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Home > Inside the Magic > Disney Officially Bans ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Music, Replaces With ‘Frozen’
Podcast: Inside the Magic
Episode:

Disney Officially Bans ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Music, Replaces With ‘Frozen’
Category: Society & Culture
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2024-08-29 21:52:44
Description:

The Walt Disney Company made a notable exception for Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck’s Frozen (2013) that it didn’t make for Beauty and the Beast (1991).

Inside the Magic readers might remember that this May, our team exclusively reported that Richard White (Gaston) wasn’t allowed to perform his iconic Beauty and the Beast songs in public. The admission came during a panel at Chicago’s C2E2 fan convention, where the voice actor told a disappointed fan that he couldn’t perform “Gaston” in that “setting” outside of an “official context.”

A woman interviews Richard White on a panel stage at C2E2.
Credit: Jess Colopy, Inside the Magic

One might assume that all Disney movie stars are held to the same standard, but Disney Legend Idina Menzel recently revealed that wasn’t the case. Queen Elsa herself just wrapped up her solo “Take Me Or Leave Me” tour, singing a mix of original music and Broadway hits.

Related: Disney Stumbles, Loses Box Office Crown for First Time in Years

Inside the Magic attended the August 9 performance at The Chicago Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. We were surprised to hear Menzel sing not one but two Frozen songs for the young (and young at heart!) audience members.

Idina Menzel, who voiced Elsa in 'Frozen,' sits on a desk during the “Take Me Or Leave Me” tour.
Credit: Jess Colopy, Inside the Magic

First, Menzel sang “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” which was performed by Anna (Kristen Bell) in the Disney Princess film. She performed her own twist on the song and allowed audience members to belt out their favorite lyrics.

Frozen fans (and dads!) in the audience needn’t worry because the iconic “Let It Go” was also on the setlist. Menzel performed an extended version of the song, first replacing the lyrics with her train of thought when John Travolta flubbed her name in the now-unforgettable “Adele Dazeem” moment at the 2014 Academy Awards.

Menzel then performed the real “Let It Go,” repeating the chorus to give audience members the chance to sing along. She even restarted the last verse as she messed up the final line, singing “Here I’ll stand and here I’ll stay” instead of “Here I stand in the light of day.”

“I’m a perfectionist,” Menzel joked before asking the band to restart the verse. She again fudged the lyrics but eventually got it right with some help from the enthusiastic audience.

Idina Menzel, who played Elsa in 'Frozen,' belts into a microphone.
Credit: Jess Colopy, Inside the Magic

Menzel didn’t perform any music from Frozen 2 (2019) or anything sung by her other costars, Josh Gad (Olaf) and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff).

The Disney Legend also took advantage of her royal status with merchandise in the lobby listing all her iconic roles, including Elsa. The “Roles of a Lifetime” design was available on t-shirts, tote bags, and more:

A black t-shirt featuring a list of names in white text: Maureen&, Kate&, Elphaba&, Nancy&, Rachel's Mom&, Liz&, Beth&, Elsa&, Adele.
Credit: Idina Menzel

The roles referenced include Maureen from “Rent,” Kate from “The Wild Party,” Elphaba from “Wicked,” Nancy from Disney’s Enchanted (2007), Rachel’s mom from Glee, Liz & Beth from “If/Then,” and Elsa from Frozen. The final name, “Adele,” is, of course, a poke at Travolta’s iconic flub.

It’s unclear if Menzel needed to obtain permission from Walt Disney Animation Studios or Walt Disney Records to use the name “Elsa” on merchandise and perform “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” and “Let It Go.”

What’s the best Disney song ever written? Make your case in the Inside the Magic comment section!

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