Arden Theatre Presents Charles Way's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Beginning Today

Arden Theatre Company continues its 27th season of great stories with Beauty and the Beast by Charles Way. Whit MacLaughlin directs. Best enjoyed by families with children ages 4 and older, Beauty and the Beast runs from today, November 26, 2014 - February 1, 2015, on the Arden's F. Otto Haas Stage at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia.

In this retelling of the classic fairy tale, two sisters leave London to start a new life after the loss of their family fortune. One is eager and outgoing. The other, Belle, is afraid and shy. When Belle meets the Beast, she begins an adventure unlike any she could have imagined.

"It's important to point out that this is not the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast," says Terry Nolen, the Arden's Producing Artistic Director.

"What you will see on our stage," he adds, "Is a re-imagined telling of this classic story, produced using professional designers and actors - the same that we use for our Mainstage Productions - to give our younger audiences a world-class theatrical experience."

The team behind the Arden's 2012 production of Cinderella reunites for Beauty and the Beast. This is Director Whit MacLauglin 13th show for Arden Children's Theatre. Past shows include Cinderella, Charlotte's Web, The Borrowers, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (nominated for four Barrymore Awards), The BFG, and A Year with Frog and Toad (nominated for five Barrymore Awards). MacLaughlin is also known for his work locally and internationally as Artistic Director of the avant-garde New Paradise Laboratories.

Nolen says, "Whit's sensibilities as a director help him to approach our children's work in an innovative way. For example, the use of shadows on a stark and curtained set will be vital in bringing this story to life."

The local cast includes actors E. Ashley Izard, Emilie Krause as Belle, Kevin Meehan, Matteo Scammell as Beast and Brian Anthony Wilson.

Previews of Beauty and the Beast begin on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 and continue through Saturday, December 6 at 12noon. The show opens on Saturday, December 6 at 7pm and runs through Sunday, February 1, 2015. A full calendar of events can be found here. Opening Night Sponsors are Harmelin Media, Hatboro Beverages and JPM Catering.

Beauty and the Beast includes weekday matinee performances for students and weekend performances for families. Single ticket prices are $18-$36, with discounts available for groups of 20 or more, seniors, students, military, and educators. Arden Children's Theatre 2-play subscriptions are available for $26 - $50. Call the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, order visit www.ardentheatre.org or walk-up at the box office at 40 N. 2nd Street in Old City, Philadelphia.

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