Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
Encyclopedia
Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage! is a Broadway
-style musical
at the 1,500-seat Theater of the Stars, on Sunset Boulevard, at Disney's Hollywood Studios
, Walt Disney World. It is based on the popular animated film Beauty and the Beast
(the show opened just days after the films' release), including many of the original songs and characters. Two versions of the show have been presented since opening day.
The stage show changed considerably from the original version to the currently running version, causing it to more closely resemble 1991 film of the same name
. However, because the show is condensed to approximately 25 minutes, many cuts and edits are made.
The show opens like the Broadway musical
: A beggar woman asks a spoiled and selfish prince if he will allow her to stay in his castle for the night from the bitter cold, in exchange for a single rose. The prince turns her away. Because his heart is cold, the beggar woman punishes the prince by transforming him in to an ugly, scary, hideous, Beast. Everyone in the castle gets a punishing transformation as well. The prince can only break the spell by learning to love another, and earning their love in return. Years later, Belle is walking in the quiet little French village where she lives. The other villagers agree that Belle is beautiful, but she is also no ordinary character. Gaston, the handsome young hunter of the town, tells Belle he loves her and asks her to marry him. ("Belle" / "Gaston"). Belle politely refuses. Soon though, "under a series of mysterious circumstances", Belle finds herself inside the Beast's enchanted castle. She is confronted by the magical castle inhabitants, Cogsworth (a mantle clock), Lumiere (a handsome candelabra), Mrs. Potts (a kind and gentle teapot), and her son, Chip (a charming little teacup). Cogsworth thinks that they made a mistake by allowing Belle inside, but the others believe she could be the one to break the curse. So they throw her a feast and, simultaneously invite her to "Be Our Guest
". The Beast abruptly ends the celebration and expresses his fear that Belle could never learn to love him. Belle, on a tour through the castle, enters the West Wing and discovers the rose. The Beast is furious at Belle, because he told her never to enter the West Wing. All of this causes Belle and the Beast to argue. But the others advise Beast to be a gentleman, because Belle could be the one to break the curse. The castle's charming inhabitants discover that there is "Something There" that wasn't there before ("Something There"), and the two fall in love. We return to the tiny French village where we started, and Gaston declares that Belle has rejected him for the last time. He convinces the villagers that the Beast is a monster, and the village is not safe until he is dead. So they decide to "Kill The Beast!" ("The Mob Song") The townspeople take over the castle, ruining everything in sight. Gaston fights the Beast, and Belle appears just to see Gaston make his final blow. Seeing the Beast nearly dead, Belle admits she loves him. This breaks the curse, and the Beast is magically transformed back into the handsome prince. The entire cast returns for a final dance, and declare that the love of "Beauty and the Beast" will thrive forever. Instantly, Belle and the prince reappear in their traditional costumes. ("Beauty and the Beast"
)
During the curtain call, Belle and the Prince give a lucky person in the audience a rose.
Order of Songs in the Original Version:
Order of Songs in the Current Version:
which ran on Broadway from April 18, 1994 - July 29, 2007. Stephanie J Block (a replacement "Elphaba" in "Wicked" on Broadway) was the original Belle. The show played its final performance on April 30, 1995.
theatre.
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-style musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
at the 1,500-seat Theater of the Stars, on Sunset Boulevard, at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Spanning 135 acres in size, its theme is show business, drawing inspiration from the heyday of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s...
, Walt Disney World. It is based on the popular animated film Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
(the show opened just days after the films' release), including many of the original songs and characters. Two versions of the show have been presented since opening day.
Plot summary
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
. However, because the show is condensed to approximately 25 minutes, many cuts and edits are made.
The show opens like the Broadway musical
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
: A beggar woman asks a spoiled and selfish prince if he will allow her to stay in his castle for the night from the bitter cold, in exchange for a single rose. The prince turns her away. Because his heart is cold, the beggar woman punishes the prince by transforming him in to an ugly, scary, hideous, Beast. Everyone in the castle gets a punishing transformation as well. The prince can only break the spell by learning to love another, and earning their love in return. Years later, Belle is walking in the quiet little French village where she lives. The other villagers agree that Belle is beautiful, but she is also no ordinary character. Gaston, the handsome young hunter of the town, tells Belle he loves her and asks her to marry him. ("Belle" / "Gaston"). Belle politely refuses. Soon though, "under a series of mysterious circumstances", Belle finds herself inside the Beast's enchanted castle. She is confronted by the magical castle inhabitants, Cogsworth (a mantle clock), Lumiere (a handsome candelabra), Mrs. Potts (a kind and gentle teapot), and her son, Chip (a charming little teacup). Cogsworth thinks that they made a mistake by allowing Belle inside, but the others believe she could be the one to break the curse. So they throw her a feast and, simultaneously invite her to "Be Our Guest
Be Our Guest
"Be Our Guest" is a 1991 Academy Award-nominated song from the animated film, Beauty and the Beast. The music was written by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The song was sung by Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury, and other singers in the background chorus. The song was nominated for an Academy...
