Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Comes to Palo Alto Players in November

Palo Alto Players invites you to "Be Our Guest" as the company continues its 92nd season with the hit Broadway musical Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Based on the Disney animated film, the stage version of this tale as old as time has been enchanting audiences around the world for over two decades. Directed by Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein, with music direction by Daniel Hughes, choreography by Stacey Reed, and featuring a cast of 24 Bay Area actors, Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a magical theatrical experience the whole family can enjoy. Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST runs for 9 in-person performances November 4-20, 2022 at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Tickets ($10-$60) are on sale now at paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891. Current information regarding Palo Alto Players' health and safety policies can be found at paplayers.org/covid-19.

Singing teapots and candlesticks, an evil spell, and an unlikely love story are all part of the magic of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, an international sensation that has played to more than 35 million people in 13 countries. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage adaptation includes all of the original songs from the movie including "Belle," "Be Our Guest," and "Beauty and the Beast," by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, plus additional gems written for the Broadway musical by Menken and Tim Rice. The whole family will be enchanted by this gorgeous production, featuring stunning costumes and sets, spectacular dance numbers, and, of course, a fairytale ending.

"When it comes to my bucket list of musicals, Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has been squarely at the top for years," said Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "It's an enchanting and timeless story that most of us have grown up with; it never fails to endear, and offers boundless opportunities for creativity and imagination. In fact, over the years Palo Alto Players has applied to produce the show five times but it's always been too daunting to try to fit it into a season... until now. We're going big this season, it doesn't get much bigger than this one... and it's going to be spectacular."

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is directed by Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein, with music direction by Daniel Hughes and choreography by Stacey Reed. Klein began his tenure at Palo Alto Players in 2009 as Technical Director and in 2013 became the company's Artistic Director. He has worked as a scenic designer, stage manager, and actor across the Bay Area, New York City, and the Eastern Seaboard. His Palo Alto Players directing credits include Young Frankenstein, Big Fish, Into the Woods, A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, The Man Who Came To Dinner, Disney's Tarzan, One Man, Two Guvnors, Bright Star, the fully-staged, streaming production of the The Last Five Years, and Working. Music Director Daniel Hughes most recently music-directed Palo Alto Players' Bright Star. Hughes is in constant demand in the Bay Area as a conductor, accompanist, coach, and choral clinician and is Artistic Director of the internationally award-winning ensemble The Choral Project. Choreographer Stacey Reed has previously been seen on the Palo Alto Players' stage in Tarzan, Big Fish, Young Frankenstein, and Working, where she also served as choreographer. Other credits include Hairspray, Rocky Horror Picture Show as well as several productions at CA's Great America. By day, Reed is the Dance Teacher and Choreographer at The King's Academy in Sunnyvale.

The Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST creative team also includes set design by Scott Ludwig, prop design by Talia Liebscher, lighting design by Abby May, costume design by Kathleen O'Brien, hair and makeup design by Shiboune Thill, and sound design by Angela Yeung.

The cast of Palo Alto Players' Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST includes:

(in order of appearance)

Beast: Michael D. Reed

Belle: Sam Mills

Lefou: John Ramirez-Ortiz

Gaston: Frankie Mulcahy

Filles la Ville: Michelle Alindogan, Emery Bacon, Stacey Reed

Maurice: Michael Johnson

Cogsworth: Ben Chau-Chiu

Lumiere: Arjun Sheth

Babette: Kaitlin Harold

Mrs. Potts: Juliet Green

Chip: Da-Ni Lin

Madame de la Grande Bouche: Rachel Michelberg

Monsieur D'Arque: Arturo Montes

Prince: Justin Kerekes

Townspeople, Enchanted Objects: Marlon Chen, Selina Chih, Chloe Diepenbrock, Sarah Duarte, Justin Kerekes, Ji Hae Lee, Hsiao-Tiao (Rainbow) Lin, Skyler Riordan, William Savoie

Tickets for Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST can be purchased online at paplayers.org, by phone at 650.329.0891, or by visiting the Box Office (Tuesday through Friday, 11am - 4pm) at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. In-person performances at the Lucie Stern Theater begin on November 5 and continue through November 20, with a preview on November 4. In-person performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. At this time, masks are required to attend in-person performances regardless of age or vaccination status. Health and safety protocol is subject to change. This family-friendly production is recommended for ages 5 and up.

Every ticket purchase directly supports the actors, creative team, and staff for this production, and ensures that Palo Alto Players can remain a vital part of this community. For more information about tickets and Palo Alto Players' current health and safety policies, visit paplayers.org.

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