A Prince, living in a shining castle, is disturbed one winter's night by an old beggar woman, who comes to his castle and offers him a single rose, in return for shelter from the bitter cold. He is repulsed by her appearance and turns the haggard wretch away. Suddenly, the old woman's ugliness melts away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. Though the Prince is apologetic when he sees her beauty, the Enchantress changes the cruel, unfeeling Prince into a hideous Beast. His stubborn pride compels him to remain in his bewitched castle with Lumiere, the lovestruck candelabra, Cogsworth, the pompous clock, the kindly Mrs. Potts and an inquisitive teacup named Chip. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love another and earn their love in return, before the last petal falls from the Enchanted Rose. If not, he will be doomed to remain a Beast for all time.

Belle is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who lives with her father, Maurice, in a small village. When her father is imprisoned by the Beast, Belle offers herself to the Beast in return for releasing her father from his prisoner's cell in the Beast's castle. The Beast accepts Belle's offer to exchange places. Later in the story, the Beast falls in love with Belle, but is afraid to tell her. He offers instead his Magic Mirror and her freedom to rejoin her father in the village. Belle unknowingly betrays the Beast to Gaston, who leads a frenzied mob to destroy the Beast. At the castle, the Enchanted Objects repel the mob, but Gaston manages to stab the Beast in the back. Gaston is thrown to his death.

The Beast, dying from his wounds, tells the weeping Belle that he is happy that he got to see her one last time. Belle tells him that she loves him. The last petal on the Enchanted Rose falls. A magical transformation changes the Beast into the Prince once again. The spell has been broken! All the servants are also now human again. They, with Beauty and her Beast - now a handsome Prince - live happily ever after.

MUSIC . . . .

The music for Disney's Beauty and the Beast was inspired by the story itself. Belle, Gaston, and the Beast each has his/her own repeating musical motif that tips the audience off to the character's personality, while other pieces help to reinforce the emotion of the scenes.

The original animated film score -- including Academy Award®-winning songs by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman -- was expanded to include "No Matter What," a love song showing the strong bond between father and daughter. "Home" is Belle's song of determination. "Me" tells you everything you might need to know about Gaston. "If I Can't Love Her" is the Beast's way to show his yearning and loneliness. "Human Again" conveys the passage of time and continued hope. All the new songs are integrated so as to appear both familiar and new.

CREATIVE . . . .

When Walt Disney Pictures' full-length, animated feature film Beauty and the Beast was released, critics praised its "songs worthy of a Broadway musical." It was observed that Broadway is as vital to the film's staging and characterizations as it is to the songs themselves. Disney's Beauty and the Beast went on to win Academy® Awards for Best Song and Best Original Score and made history as the first animated feature ever nomination for a Best Picture Oscar®.

When the decision was made to actually bring it to the Broadway stage, everyone associated with the production knew it had to be extraordinary. It had to have that special magic that audiences have come to expect from the Walt Disney Company.

The creative team crafted a timeless story with roots deep in the classic fairy tale, filled with humor, magic, mystery, romance and suspense. They created a gallery of memorable characters, including enchanted servants who had the misfortune of being caught under the same spell as the Beast. The motherly cook, Mrs. Potts, has been transformed into a teapot; the stuffy head butler, Cogsworth, is a clock, and the faithful (and amorous) valet, Lumiere, is a candelabra.

These characters provide comfort and hope for the heroine, Belle, as she adjusts to her New life, torn away from her father as a result of the bargain she made with the Beast.

Simply staging a theatrical version of the film would have slighted both media. Disney focused on combining the strengths of the beloved story with the possibilities that only live theatre can offer. The directive: Maintain the essence of the movie, while developing a unique theatrical production.

This stage version of Beauty and the Beast was produced by Robert W. McTyre for Walt Disney Theatrical Productions. The Oscar®-winning score by composer Alan Menken and the late lyricist Howard Ashman was not only expanded by Menken, but lyricist Tim Rice added several new songs for the Broadway version.

Author Linda Woolverton adapted her work into this new stage play. Choreographer Matt West then teamed up with costume designer Ann Hould-Ward to come up with a look for the Enchanted objects, which would work on stage. Stan Meyer, scenic designer, and Natasha Katz, lighting designer, were challenged to create a unique fairy tale atmosphere for the stage. Director Robert Jess Roth ultimately brought all these elements together with the performers to create the finished piece.

COSTUMES . . . .

One of the most elaborate costumes belongs to the Beast. The Beast's hair, made from both real and synthetic hairs, is from National Hair Technologies. The synthetic hair is fed into a one-of-a-kind loom according to the designer's color and texture specifications. The designer then fashions it into a "hair suit," the hair designer grooms it, and skilled artists paint it to create the final look.

Three helpers are needed to get the Beast into make-up, prosthetics, hair and finally wardrobe to transform him into the Beast. At the beginning, it took more than three hours to transform the actor into the beast. With practice, it now usually takes about 90 minutes.

SETS, LIGHTING AND SPECIAL EFFECTS . . . .

Scenic design was a very important element in the staging of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Visually, the stage design very much followed the film version of the story in its use of line, color and texture to help set he tone and style of the production. The vibrant use of color together with the two-dimensional look of the set appropriately conveys the fairy tale origin of the story.

The scenery works together with all production and performance elements to create artistic consistency throughout the play. For example, the bright reds, orange and yellow of the early village scene are consistent with the happy, playful upbeat songs and dance numbers presented early in the play. Spurred on by Gaston, the mood of the villagers turns ugly in Act II, and they attack the Beast's castle. This mood is reflected in a change to costumes consisting of dark, somber colors, diffused shadowy lighting, and sharply angular sets that elicit a sense of foreboding.

All photos feature the Original Broadway Cast, unless otherwise noted. Photos © Joan Marcus.