Disney Theatrical Group’s “Beauty and the Beast” will return to the stage in a reimagined 30th Anniversary production as part of a new North American tour. Inspired by a staging that began in the UK in 2021 and that is currently playing in Australia, the tour is scheduled to launch in Schenectady, New York at Proctors in June 2025 with an official opening at Chicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatre in July.
The opening of “Beauty and the Beast” will be followed by a stop at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre in August. Casting and the two-year tour route are expected to be revealed at a later date.
“We’ve heard from audiences for three decades now that “Beauty and the Beast” has touched them in a profound way—these characters, songs and this sweeping story,” said Thomas Schumacher, Chief Creative Officer of Disney Theatrical Group. “How proud we are, then, to bring this refreshed and human take on the show—with the scale and spectacle the title deserves—to longtime fans and an entirely new generation. This Beauty is for them.”
“Beauty and the Beast” premiered at the New York Film Festival in 1991, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, as well as the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for its title song. In 1994, it was adapted into a Broadway musical and the shows ran for 13 years until 2007.
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The original Broadway show featured a book by screenwriter Linda Woolverton, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, who provided new lyrical material following Ashman’s death in 1991. Robert Jess Roth helmed the direction of the musical.
Now, some members of the creative team of the original production will reunite to create the new version, including composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, book writer Linda Woolverton, choreographer Matt West – who is now also the director of the show – along with scenic designer Stanley A. Meyer, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward, lighting designer Natasha Katz, and illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer.
New dance music arrangements will belong to David Chase, with longtime Menken collaborators Michael Kosarin and Danny Troob serving as music supervisor/arranger and orchestrator, respectively. Completing the design team are sound designer John Shivers, projection and video designer Darrel Maloney and hair and make-up designer David H. Lawrence.
A story about a young prince that was cast under a spell only to be broken with true love, “Beauty and the Beast” played from 1995 through 2003, as part of a previous Disney-produced North American tour. It had a total of 2,893 performances to more than 5.7 million audience members.
Fans can visit beautyandthebeastthemusical.com for ticket alerts and updates regarding the performance.
