A Change in Me
"A Change in Me" | |
---|---|
Song by Susan Egan | |
from the album So Far | |
Released | March 19, 2002 |
Genre | Pop |
Length | 3:49 |
Label | JAY Productions Ltd. |
Composer(s) | Alan Menken |
Lyricist(s) | Tim Rice |
Producer(s) | Craig Barna |
"A Change in Me" is a song written by composer
Appearing during the show's second act, Belle sings "A Change in Me" to her father Maurice after reuniting with him to explain how much she has matured and changed for the better while she was imprisoned at the
Background
Composer Alan Menken and lyricist Tim Rice had already written six original songs for the stage adaptation of Beauty and the Beast,[1] most of which focus on character development, including a solo for Belle entitled "Home".[2] In July 1998, American R&B singer Toni Braxton entered final negotiations to make her Broadway debut as Belle in Beauty and the Beast,[3][4] replacing actress Kim Huber in the role.[5] Despite having initial reservations due to the singer's reputation as a sex symbol, director Robert Jess Roth eventually concluded that Braxton would offer an "interesting" interpretation of Belle after first meeting with her to discuss the role and observing similarities between Braxton's own personality and the character's.[6] Once Roth forwarded his approval of the singer's casting to Disney, the studio began collaborating with Braxton's management on developing a contract stipulating that the singer would appear in the show for a three-month period.[6] However, various circumstances resulted in Braxton continuously delaying to sign the contract until she met for dinner with Menken, Rice and choreographer Matt West; Roth was out of town at the time and unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.[6]
A few days after their dinner, Braxton telephoned Ross to confirm that she had finally signed the contract; this was the first time Ross learned that Rice had apparently promised Braxton that he would write an entirely new song for her to sing in the musical if she agreed to sign the paperwork.
Context and composition
"A Change in Me" is considered to be among the musical's original songs that both advance its storyline and provide character development; "A Change in Me" specifically allows Belle to further explore and elaborate on her newfound feelings for the Beast,
"A Change in Me" was originally published in the key of D major, performed at a slow tempo.[25] A "belty" pop ballad[26] often performed within "a plaintive register",[27][28] its lead vocal spans two octaves, from E3 to F5.[25] Like most of the musical's songs, the melody of "A Change in Me" is borrowed from the film's orchestral score.[29] The New Jersey Monthly summarized "A Change in Me" as "a soaring number about how adventure comes in many forms."[30] Beginning, "There's been a change in me a kind of moving on though what I used to be",[25] the song was identified by author Thomas S. Hischak as a delicate, "moving ballad".[20] Lyrically, the song is "about being at peace with oneself and how it’s expected as you grow up."[22] It has also been described as "uplifting",[19] featuring the lyrics "I never thought I’d leave behind / My childhood dreams / But I don’t mind / I’m where and who I want to be".[18] The chorus ends "Now I love the world I see / No change of heart–a change in me".[16] Vocally, "A Change in Me" is considered to be one of the musicals two "most commanding ballads", alongside "Home", another song Belle performs in the production.[31]
Reception and impact
When Braxton debuted "A Change in Me" during her
The ballad has continued to receive praise in subsequent iterations of Beauty and the Beast, particularly touring and
The Houston Chronicle's Everett Evans described "A Change in Me" as a "serviceable ballad".[47] In a less positive review, Morgan Halaska of the Twin Cities Daily Planet felt that the ballad only "unravels everything Belle is supposed to be in its attempt to explain Belle’s motive to ditch her dreams for a dude", concluding, "She comes off as weak, nothing like the strong, independent woman she embodied in Act I."[18] L. Nicholls, writing for the Edmonton Journal, dismissed "A Change in Me" as a "sappy pop ballad", although he commended Butterfield's vocal performance.[26]
Cover versions
Since "A Change in Me" was introduced four years into Beauty and the Beast's run,
In her role as Kristen, actress
References
- ^ Jacobs, Tom (April 17, 1995). "Review: 'Beauty and the Beast'". Variety. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ISBN 9780195335330– via Google Books.
- ^ Simonson, Robert (July 8, 1998). "Beauty's Belle May Toll for Pop Star Toni Braxton". Playbill. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (April 4, 2003). "Toni Braxton Is Aida Beginning June 30". Playbill. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Baker, C. Daniel (January 29, 2013). "Toni Braxton Decoded: "Family Values" Help Put Struggling Singer Back in Spotlight". Black Enterprise. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hill, Jim (April 8, 2010). "Tune Thursday: How "A Change in Me" wound up being added to Broadway's "Beauty & the Beast"". Jim Hill Media. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c "The Originals: Disney on Broadway". D23.com. 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Karen (February 3, 2018). "Black History Month First: Toni Braxton". Live Civil. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- .