". The Beast abruptly ends the celebration and expresses his fear that Belle could never learn to love him. Belle, on a tour through the castle, enters the West Wing and discovers the rose. The Beast is furious at Belle, because he told her never to enter the West Wing. All of this causes Belle and the Beast to argue. But the others advise Beast to be a gentleman, because Belle could be the one to break the curse. The castle's charming inhabitants discover that there is "Something There" that wasn't there before ("Something There"), and the two fall in love. We return to the tiny French village where we started, and Gaston declares that Belle has rejected him for the last time. He convinces the villagers that the Beast is a monster, and the village is not safe until he is dead. So they decide to "Kill The Beast!" ("The Mob Song") The townspeople take over the castle, ruining everything in sight. Gaston fights the Beast, and Belle appears just to see Gaston make his final blow. Seeing the Beast nearly dead, Belle admits she loves him. This breaks the curse, and the Beast is magically transformed back into the handsome prince. The entire cast returns for a final dance, and declare that the love of "Beauty and the Beast" will thrive forever. Instantly, Belle and the prince reappear in their traditional costumes. ("Beauty and the Beast"
Beauty and the Beast (1991 song)
"Beauty and the Beast" is the Oscar winning leading single from the Academy Award Best Picture nominated animated film Beauty and the Beast film, and the first hit single from Céline Dion's eponymous album. It was performed in the movie by Angela Lansbury, and sung over the movie's closing credits...
)
During the curtain call, Belle and the Prince give a lucky person in the audience a rose.
The Original Version (1991 - 2001)
The Original Version opened for the film's 1991 premiere. Its first performance was at 1:30pm on November 22, 1991, the same day the film was released. When the Theater of the Stars was moved in September 1993 (to make room for the construction of Sunset Boulevard), the show was temporarly moved to the Backlot Theater on New York Street. The show reopened in July 1994, in the now covered & newly rebuilt Theater of the Stars on Sunset Blvd.Order of Songs in the Original Version:
- "Be Our GuestBe Our Guest"Be Our Guest" is a 1991 Academy Award-nominated song from the animated film, Beauty and the Beast. The music was written by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The song was sung by Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury, and other singers in the background chorus. The song was nominated for an Academy...
" - "Belle" / "Gaston"
- "Something There"
- "The Mob Song"
- "Beauty and the Beast"Beauty and the Beast (1991 song)"Beauty and the Beast" is the Oscar winning leading single from the Academy Award Best Picture nominated animated film Beauty and the Beast film, and the first hit single from Céline Dion's eponymous album. It was performed in the movie by Angela Lansbury, and sung over the movie's closing credits...
The Current Version (now running)
The Second Version of the show debuted in March 2001 and now features the songs much nearer to the order in which they are presented in the film. It is currently the longest-running stage show at a Walt Disney World Theme Park.Order of Songs in the Current Version:
- "Prologue: The Enchantress"
- "Belle" / "Gaston"
- "Belle (Reprise)"
- "Be Our GuestBe Our Guest"Be Our Guest" is a 1991 Academy Award-nominated song from the animated film, Beauty and the Beast. The music was written by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. The song was sung by Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury, and other singers in the background chorus. The song was nominated for an Academy...
" - "Something There"
- "The Mob Song"
- "Beauty and the Beast"Beauty and the Beast (1991 song)"Beauty and the Beast" is the Oscar winning leading single from the Academy Award Best Picture nominated animated film Beauty and the Beast film, and the first hit single from Céline Dion's eponymous album. It was performed in the movie by Angela Lansbury, and sung over the movie's closing credits...
- The show's exit music after the final curtain is dropped features the pop version of title song performed by Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and Peabo BrysonPeabo BrysonPeabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
Television Appearences
The stage version was shown on various television shows.- The show was featured on Oprah WinfreyOprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
's talk show, when Oprah went to Disney World. She and some of her audience members got to see Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
and Peabo BrysonPeabo BrysonPeabo Bryson is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, born in Greenville, South Carolina...
perform the main title song from the movie. Characters such as Belle, The Prince, Chip, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth also appear.
- When the show first premiered, excerpts from the show were shown during the 1991 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade.
- In 2005, the cast appeared on the Christmas Day parade again, only this time featuring John O'HurleyJohn O'HurleyJohn George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
, fresh from Dancing with the StarsDancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
, singing "Be Our Guest" with the cast.
Disneyland (1992 - 1995)
A similarly titled show with a different script, sets, and costumes opened at Disneyland in California on April 12, 1992. The show was extremely popular, appearing over 4,300 times in just over three years, and served as a development platform for an adaptation of the filmBeauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
which ran on Broadway from April 18, 1994 - July 29, 2007. Stephanie J Block (a replacement "Elphaba" in "Wicked" on Broadway) was the original Belle. The show played its final performance on April 30, 1995.
Disneyland Paris (1992 - 1996)
A similar show sharing the Florida production's script, sets, and costumes appeared for several seasons at the Disneyland Paris park with a recorded vocal track (in French). The show played from 1992 through late 1996 at the VideopolisVideopolis (Disneyland Paris)
Videopolis is an auditorium in the Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, near Marne-la-Vallée. It was an opening day attraction, and is located within the Discoveryland section of the park, an alternate take on the Tomorrowland concept, which takes into consideration the science fiction pioneered by...
theatre.