Beaches (musical)

Beaches
2026 Broadway production poster
MusicMike Stoller
LyricsIris Rainer Dart
BookIris Rainer Dart
Thom Thomas
BasisBeaches (1985)
By: Iris Rainer Dart
PremiereFebruary 8, 2014: Signature Theatre
Productions2026 Broadway

Beaches is a stage musical with music by Mike Stoller, lyrics by Iris Rainer Dart, and a book by Dart and Thom Thomas. It is based on Dart's 1985 novel of the same name.

The show tells the story of two women, Cee Cee Bloom and Bertie White, lifelong friends who begin as pen pals and navigate life together through its trials and tribulations. The title comes from the beach in Atlantic City where the two girls first meet as children.

The show includes the Grammy Award-winning song "Wind Beneath My Wings", written by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley, made famous by Bette Midler in the 1988 Disney film version of the story.

The musical opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre on April 22, 2026 to negative reviews.

Production history

The show had its world premiere at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia beginning February 8, 2014 and running through March 29, directed by Eric D. Schaeffer. In its original production, the show's music was written by David Austin.[1][2]

The show next moved to Chicago again directed by Schaeffer, where it was performed at the Drury Lane Oakbrook Theatre from July 2 until August 16, 2015.[3] Book writer Thom Thomas died in December 2015, halting further progress on the show.[4]

Nearly a decade later, in 2024, the show was re-tooled with new music by Mike Stoller, orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, and a revised book by Dart. The show opened at Theatre Calgary on May 18 running until June 16, 2024, co-directed by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart.[5][6]

In 2025, it was announced this production of the show would transfer to Broadway for a limited run, opening on April 22, 2026 and closing on September 6, before embarking on a national tour.[7]

This production played its final performance on May 24th, 2026, earlier than its original closing date, September 6th, after 38 regular performances and 28 preview performances.

Characters

  • Cecelia Carol "Cee Cee" Bloom - a street-smart singer and actress from the Bronx
  • Roberta "Bertie" White - a waifish book-smart girl and eventual lawyer from San Francisco
  • John Perry - a love interest for both Cee and Bertie and eventual husband of Cee Cee
  • Leona Bloom - Cee Cee's brassy, overbearing stage mother
  • Rose White - Bertie's stuffy, high society mother
  • Michael Barron - a lawyer and Bertie's eventual husband
  • Nina Barron - Bertie and Michael's daughter
  • Janice Carnes - Bertie's caretaker

Original casts

Character World Premiere (2014) Chicago (2015) Calgary (2024) Broadway (2026)
Cee Cee Bloom Alysha Umphress Shoshana Bean Jessica Vosk
Bertie White Mara Davi Whitney Bashor Kelli Barrett
John Perry Matthew Scott Travis Taylor Brent Thiessen
Michael Barron Cliff Samuels Jim DeSelm Nathan Gibb Johnson Ben Jacoby
Leona Bloom Donna Migliaccio Nancy Voigts Jamie Konchak Sarah Bockel
Cee Cee Bloom (teen) Gracie Jones Samantha Pauly Jillian Hubler-McManus Bailey Ryon
Bertie White (teen) Maya Brettell Olivia Renteria Katie McMillan Emma Ogea
Rose White Helen Hedman Kelly Anne Clark Emily Dallas Lael Van Keuren

Musical numbers

2024 Canadian & 2026 Broadway Production.

Reception

The show's Broadway run received largely mixed to negative reviews, with many publications criticizing the weak score and low budget staging. Laura Collins-Hughes for The New York Times stated "Bertie’s impending death is the frame for the story of their friendship, the telling of which is distractingly sloppy",[8], while Adam Feldman for Time Out called it "mostly...just banal and inconsistent, particularly in Bertie’s material."[9] Greg Evans of Deadline called the stage adaptation of Beaches "a mostly forgettable endeavor" down to its core, saying that the production failed to convey the original film's "slight if soggy" charms because of what he saw as the tackiness of the sets, performances, and character.[10] Sarah Hearon of Entertainment Weekly said that Bertie's character development was stunted because the storyline attempted to hew closely to the original novel.[11] Richard Lawson of The Guardian regarded the set as relying too extensively on projections, and he said the musical's book, while "often amusing and joke-filled", did not do much emotionally to build up toward the show's climax.[12] Both Hearon and Lawson praised Vosk's performance.[11][12]

Awards and nominations

Broadway production

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2026 Drama League Awards Outstanding Production of a Musical Nominated [13][14]
Distinguished Performance Jessica Vosk Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical Nominated [15]

References

  1. ↑ "Beaches - Feb 18 - Mar 29, 2014". Signature Theatre. Archived from the original on 19 April 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  2. ↑ Choochan, Gail (2014-03-13). "Be swept away by 'Beaches'". The Free Lance-Star. p. 38. Retrieved 2026-01-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ Viagas, Robert (6 July 2015). "The Verdict: Read Reviews for Broadway-Bound Musical Beaches". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-04-26. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  4. ↑ "THOMAS THOMAS Obituary (2015) - Legacy Remembers". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  5. ↑ Murphy, Aisling (2024-04-08). "Beaches the Musical cast, creative team announced | Intermission". Intermission Magazine. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  6. ↑ Hobson, Louis B. (2024-05-18). "Reflections on the winding path to Beaches". Calgary Herald. pp. C2. Retrieved 2026-01-31 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Gans, Andrew (20 March 2025). "Beaches Musical Will Launch National Tour in 2026". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2025-12-16. Retrieved 2026-01-31.
  8. ↑ "'Beaches Review': A Classic Weepie Dries Its Tears". 23 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Broadway review: Beaches be trippin'". 23 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Evans, Greg (2026-04-23). "'Beaches' Broadway Review: '80s Tearjerker Washes Out As Stage Musical". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  11. 1 2 Hearon, Sarah (April 22, 2026). "Beaches review: You'll laugh and, yes, you'll cry on Broadway". EW. Retrieved May 8, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Lawson, Richard (2026-04-23). "Beaches review – 80s weepie makes for soggy Broadway musical". The Guardian. Retrieved 2026-05-08.
  13. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 20, 2026). "2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  14. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Archived from the original on 20 April 2026. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  15. ↑ "Announcing the 2026 Outer Critics Circle winners: Full list". Broadway News. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
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