Beauty and the Beast to close; The Little Mermaid to move in

Arts News

By Amy Somensky Jan 18, 2007, 5:03 GMT

New York: Disney Theatrical Productions has announced that after thirteen years on Broadway, Beauty and the Beast, will play its final performance at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater on July 29, 2007. Its closure will make way for another Disney musical to move in - The Little Mermaid. The new musical will begin previews at the Lunt-Fontanne on November 3rd and officially open on December 6th. The musical will have a pre-Broadway tryout at the Denver Center Attractions at Ellie Caulkins Opera House beginning July 26th.

“For many theatergoers, Beauty and the Beast has been their first introduction to the magic of Broadway musicals,” producer Thomas Schumacher said. “That’s a wonderful legacy for all of us at Disney Theatrical Productions, and we’re so proud of the show’s record-breaking run on Broadway, throughout the country and around the world. Though the Broadway production is coming to a close, through our relationship with Music Theatre International (MTI), Beauty and the Beast will continue to live on in regional and high school productions around the world.” “Beauty and the Beast has meant so much to me, both in remembering the joy of creating the animated film and seeing how audiences have embraced it on Broadway for all of these years,” said composer Alan Menken. “I have had the pleasure of watching so many diverse and talented performers sing these roles in the past 13 years. While it saddens me to say goodbye to Beauty and the Beast, I am excited to watch The Little Mermaid take shape as a Broadway musical, and to be a part of its exciting journey to the stage.” Beauty and the Beast opened at the Palace Theater on April 18, 1994. It transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne on November 11, 1999. At the time of closing it will have played 5,464 performances and will be the sixth longest running show in Broadway history.The cast of Beauty and the Beast currently includes Deborah Lew as Belle, Steve Blanchard as The Beast, Stephen R. Buntrock as Gaston, John Tartaglia as Lumiere, Jonathan Freeman as Cogsworth, Jeanne Lehmann as Mrs. Potts, Meredith Inglesby as Babette, Mary Stout as Madame de la Grande Bouche, and Aldrin Gonzalez as Lefou. Trevor Braun and Marlon Sherman alternate the role of Chip.The musical features lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, music by Alan Menken, and a book by Linda Woolverton. Beauty and the Beast is the elaborate stage production of Disney's animated classic that can currently be seen at the Lunt- Fontanne Theater. Belle is a beautiful, misunderstood young woman who falls in love with the deformed beast who has captured her. Little does she know that a spell was cast on him and it can only be broken (and he can return to his true form) if she truly falls in love with him. For tickets to the final performances of Beauty and the Beast click here.

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HectorJan 18th, 2007 - 06:28:53

Wow, I had no idea this was still going on. I saw this show in Los Angeles when I was in 5th grade... I'm now in college.

It was a WONDERFUL show and I still remember it clearly in my head. I'm sad to see that it will end soon.

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