Beauty and the Beast

Belle is a bright, book-loving young woman in a small French village who dreams of more than the ordinary life expected of her. When her father is imprisoned in an enchanted castle by a terrifying Beast, Belle offers herself in his place, and finds herself living among a castle full of servants who have been transformed into household objects by the same curse that made their master a beast. As Belle and the Beast are forced into each other's company, their wary standoff slowly, unexpectedly, starts to change.

The musical has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, with additional lyrics by Tim Rice, based on Disney's 1991 animated film and the classic French fairy tale. It opened on Broadway in 1994, becoming one of the first Disney animated films adapted for the stage, and ran for over thirteen years.

The score keeps the film's most beloved songs and expands them with new numbers for the stage, and its landmarks include Belle, the townspeople's bustling opening number; Be Our Guest, a lavish showcase for the enchanted household staff; and the title ballad, sung as Belle and the Beast's feelings finally come into the open. Watch for the elaborate costumes used to bring the transformed servants, a candelabra, a clock, a teapot, to life on stage, and for the warmth that grows between Belle and the Beast despite their rocky start. It suits families and especially younger children as a first introduction to live musical theater.