BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is Coming To MCCC's Kelsey Theatre in November

A timeless story set to music featuring some of the most beloved characters of all time is coming to the Kelsey Theatre stage when Maurer Productions OnStage presents Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," Nov. 8-24.

Filled with lovable characters and imaginative settings, "Beauty and the Beast" is an enduring fairy tale that recounts the story of Belle, a spirited young woman in a provincial town, and The Beast, is a prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end, and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out, and if those lessons aren't learned soon, the Beast and his house will be doomed for all eternity.

"Beauty and the Beast" is a Disney stage musical adapted from Walt Disney Pictures' 1991 animated film by the same name, which was based on the fairy tale by French author Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. The Broadway production opened in 1994, closing in 2007 after nearly 5,500 performances-the tenth-longest running production in history.

The production features Sally Graham Bethmann as Belle and Ian Bethmann as The Beast, with Pat Rounds as Gaston, Casey Okamoto as Lefou, Edward Liu as Maurice, Mike Zweig as Lumiere, Michael Hall as Cogsworth, Jenny Wiener as Mrs. Potts, Eddie Pfender as Chip, Kim Pearson as Babette, Natalie Megules as Madame De La Grande Bouche, Emily O'Sullivan as the Old Beggar Woman/Enchantress, Zlain Ivanov as the Young Prince, Christopher Schmalbach as Monsieur D'Arque, and Jordan Schoenberger as the Narrator. Kaleigh Coyle, Cynthia Reynolds, Lindsay Spitzer, Jackie Sterlace, and Emily O'Sullivan portray Les Filles La Ville; understudies include Katherine Sermon (Belle), Kolter Yagual-Rolston (The Beast), and Jermaine Terry (Lefou).

In the role of townspeople/castle staff are Timothy Boyd, Shelley Bromberg, Lisa Marie Burgos, Stacy Danka, Hope Ghalfoor, Laura Ghaffoor, Lori Howard, Zlatin Ivaov, Neelam Makvana, Emily O'Sullivan, Frankie Pendleton, Kai-Li Pine, Kendal Plumstead, Pat Rounds, Ethan Shaev, Christopher Schmalbach, Jordan Schonberger, Marc Suznovich, Melody Weiner, and Brian Wurtz.

Dates and showtimes for Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" are Friday, Nov. 8, Nov. 15 and Nov. 22 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, and Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 10, Nov. 17, and Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. at the Kelsey Theatre on Mercer County Community College's West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased online at www.kelseytheatre.org or by calling the Kelsey Box Office Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon, at (609) 570-3333.

Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible, with free parking next to the theatre. For a complete listing of adult and children's events, visit the Kelsey website or call the box office for a brochure.

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