Beauty and the Beast:
Story




   Act II

In the woods, Belle is attacked by ferocious wolves. Just as they surround her, the Beast arrives and drives them away -- but not without being wounded himself. Belle takes him back to the castle and, while she tends to his wounds, Belle and the Beast begin to open up to each other (SOMETHING THERE). The Beast decides that he wants to give Belle a token of his affection. Remembering her love of books, he leads her to his massive and neglected library, where the two of them spend the day together. Belle suggests that they read "King Arthur" together, but the Beast confesses that he cannot read. Feeling suddenly sympathetic toward him, Belle reads the book aloud to the Beast, giving him a new appreciation for literature.

Obviously starting to warm to the Beast, Belle tells him she would like to make a fresh start and asks him if he would join her for dinner. The servants, having witnessed the invitation, raise their hopes that Belle will help their master finally break the spell and that soon they will also be HUMAN AGAIN.

Meanwhile, Gaston has summoned MONSIEUR D'ARQUE, who runs the local insane asylum. Gaston explains that everyone knows Maurice is a lunatic who should be locked away, especially since his recent ravings about some Beast. Of course, if Belle consents to marry Gaston, Maurice could be freed from the MAISON DES LUNES. Monsieur D'Arque gleefully agrees to help Gaston.

Back at the castle, the Beast realizes that he truly loves Belle, but is afraid to tell her. Lumiere and Cogsworth encourage him to take the chance. However, during their romantic dinner (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST*), the Beast gets cold feet and, instead of telling Belle how he feels, gives her the magic mirror. When Belle asks the mirror to show her Maurice, she discovers that he is alone in the woods and in danger. The Beast tells her she must go to him and insists she take the mirror with her, so that she can always look back.

Belle finds her father and brings him home, only to find D'Arque waiting to take Maurice away. Gaston offers to "clear up this little misunderstanding," if she will agree to marry him. Belle refuses and uses the mirror to prove that her father is not crazy -- she shows everyone that the Beast is real. Sensing a friendship between Belle and this "monster," Gaston whips the townsfolk into a frenzy by convincing them the Beast is a threat who must be destroyed, and leads them on the attack (THE MOB SONG). Belle and Maurice slip away and head toward the castle to help the Beast. The enchanted objects drive away the invaders, but Gaston finds the heartbroken Beast and attacks him. The Beast doesn't have the heart to fight back -- until he sees that Belle has returned

to him. On the verge of killing Gaston, the Beast's human side triumphs: He sets the cowering bully free and climbs toward Belle. Gaston stabs him in the back, only to be thrown to his own death afterward.

The Beast, dying from his wounds, tells the weeping Belle that he is happy that he at least got to see her one last time. Belle tells him that she loves him, just as the last petal of the rose falls. A strange light fills the stage, and the Beast's body magically rises and spins in the air. As he twirls around, we witness his TRANSFORMATION* into the Prince. The spell has been broken!

All of the servants are now human again, and, as in all good fairy tales, the Prince and his Beauty live happily ever after (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - REPRISE).


Synopsis taken from Disney's Official Beauty and the Beast's Site.


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