Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast literally is a tale as old as time. The movie, created by Walt Disney, came out in 1991. Its colorful cast of characters from Cogsworth, the clock, to Chip, the Teacup, have come back for an encore on Broadway, delighting more than 20 million people worldwide with its unique costumes, beautiful sets, and incredible special effects.

The Broadway production of “Beauty and the Beast” is about a young prince who is visited by an old woman. The prince, who was disgusted by her ugliness, turned the old woman away. All of a sudden, the old woman turned into a beautiful enchantress. The prince then began to apologize, but the enchantress knew that there wasn’t any love in his heart. In an instant, she turns the prince into a gruesome beast, and places a spell on the entire castle. The Beast then locked himself in his castle. The only way for him to see what goes on outside the castle walls is his magical mirror. In order for the Beast to break the spell, he must love someone, AND have that person love him in return. The enchantress gives him a rose. When the last petal falls, his time is up, and if he hasn’t fallen in love, and earned that persons love in return, he will stay a beast-forever.

The show then shows a beautiful, intelligent girl named Belle. Belle has always wanted to live a life of adventure. She is the only girl who reads, and the only way for her to fit in is for her to marry the impolite Gaston. Belle wants somebody that understands her, and Gaston isn’t that person.

One day, while Belle’s father is on his way to a science fair, he comes across the Beast’s Castle. The Beast finds Maurice and imprisons him. Belle, worried about her father, goes to look for him. When she finds him trapped in the castle, she offers to take her father’s place and be the Beast’s prisoner forever. The Beast agrees to this deal. Belle soon meets all of the wonderful enchanted residents of the castle. Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth (three of the many enchanted items) make a plot for the two to fall in love. In order to find out if it works, you must go see the show!

Beauty and the Beast had 40 performances at the Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, Texas before beginning previews at the Palace Theatre on March 9, 1994. As of May 23, 2004, Beauty and the Beast had 4,181 performances in front of over 5.9 million people on Broadway and a total of 17,604 performances worldwide in front of over 24 million people. Beauty and The Beast celebrated its 4,095th performance and its 10th Anniversary on April 18, 2004. Beauty and the Beast has been performed in 15 countries and in 7 languages around the world.

The show received nine Tony® Award nominations:
• Best Musical
• Best Score
• Best Director (Robert Jess Roth)
• Best Book of a Musical (Linda Woolverton)
• Best Actor (Terrence Mann)
• Best Actress (Susan Egan)
• Best Supporting Actor (Gary Beach)
• Best Costumes (Ann Hould-Ward; winner)
• Best Lighting (Natasha Katz)