BEAUTY & THE BEAST Takes The Stage Around The World, Latest Opening In Sao Paulo

15 years after opening on Broadway, Disney's Beauty and the Beast continues to beguile audiences around the world: a new production opened in São Paulo, Brazil last night; a production is currently running in Moscow to unprecedented box office success; a production is running in Barcelona, Spain after completing a two-year run in Madrid; a production recently completed its run in Johannesburg, South Africa after winning five Naledi Awards, that country's highest theatrical honors; and a new production will open in Milan, Italy in October 2009.

More than 27 million people all over the world have seen Beauty and the Beast, proving it to be one of the most successful and enduring stage musicals of all time. The musical opened at Broadway's Palace Theatre on April 14, 1994 and quickly became a box office smash hit, playing over 5,000 performances and becoming one of Broadway's top 10 longest running shows before completing its record-setting 13 year run in 2007.

Around the world Beauty and the Beast has played a total of 120 cities in 21 countries, including triumphant runs in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Beauty and the Beast was the first Broadway musical to perform in Beijing, China in 1999 in Chinese. The show has been translated into eight languages including Chinese, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, German, Portuguese, Korean, and Russian.

Beauty and the Beast in São Paulo is produced by Time 4 Fun Entertainment. The show, translated into Portuguese, performs at the Teatro Abril and is comprised entirely of local cast and crew. São Paulo's Beauty and the Beast joins other engagements currently running around the world including Moscow where it has grossed over $12.5 million and been seen by 252,000 people since opening in Oct 2008, playing at or above 90% capacity throughout its run. That production recouped its entire investment within 18 weeks of opening.

In addition to these notable professional productions, Beauty and the Beast is among the most performed titles by amateur and school theatre companies in the US and abroad. More than 3500 productions worldwide have been licensed since 2004 through Disney's licensing partner, Music Theater International.

Based on the Oscar®-nominated Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast features Alan Menken's Academy Award®-winning score, songs by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, plus songs written especially for the stage by Alan Menken and Tim Rice.

For the past 15 years, DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (DTP) has been a leading producer of live stage entertainment on Broadway and around the world. Currently under the direction of producer and president Thomas Schumacher, DTP has produced six award-winning Broadway musicals including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John & Tim Rice's Aida, TARZAN®, Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, and The Little Mermaid. In total, these six shows have been seen by over 21 million people in New York alone and, cumulatively, over 82 million people worldwide. Thanks to the tremendous appeal of the Disney brand and its beloved characters, DTP has for 15 years brought new audiences to Broadway, many of whom have never been to the theatre before. Additionally, DTP produces and licenses its Broadway musicals around the world reaching a global annual audience of more than 10 million people in over 40 countries. DTP licenses musical titles for local schools and community productions through a partnership with Music Theatre International. Through its educational outreach department, DTP partners with New York City schools to bring young audiences to Broadway and DTP has donated regularly to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, among other charitable organizations.