Theater Thursday - Beaches

We received complimentary tickets to Beaches for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own. 

What: Beaches

Where: Majestic Theatre 

             245 W. 44th St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through September 6, 2026

Me - Beaches is based on the 1985 book and the 1988  movie of the same name about a lifelong friendship between two women. I have never read the book or seen the movie, so I had no point of comparison in terms of the plot. That said, I enjoyed the story even though it was sad. I didn't love the conflict between the two main characters, C.C. and Bertie, because the incident that led up to it didn't feel significant enough to lead to it.  However, I still enjoyed the friendship between the two women overall. 

The highlight of the show was a phenomenal performance by Jessica Vosk as C.C. Her acting was great, but her voice especially blew me away. She makes singing appear effortless. The little girl who played young C.C. was also extremely talented, especially for someone so young. She radiated star power, and I can definitely see her going far in her future. 

Mom  - If you attend the show Beaches expecting to see a replication of the popular movie, you will be disappointed. Although the basic story of a lifelong friendship between two women is the same, many of the details adhere more to the original book than the movie. One of the characters' names isn't even the same. In the book, the main characters were named C.C. (short for Cecilia) and Bertie (short for Roberta). In the movie, for some inexplicable reason, Bertie was changed to Hillary, but here it is back to Bertie. 

The songs from the movie have also mostly all been scrapped here. Admittedly, there were some pretty odd songs in the movie, but there were some nice ones too. None of the new songs are very memorable, although a few may hit hard for any woman who has ever lost a best girlfriend. The only song from the movie that remains is the popular "The Wind Beneath My Wings", but it is more of an afterthought here than an actual part of the story, which does not mean that it is not a highlight of the show, as Jessica Vosk does sing the hell out of it.

In fact, Jessica Vosk as C.C. is a powerhouse all-around. Her acting and dancing are both great, but her singing is particularly phenomenal.  Unfortunately, here, however,  unlike in the movie, where Bette Midler's C.C. did most of the singing, the vocals are more shared not just between older C.C. and Bertie but among other characters as well. Although all of the singing is good, none of the others can hold a candle to Vosk in that department.

Of course, Kelli Barrett, as Bertie, has the thankless job of playing the less showy role.  Her Bertie spends most of her time contending with an overbearing mother (a character that didn't even exist in the movie) and a domineering husband. Both aim to control her and make sure she stays a good little wifey, and doesn't exercise autonomy and become the lawyer she dreams of.  Although it's easy to sympathize with her, it's not as easy to admire her as the confident, strong, and fiercely independent C.C.

There is one other standout in the cast aside from Jessica Vosk, however. Samantha Schwartz, in the role of young C.C., is an absolute firecracker. She acts, sings, and dances up a storm, and even though her character appears more in the show than in the movie, it is still not enough. We will surely see more of her in the future, and I, for one, look forward to it. 

And that's our view. For more about Beaches or to purchase tickets, visit beachesthemusical.com.

Tune in Saturday for Still More Theater Saturday.

Photo credits:

All Beaches production photos by Marc J. Franklin

Images used in this post were sent by publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission.  Any Concerns regarding image usage can be addressed here.