne, Simba is left confused on what he should do. He still believes he is the one who killed Mufasa, which makes him reluctant to return home. Essentially, this song takes place during the scene where Simba sees his father's ghost (one of my favorite Disney moments), and gives a powerful message; even though some are gone physically, they still live on in all of us. The message and Swahili vocals alone make this song one of my favorites, in addition to it taking place during my favorite part of The Lion King. Matter of fact, this song is so good, it serves as the opening for The Lion King II as an analogue to Circle of Life. It is one that reinvigorates and is a powerful showstopper before the final confrontation with Scar.

#2: A Million Miles Away, Aladdin

(Source: DisneyMusicVEVO)

After Aladdin and Jasmine meet, the audience learns of their desire to escape their current situations; Al wants to break away from being a street rat, and Jasmine does not want to be in an arranged marriage she has no consent to. They both decide to run away from Agrabah and start life anew, having only each other's company. A Million Miles Away discusses their plan and what they hope to expect from it, while also being a beautiful romantic ballad for the two. Matter of fact, this song also sets up their later meeting and A Whole New World, as hinted by Aladdin's short reprise at the beginning of the aforementioned song. I wish this song (or some equivalent to it) was used in the 2019 remake of Aladdin, as it would have further built their relationship. I love the song because it furthers the characters' development, it has a beautiful melody, and it hints at their relationship later in the show. Not having a duet like this in the remake was definitely a missed opportunity for the production staff.

#1: If I Can't Love Her, Beauty and the Beast

(Source: disneysoundtrack89)

Of course, my number one pick on this list is from my favorite stage musical, Beauty and the Beast; specifically, the finale of the show's first act. Taking place after Beast scares Belle out of the castle, the former begins to lament on possibly losing his only chance to break his curse. If he does not change his ways soon, "he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time". The song serves as the beginning of Beast's character development, along with being somewhat of an apology to those he's affected. It makes you want to cheer for the success of this character, and see him through his wish to regain his lost humanity. Like A Million Miles Away in Aladdin, If I Can't Love Her should have also been in its respective live action remake. Having this song and Evermore would have made perfect bookends to Beast's character development. (On a side note, I am glad that production I saw at Shawnee Mission Theater in the Park thought similarly. Instead of performing  If I Can't Love Her's reprise like usual, they performed Evermore instead. While I understand they were paying tribute to the recently released remake by doing so, it was definitely a smart move and gave Beast another well-deserved ballad.)

What are some of your favorite songs from Disney's stage musicals? What are some of your favorite musical numbers in general? Feel free to leave a comment below and discuss! Additionally, feel free to give me a follow for future updates on the blog. 

Spider-Man Far From Home (Minor Spoilers)

(Image Source: iMDb)

While I am elated that Spider-Man is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I feel Sony and Marvel's handling of this incarnation of the character has been a mixed bag. Don't get me wrong, I think Tom Holland's take on the character is pretty solid with plenty of room to grow. I understand this version of Peter Parker is relatively new to the hero business, and still has much to learn about being a superhero. However, as of now, I rank this take on the character between his predecessors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield; he nails both sides of the character, the quirkiness of Peter Parker and the witty heroics of Spider-Man. Unfortunately, Marvel and Sony have been touting him more as Iron Man Jr., rather than a hero of his own. This was my biggest complaint with Spider-Man Homecoming, and it is definitely one of the bigger faults of Spider-Man: Far From Home. It seems Marvel definitely wants to make him one of the new faces of this franchise, but if they want to do so effectively, they need to let Spider-Man stand on his own and not in the constant shadow of Tony Stark. I think Jon Favreau's character (Happy Hogan) says it best, he's not the next Iron Man and he is never going to be Iron Man. With that little rant out of the way, how does Far From Home hold up as an installment of the MCU and as a Spider-Man solo film? Honestly, while it was solid in both regards, I felt it was simply another "filler" episode like Ant Man and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Acting as an epilogue to the MCU's Infinity Saga, Far From Home takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. The film does well in setting up a Post-Avengers world through the perspective of Peter Parker, and giving us a taste of the world in Phase 4 (and possibly beyond). The basic premise surrounds Peter and his classmates taking a class trip to Europe; unfortunately, the vacation is hijacked by SHIELD commander, Nick Fury, and a mysterious person known as Quentin Beck. Similar to how Homecoming paid homage to John Hughes' "high school comedy" films of the 1980s, Far From Home seems to pay tribute to the National Lampoon Vacation series, most notably National Lampoon's European Vacation. The viewer joins Peter and his classmates as they travel across the European countryside, visiting notable locations such as Venice, Prague, and London. It is interesting to see Spider-Man in a location outside of his usual New York, and offers something new to longtime fans of the character. While I enjoyed the change in scenery, it adds very little to the overall production; the filmmakers could have kept it in New York and the plot would have remained mostly the same. They still would have kept Peter feeling lost after Endgame, his budding romance with Zendaya's version of MJ, and the conflict surrounding Nick Fury and Quentin Beck's overall mission. Speaking of Quentin Beck, his version of Mysterio was an amazing visual spectacle, but was unfortunately lacking as a character. While I understand Gyllenhal was attempting to portray him as supposedly the opposite of his comic book counterpart, it unfortunately comes off as pretentious. However, I suppose that simply adds another layer to Mysterio, adding to his overall "illusion". I will say I liked the interactions between Parker and Beck, with the latter acting as another mentor to him in his time of need.
In regard to Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury, he was once again at the top of his game and was easily my favorite character in the film. (Marvel, can we please get a Nick Fury movie? That would be amazing!) I also enjoyed some of the supporting cast, such as Zendaya's MJ, but I felt there was one subplot involving them that Marvel was being a bit pushy with. Thankfully, that particular one ends along with this film.
Overall, Far From Home is solid as both an installment in the MCU and as a Spider-Man film; however I feel it was a lacking and unnecessary one. It felt more like a filler episode than a major chapter, aside from the mid-credits scene which is one of the few noteworthy parts of this film, and sets up the character's overall future. If you are looking to marathon the MCU in its entirety, this one can be considered optional since it does not contribute much to the overall narrative. The action scenes were pretty solid, I will give them that. It is worth watching out of curiosity, and seeing where the franchise is going after Endgame. Hopefully, the inevitable Spider-Man 3 fixes many of these missteps and gives us a fitting conclusion to Peter's high school years. What did you think of this movie? Feel free to discuss in the comments below, and be sure to follow for more updates from Reviews and Retrospectives.