- ^ Moore, Andrew (December 24, 2014). "Review: Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" brings magic to Peace Center". GoUpstate. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Cao, Emily (June 7, 2014). "'Beauty and the Beast' at Wolf Trap". DCMetroTheaterArts. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "Beauty and the Beast (Uncensored Informal Review)". The Reel Critic. March 25, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Walsh, Katy (March 25, 2010). "Review "Disney's Beauty and The Beast": Push Play!". ChicagoNow. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Ehren, Christine (October 7, 1998). "Toni Braxton Premieres Beauty 's New Song, Oct. 7 On 'Rosie'". Playbill. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ISBN 9781480319233– via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Buck, Leo (February 9, 2016). "Sure As The Sun Will Rise 3-D Theatricals' "Beauty And The Beast" In So Cal Has 'Got No Parallel'". Buck-ing Trends. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "Page to Screen: Beauty and the Beast (1991)". The Literary Omnivore. July 8, 2011. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c Halaska, Morgan (March 11, 2015). "Theater Review | "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" enchants the Orpheum Theatre". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ a b c Ikenberg, Tamara (April 20, 2017). "Stage musical 'Beauty and the Beast' has all the familiar songs, plus some enchanting new ones". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780810869387– via Google Books.
- ^ a b Curtright, Bob (June 30, 2016). "'Beauty and the Beast' will sweep you up in wonder". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ a b McGill, Bella (April 11, 2017). ""Beauty and the Beast" who sang it best: original, Broadway, or live-action?". Parnassus. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Guerra, Jerry (April 28, 2016). "'Beauty and the Beast' still casts a spell". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Bunoan, Vladimir (January 10, 2015). "Review: Cartoon comes to life in 'Beauty and the Beast'". ABS-CBNnews.com. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ a b c Menken, Alan; Rice, Tim (1999). "A Change in Me – From Beauty and the Beast - Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Walt Disney Music Publishing. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Nicholls, L. (February 12, 2015). "Review: The silverware in Beauty and the Beast outshines the stars". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
Butterfield's performance hits all the requisite notes ... not to mention all the notes of songs that include some pretty sappy pop ballads, such as A Change in Me.
- ^ Perry, Claudio. "Disney's On the Record". Aisle Say. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Phukan, Vikram (October 23, 2015). "Theatre review: Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast'". Livemint. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ "AbStar921". Date with Disney. April 1, 2017. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "Review: An Enchanting "Beauty and the Beast"". New Jersey Monthly. March 4, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Hevenor, Brad (July 29, 2017). "Review: 'Beauty and the Beast' provides larger-than-life experience". independentri.com. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ISBN 9781476603292– via Google Books.
- ^ "Toni Braxton". Playbill. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ "Toni Braxton, Disney and Thermodynamics". The Drama Review. 46 (3–4). MIT Press: 62. 2002 – via Google Books.
- ^ BroadwayBox.com. October 7, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ Cerasaro, Pat (September 27, 2013). "Flash Friday: Toni Braxton Back On Broadway". Broadway World. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Crow, W. Fred (August 9, 2007). "Star Struck touching in "Beauty and the Beast"". StarStruck Theatre. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Briner, Mark (November 15, 2016). "Review: Beauty & The Beast at Charm City Players". TheatreBloom. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ "'Beauty and the Beast' opens at the Music Circus". Lodinews.com. June 20, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Curtright, Bob (December 17, 2014). "Review: A clever and lavish 'Disney's Beauty and the Beast'". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Rogers Flynt, Kelly (October 22, 2014). "A parent's review: Beauty and the Beast at the Paramount". Seattle's Child. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ Perry, Jennifer (June 14, 2012). "Theatre Review: NETworks Presents Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' at the National Theatre". Maryland Theatre Guide. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Parks, Michelle (October 19, 2013). "Beauty and the Beast Musical A Delectable Treat". Fayetteville Flyer. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Grossberg, Michael (October 20, 2012). "Review: Beauty and the Beast | Re-imagined Disney classic brims with charm". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Rachel AJ (2015). "Review: Disney's Beauty and the Beast Musical, in Singapore". Silverkris. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
- ^ Shapiro, Gale (June 15, 2016). "Beauty and the Beast". South Florida Insider. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Evans, Everett (September 27, 2012). "Nice songs, leads boost 'Beauty and the Beast' revival tour". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "Disney History: Beauty and the Beast". WDW Magazine. 10 March 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ "A Change in Me". CastAlbums.org. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ "So Far – Susan Egan". iTunes. March 19, 2002. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "Music". Susan Egan. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "So Far – Susan Egan". Jay Records. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Miner, Ann (2005). "Disney's On the Record". Talkin' Broadway. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "Disney's On the Record [Original Cast Recording]". AllMusic. March 15, 2005. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (January 27, 2006). "Diva Talk: Chatting with Katie Clarke and Ashley Brown". Playbill. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
- ^ "A Change in Me by Anneliese van der Pol". OurStage. September 26, 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-11-04. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Frontado, Jonathan (July 22, 2016). "Broadway Stars at Sea: Kissy Simmons on the Disney Wonder". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ a b Dietz, Grace (March 21, 2017). "Beauty and the Beast (2017) Review". Her Campus. Retrieved July 23, 2017.