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In the tradition of
Heigh-Ho! Mozart, the Trinidad and Tobago Showboat Orchestra perform
Beauty and the Beat!, 14 Disney songs in steel-band style. What may seem a novelty is in actuality an innovative and intriguing way to hear such classics as
Snow White's "Someday My Prince Will Come" and
Mary Poppins's "A Spoonful of Sugar," as well as relative newcomers "Be Our Guest" and "Hakuna Matata" from
Beauty and the Beast and
The Lion King, respectively. And the sunny syncopated tones of the steel band are perfect for the Calypso-flavored "Kiss the Girl" (reminiscent of "Sloop John B" and "Jamaican Farewell") and the vastly improved "Under the Sea," both from
The Little Mermaid. In fact, parents who've grown weary of Ariel and Simba on repeat play will find the Trinidad and Tobago Showboat Orchestra's renditions thankfully exotic and festive.
--Paige La Grone