Ashley Brown will play her final performance as Belle in Disney's
Beauty and the Beast on Sunday, May 28th. Sarah Litzsinger will return to the role on Tuesday, May 30th at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street).
Most recently, Litzsinger played Eva Peron in the 25th Anniversary Tour of
Evita (directed by
Hal Prince and Larry Fuller). At age 11, she made her Broadway debut in
Marilyn, an American Fable. At 12, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Bet in the Broadway revival of
Oliver! (starring Ron Moody and
Patti LuPone). She created the role of Madeleine in
Michel Legrand's
Amour on Broadway. Her other favorites include
Les Miserables (Eponine/Cosette) on Broadway,
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), starring opposite
Donny Osmond,
Tick, Tick…Boom! (Susan),
The Last Five Years (Cathy) at the George St. Playhouse, and
A Year With Frog and Toad (Bird/Mouse) at Minneapolis Children's Theatre (DVD Edition). TV and Film credits include "Law and Order Criminal Intent," "Ed," "Strangers With Candy" and the new indie film Knots.
Brown made her Broadway debut as Belle in September 2005. This fall, Brown will create the title role in Disney and
Cameron Mackintosh's hit production of
Mary Poppins on Broadway.
In 2006, Disney's
Beauty and the Beast marks several major milestones. On April 18th, the musical celebrated its 12th anniversary on Broadway. The production will play its 5,000th performance on Tuesday, June 20th.
"All My Children" star Jacob Young currently stars as Lumiere through July 16th. Litzsinger will be reunited with
Donny Osmond, her Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor co-star, when he begins performances as Gaston on September 19th for limited nine-week engagement. The show also currently features
Steve Blanchard as the Beast, Grant Norman as Gaston, Jeanne Lehman as Mrs. Potts, Jeff Brooks as Cogsworth, Jamie Ross as Maurice, Meredith Inglesby as Babette, Mary Stout as Madame de la Grande Bouche and Aldrin Gonzalez as Lefou. Trevor Braun and Alexander Scheitinger alternate the role of Chip. Disney's
Beauty and the Beast is currently the sixth longest running musical in Broadway history. More than twenty million people have seen the show in over twenty productions worldwide. The original cast recording is currently available on Disney Records.
Beginning May 29th, the performance schedule for Disney's
Beauty and the Beast at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street) is as follows: Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm. For tickets, visit online at
www.disneyonbroadway.com, call Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4747 or visit
www.ticketmaster.com, or purchase in person at the Lunt-Fontanne box office (205 West 46th St.).
