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Overview
Synopsis
Based on the smash hit 1991 Disney animated feature and dating back to a late 18th-century classic French fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, a beautiful and intelligent young woman who feels out of place in her provincial French village. When her father is imprisoned in a mysterious castle, Belle’s attempt to rescue him leads to her capture by the Beast, a grisly and fearsome monster, who was long ago trapped in his gruesome form by an enchantress. The only way for the Beast to become human once again is if he learns to love and be loved in return. There is a time limit, too: once a magical rose loses all of its petals, all hope will be lost and he will stay a Beast forever. The Beast’s enchanted household--populated by such beloved characters as Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Chip--watch anxiously as Belle and the Beast grow to understand and befriend one another. Their feelings grow ever deeper as the clock ticks and petals continue to fall off the enchanted rose--will they confess their love for one another before it is too late?
Show Information
- Music
- Alan Menken
- Lyrics
- Tim Rice , Howard Ashman
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1993
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings, Spectacle
- Time & Place
- unspecified, roughly 1700s
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Large Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Star Vehicle Female, Star Vehicle Male, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Mature Adult, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters
Context
Based on the smash hit 1991 Disney animated feature, Beauty and the Beast is one of the most successful screen-to-stage adaptations of all time, grossing nearly $1.5 billion in 13 different countries since its 1994 Broadway premiere.
The source material for Beauty and the Beast is a classic French fairy tale, La Belle et la Bête, first published in 1740. Many of the details of this story were changed for the Disney film and subsequent musical (for instance, the character upon whom Belle
to read the context for Beauty and the Beast and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
An unseen narrator tells the story of a young, spoiled prince who lived “once upon a time” in a magnificent castle. One cold winter night, an old beggar woman knocked at the castle door and asked to be sheltered for the night in exchange for a single red rose. Repulsed, the prince turned her away, despite her warning "not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within." Suddenly, the haggard old woman transformed into a beautiful enchantress. Shocked, the prince
to read the plot for Beauty and the Beast and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Treble/Boy Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either or Both |
Variety |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
|
Songs
Act One
- Overture — Orchestra
- Prologue — Orchestra
- Belle — Belle, Gaston, Lefou and Townsfolk
- No Matter What - Maurice and Belle (this song is now an optional alternate to a new scene in the updated 2021 licensed version of the musical)
- No Matter What [Reprise]/Wolf Chase — Maurice
- Me — Gaston and Belle
- Belle (Reprise) — Belle
- Home — Belle
- Home (Reprise) - Mrs. Potts
- Gaston — Gaston, Lefou and townsfolk
- Gaston (Reprise) — Gaston and Lefou
- How Long Must This Go On? — Beast
- Be Our Guest — Lumiere, Enchanted Objects, Ensemble
- If I Can't Love Her — Beast
Act Two
- Entr'acte/Wolf Chase — Orchestra
- Something There — Belle, Beast, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, and Chip
- Human Again — Belle, Beast, Lumiere, Enchanted Objects, Ensemble
- Maison des Lunes - Monsieur D'Arque, Gaston and Lefou (this song and scene are cut from the updated 2021 licensed version of the musical)
- Beauty and the Beast — Mrs. Potts
- If I Can't Love Her (Reprise) — Beast
- A Change in Me** — Belle
- The Mob Song — Gaston and the Mob
- The Battle - The Mob and Enchanted Objects (this song and scene are cut from the updated 2021 licensed version of the musical)
- Home (Reprise) — Belle
- Transformation — The Company
- Finale (Beauty and the Beast (Reprise)) - The Company
- Bows (Beauty and the Beast (Reprise)) - The Company
**Added to the official score in 1998.
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
This is a contemporary term that references a singer who is able to balance the chest and head voice depending on what the repertoire requires.
A character who contrasts with another character, intended to better reveal certain qualities of these characters.
A fictional story of the fantasy genre – idealised, romantic, and magical.
References a singer who has what has been considered a more classical approach to singing.
A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
A community outside of a capital city, often associated with a lack of sophistication.
The highest male vocal type, generally C3-C5.
Tone is the emotional quality of the voice.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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