Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Comes to PlayhouseSquare, Now thru 11/18

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Cleveland as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at PlayhouseSquare for two weeks; tonight, November 6-18. For information on the production, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast feature the animated film's Academy Award-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by Linda Woolverton.

The original creators of the Broadway production are together again for this new touring production! The play is directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West, with Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award® winner for her work on Disney's Beauty and the Beast), Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Scenic Design by Stanley A. Meyer, Sound Design by John Petrafesa Jr. and Music Supervision by Michael Kosarin.

Director Rob Roth: "It has been wonderful to bring the entire original design team back together to work on this new production of Beauty and the Beast. As a director, it is rare to have the opportunity to revisit your work fifteen years later. Hopefully I've grown and developed as an artist, along with my collaborators, and we can bring 15 years of experience to this new production. We have remained very close as a team over the years of producing the show around the world, and it has been so much fun getting together to re-explore and re-invent the show for this new NETworks tour. The theme of 'Beauty' is about seeing past the exterior into the heart of someone, and this is reflected in the design for the show, which is about transparency and layers, seeing past one thing and into another."

Disney's Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast has become an international sensation that has played to over 35 million people worldwide in 21 countries.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast will play the Palace Theatre at PlayhouseSquare for 16 performances, tonight, November 6 - 18, 2012. Performances are Tuesday – Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 1:00 and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets for all shows are currently on sale at The PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office (1519 Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland), online at playhousesquare.org or by calling 216-241-6000. Group orders of 15 or more may be placed by calling 216-664-6050.

This performance engagement is also part of the Smart Seats program at PlayhouseSquare that offers smart entertainment at a smart price. For more information on Smart Seats, visit playhousesquare.org/smartseats.

To enrich the experience of the theatergoers, The PlayhouseSquare Community Engagement & Education Department creates an in-depth online newsletter, the Buzz Extra, and presents free Broadway Buzz events to complement KeyBank Broadway Series shows. Broadway Buzz Pre-Show Talks, providing behind-the-scenes insight, are held in the Idea Center at PlayhouseSquare one hour prior to each performance of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. On opening night, Tuesday, November 6, the Pre-Show Talk airs live on WCLV 104.9 FM at 6:30 p.m. and streams live on wclv.com. On Thursday evenings, November 8 and 15, guests are invited to stay in the theater for a post-show chat with members of the cast. Broadway Buzz events are made possible by the generous donors and sponsors that support PlayhouseSquare's not-for-profit mission.

The Buzz Extra newsletter and more information about Broadway Buzz events and activities can be found online at playhousesquare.org/broadwaybuzz.

For more information about the show, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

PLAYHOUSESQUARE is a not-for-profit performing arts center whose mission is presenting and producing a wide variety of quality performing arts, advancing arts education and creating a destination that is a superior location for entertainment, business and residential living, thereby strengthening the economic vitality of the region.

NETworks Presentations, LLC (Producer). Since 1995, NETworks has produced and managed over 45 touring productions in the U.S., U.K. and internationally. Current Productions include Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, Blue Man Group National Tour, La Cage Aux Folles, Shrek The Musical, Billy Elliot The Musical and The New 25th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables. Future productions include Elf The Musical, Flashdance the Musical and National Theatre of Great Britain's production of War Horse touring the U.S.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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