Young girls often have BFFs (best friends) with whom they share everything. They swear to be besties forever, and sometimes they actually remain friends over the years. Through school, jobs, boyfriends and even husbands, the close friendships remain. In a nutshell, that’s the story of Beaches, the new musical at the Majestic Theatre.

Napping on the beach, young Cee Cee (the adorable, irrepressible Samantha Schwartz) is awakened by the lost crying young Bertie
( Zeya Grace). The two become fast friends. The youngsters complement one another, each wishing that she had the qualities of her friend. Cee Cee is the audacious brash one and Bertie the demure pretty one. Each envies the other but supports her friend whole heartedly,

Despite their differences, they maintain their friendship throughout the years, encouraging one another emotionally in career and life choices. When Bertie wishes to go to law school, her mother opposes her, having picked out an appropriate husband for her. So she rebels and runs off, joining Cee Cee at her summer stock. Throughout their lives, the two are there for one another, until a misunderstanding separates them for a while. When Bertie becomes terminally ill, Cee Cee sacrifices her career to be with her friend.

Based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Iris Rainer Dart, the musical, co-written by Dart and Thom Thomas and adapted from the 1988 movie starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, could easily have been named Best Friends. The song won a Grammy for Song of the Year in 1990 and the movie garnered millions of fans.

Dart collaborated with Mike Stoller of the team of Leiber and Stoller on the music. The songs are tuneful but few numbers are memorable. It feels like there’s too much music because the themes tend to be repetitive. One wonders why the show needed so many songs about best friends. Even the one number performed by the two husbands emphasizes the same idea. There are only two major male characters in the show. After all, it’s a show about female best friends. John (Brent Thiessen) is Cee Cee’s husband and Micheal Barron is the man Bertie’s mother wants her to marry (Ben Jacoby.) The two husbands sing a “God Bless Girlfriends” acknowledging the women’s relationship. Again, telling the audience what it already knows.

Cee Cee realizes her dream, becoming a successful musical star, even hosting her own television show. She makes several appearances in Vegas-type venues where she sings splashy numbers with backup singers and wears lavish costumes (costume design- Tracy Christensen.)

The roles of Cee Cee and Bertie are triple-cast with actresses playing the characters at three points of their lives. So there are three Cee Cees and three Berties. (Emma Ogea is Teen Bertie and Bailey Ryon is Teen Cee Cee.) At various times, all six dance and interact together. Co-directors Lonny Price and Matt Cowart smartly use the six together onstage at regular intervals.

As the adult Cee Cee, Jessica Vosk has a difficult job. She has to fill the iconic Bette Midler’s very big shoes, and I’m glad to report that she does it well! Vosk does an incredible job with a snappy sarcastic delivery and an impressive singing voice. She also has great timing and good comic delivery. Despite the character’s brashness, she conveys warmth. When she closes the show with the trademark song, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” there isn’t a dry eye in the Majestic Theatre.

Kelli Barrett is quite good as Bertie but Vosk is so dynamic, she sucks up almost all the air. Barrett is stately and ladylike and sings quite well. At times I recalled the show Gypsy with one sister overshadowing the other.

In fact, the only one who could compete with Vosk is Little Cee Cee. Young Samantha Schwartz won the audiences’ heart as the feisty little girl with her red costume and big dreams. A small child with a big voice and bigger personality, Schwartz is magnetic. Years from now, I wouldn't be surprised to see Schwartz cast in the adult Cee Cee role.

The secondary characters are well-cast with some cute comic parts by Sarah Bockel as Cee Cee’s mother & others, Lael Van Keuren as Bertie’s uptight mother, Rose White & others and Zurin Villanueva brings some humor to the role of Janice.

The problem with Beaches is that it’s a soap opera with a very slim story that feels padded and repetitive. There are too many splashy numbers for Cee Cee and too many moments reminding us the women are best friends. It’s not enough to satisfactorily fill two and half hours of theater time.

Movie purists may find themselves disappointed, but if you go to see Beaches, look around at the audience. Chances are it’s mostly women, many of them seeing the show with close friends or relatives. And keep your tissues handy.