Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the sixth longest running show of all time and Broadway's current longest running American musical, celebrates its 11th anniversary on Broadway next week. The production originally opened on April 18th, 1994.
The show opened at the Palace Theatre, where it played more than 2,250 performances, becoming the longest-running show ever to play the legendary theatre. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is also the longest running tenant in the history of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street), where it is now playing. On Friday, April 8th, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST also hit its 4,500th performance.Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST stars Steve Blanchard as the Beast and Brooke Tansley as Belle. Grant Norman is Gaston, Jeff Brooks is Cogsworth, Peter Flynn is Lumiere, Alma Cuervo is Mrs. Potts, Jamie Ross is Maurice, Aldrin Gonzales is Lefou, Pam Klinger is Babette and Mary Stout is Madame de la Grande Bouche. Matthew Gumley and Patrick O'Neil Henney alternate the role of Chip.Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST features Alan Menken's Academy Award-winning score, songs by the late Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (including the Academy Award-winning title song and the show-stopping 'Be Our Guest'), plus songs written especially for the stage by Alan Menken and Tim Rice (including 'If I Can't Love Her' and 'Change In Me'). Book is by Linda Woolverton, author of the original screenplay. Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is choreographed by Matt West and directed by Robert Jess Roth. Sets are by Stan Meyer, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, and lighting by Natasha Katz.
Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is the classic love story of Belle, a young woman in a small, provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a prince trapped in a spell placed on him by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and to be loved, the spell will be broken and he will be transformed back to his former self. But time is running out, and if the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he will be doomed for all eternity.The performance schedule for Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street) is as follows: Tuesday at 7:00 PM, Wednesday at 2:00 and 8:00 PM, Thursday at 8:00 PM, Friday at 8:00 PM, Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 PM, Sunday at 3:00 PM. For tickets and information, please call Ticketmaster.com at (212) 307-4747.
