NEW YORK CITY—Marriages may come and go, but friendships last forever. This is the core message of the new Broadway musical “Beaches,” based on the novel by Iris Rainer Dart. It inspired the 1988 movie of the same name. The show explores the 30-plus-year friendship between the outgoing and brassy Cee Cee Bloom (Jessica Vosk) and the quiet, conservative Bertie White (Kelli Barrett).
The two first meet as children on the beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1951. Little Cee Cee (Samantha Schwartz), a show business veteran decked out in garish attire for an upcoming performance, befriends the shy Little Bertie (Zeya Grace), who is captivated by Cee Cee’s worldly attitude. Their mothers, respectively Leona (Sarah Bockel) and Rose (Lael Van Keuren), ultimately pull them apart, showcasing the contrasting outlooks instilled in their daughters.
Leona is a cut-rate Momma Rose (of “Gypsy” fame), determined to make her daughter a star, while Rose dismisses the Blooms as lower class and maps out her child’s future from school to marriage.
Despite their separation, Cee Cee and Bertie (portrayed by Bailey Ryon and Emma Ogea as teenagers) continue to exchange letters, sharing their dreams. As adults, they finally reunite at a summer theatre, where Cee Cee is playing supporting roles, and Bertie is reveling in newfound independence, which is short-lived as she heads to law school. Cee Cee relentlessly pursues stardom.
As the years pass, their lives include marriage, divorce, miscarriage, birth, and even an attraction to the same man, yet their friendship remains strong. A six-year silence due to a prideful argument tests their bond, but when Bertie reaches out near the end of her life, Cee Cee leaves her entire life behind to race to her side.
“Beaches,” with a book by Dart and Thom Thomas, offers a narrative about the ups and downs of friendship and warns against sacrificing personal happiness for others’ expectations. It also points out the danger of being so career-driven that you lose sight of problems closer to home. The score, with music by Mike Stoller and lyrics by Dart, is pleasant but lacks emotional depth.
Particularly with the two leads, one never feels any deep sentiment between them until almost the end. The direction by Lonny Price and Matt Cowart falters here as well, with the production lurching from one event to another without allowing the audience to see the personal growth of the characters. Without that, it becomes hard to care about them.
Vosk delivers a powerhouse performance as Cee Cee, showcasing her style, swagger, and delivery. She also has an excellent singing voice. Barrett, on the other hand, comes off as more one-dimensional as she navigates a life she clearly wants no part of. She does have one breakout moment with “The Brand New Me,” which celebrates a flash of the freedom and joy of finally spreading her wings.
Schwartz gives a fine performance as Little Cee Cee, and is definitely someone to watch, while Van Keuren does well as Bertie’s rather suffocating mother. Brent Thiessen and Ben Jacoby are fine, if not particularly memorable, as Cee Cee and Bertie’s husbands, though they share an enjoyable duet in “God Bless Girlfriends,” singing about always coming in second to their wives’ friendship.
Some of Tracy Christensen’s costumes are rather striking, especially Cee Cee’s outfits. J. Jared Janas’s wig and hair design is also very good.
“Beaches” presents a perfectly serviceable story about a lifelong friendship between two women and the goals and obstacles they encounter. It just had the potential to be so much more.
‘Beaches’
Majestic Theater
245 W. 44th St., New York
Tickets: BeachesTheMusical.com
Running Time: Two hours, 35 minutes (one intermission)
Closes: Sept. 6, 2026
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