''Beauty and the Beast'': Live on Stage is a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

-style

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

at the Theater of the Stars, on Sunset Boulevard, at

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Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...

. It is based on the 1991 animated film ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' and opened on November 22, 1991, the same day the film was released. While most of the soundtrack is pre-recorded, the actors playing Belle and Gaston are the only two that have live dialogue and singing parts. Two versions of the show have been presented since opening day. Because of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, on August 2, 2020 it was replaced for two months by a new show, ''Disney Society Orchestra and Friends''. On August 15, 2021, the ''Beauty and the Beast'' show reopened, with some modifications to the staging and choreography to account for the health and safety of the performers.

Summary

The original version opened 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 temporarily moved to the Premiere Theater on New York Street. The show reopened in July 1994, in the now-covered and newly rebuilt Theater of the Stars on Sunset Boulevard. The stage show changed considerably from the original version to the currently running version, causing it to more closely resemble the 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 Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

. An old 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; to which the prince turns her away. Because his heart is cold, the old beggar woman turns into a beautiful enchantress who punishes the prince by transforming him in to an ugly, scary, and 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, and failure to do so will cause him to "remain a beast for all time". 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, boasts how he loves Belle and asks her to marry him (" Belle"/"

Gaston Gaston is a masculine given name of French origin and a surname. The name "Gaston" may refer to: People First name *Gaston I, Count of Foix (1287–1315) *Gaston II, Count of Foix (1308–1343) *Gaston III, Count of Foix (1331–1391) * Gaston ...

") and she 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 the clock, Lumiere the candelabra, Mrs. Potts the teapot, and her son, Chip the 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 dinner ("

Be Our Guest "Be Our Guest" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Walt Disney Pictures' 30th animated feature film ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991). Recorded by American actor Jerry Orbach and English actress Angela Lansbury ...

"). 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 that part of the castle. 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 inhabitants discover that there could be a romance not seen before in Beast ("

Something There "Something There" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Walt Disney Pictures 30th animated feature film ''Beauty and the Beast (1991 film), Beauty and the Beast'' (1991). Sung by the majority of the film's main ...

"), and the two fall in love. Meanwhile, 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 him (" 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 just as the rose's last petal falls. This breaks the curse, and the Beast is magically transformed back into the 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 ("

"). At the curtain call, Belle and the Prince give away a rose to an audience member.

Setlist

Original (1991–2001)

" #" Belle"/"

" #"

" #" The Mob Song" #"

Current (2001–present)

The second version of the show debuted in March 2001 and features the songs arranged in a similar order in which they are presented in the film. It is currently the longest-running stage show at any Disney theme park. #"Prologue: The Enchantress" #"Belle"/"Gaston" #"Belle (Reprise)" #"Be Our Guest" #"Something There" #"The Mob Song" #"Beauty and the Beast" #"

", performed by

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

and

Peabo Bryson Robert Peapo "Peabo" Bryson (born April 13, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for singing soul ballads (often as a duet with female singers) including the 1983 hit "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Roberta Flack. Bryson ...

(exit music)

Television appearances

* The show was featured on

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

, when

Oprah Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...

went to Disney World, with a performance of "Beauty and the Beast" by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. Characters such as Belle, The Prince, Chip, Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth also appeared. * Excerpts from the show were shown during the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade in 1991, when the show first premiered. * The cast appeared on the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade in 2005, featuring

John O'Hurley John George O'Hurley Jr. (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, singer, author, game show host and television personality. He is known for his portrayal of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', and was the sixth host of the ...

singing "Be Our Guest" with the cast.

List of handprints in forecourt

2020 labor dispute

When Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020 following the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

shutdown, all stage shows such as

Finding Nemo – The Musical ''Finding Nemo – The Musical'' is a live puppet and musical stage show based on Disney/Pixar's 2003 film ''Finding Nemo'', located at the Theater in the Wild in DinoLand U.S.A at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World in Orlando, Flori ...

, Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage,

Festival of the Lion King There have been seven theme park live adaptations of ''The Lion King'' at Disney parks since the animated film ''The Lion King'' was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1994. These have included a parade, two theater-in-the-round shows, ...

, and the

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! ''Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!'' is a live amusement show at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World in Florida. Based on the popular and successful ''Indiana Jones'' film franchise, it includes various stunts and live re ...

remained closed due to a dispute between the

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

and Walt Disney World over allowing performers to wear face masks and providing regular testing.

References

External links

Official websiteWalt Disney World Resort - ''Beauty and the Beast'' - Live on Stage1991 ''Beauty and the Beast'' TV segment from Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade
{{Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage Walt Disney Parks and Resorts entertainment Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney Cruise Line Fantasyland Tomorrowland Sunset Boulevard (Disney's Hollywood Studios) Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions Amusement park attractions introduced in 1991 Amusement park attractions introduced in 1992 Amusement park attractions that closed in 1995 Amusement park attractions that closed in 1996 Amusement park attractions introduced in 2017 1991 establishments in Florida Musicals based on films Musicals based on multiple works