Beauty and the Beast, a beloved Disney classic, is seamlessly brought to the stage for a truly magical night of theater presented by Broadway in Chicago. This show will consistently make you ask yourself, “how did they do that?” This team of extraordinary artists behind the mastery of this show are members of the original Tony Award®-winning artistic team, including composer Alan Menken, Tim Rice, Linda Woolverton, Stanley A. Meyer, Ann Hould-Ward, Natasha Katz, and director and choreographer Matt West.
The story follows the beautiful bookworm Belle, who unexpectedly falls in love with a man cursed to be a beast. Beauty and the Beast in all its film and stage versions is adapted from La Belle et la Bête, a fairy tale by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in 1740—almost three centuries ago! The show stars Kyra Belle Johnson as Belle and Fergie L. Philippe as the Beast.
The production features Stephen Mark Lukas as Gaston, Danny Gardner as Lumiere, Kathy Voytko as Mrs. Potts, Javier Ignacio as Cogsworth, Harry Francis as Lefou, Kevin Ligon as Maurice, Holly Ann Butler as Madame, Cameron Monroe Thomas as Babette, and Beatrice Goddard Beggs and Levi Blaise Coleman alternating as Chip.
This cast of performers is an unmatched group of talent. Not only do they all bring an immense amount of joy to their characters and performance, they never miss a single beat in any of the dance numbers. The most impressive is “Be Our Guest.” The number features multiple styles of dance, a plethora of costume changes, the most spectacular lighting and projections, showcasing the extremely wide range of artistic mastery of the entire cast and crew. This number is so fantastic that it received a standing ovation…in the middle of act 1!
Kyra Belle Johnson, who quite fittingly plays the leading lady Belle, is a force to be reckoned with.
This triple-threat captured the heart of this infamous princess, giving her numerous layers and proving that Belle is more than just a beautiful ingenue. Her Belle is smart and witty, fiercely curious and brave, and above all, loving. She is the perfect match for our Beast, played by Fergie L. Philippe, who brings a softness and tenderness to this “wild animal.” Their chemistry is undeniable.
Stephen Mark Lukas, who plays the self-centered villainous Gaston, brings a refreshing lightness and humor to the character making him impossible not to love. His playfulness as an actor is so fun to watch, specifically the friendship between him and Lefou, Harry Francis. What a dynamic duo!
The designers of this show really outdid themselves. You cannot help but be in awe of the many details that go into making this show visually and audibly magical. John Shivers (sound designer), Darrel Maloney (projection and video designer), and Natasha Katz (lighting designer) worked together to build the atmosphere and tone while also creating some of the most stunning stage pictures I have ever seen.
The costume designer, Ann Hould-Ward, and illusionist designer, Jim Steinmeyer, outdid themselves with wildly intricate and creative costumes that seem humanly impossible. Lumiere, played by Danny Gardner, had real fire coming out of his hands (at least I think it was—you could see smoke come up when they were lit!). One costume illusion I could not wrap my brain around was the cart for Chip, played by Beatrice Goddard Beggs and Levi Blaise Coleman who alternate shows. The cart had an open bottom yet the young actor’s head stuck out the top, completely hiding their body.
The ensemble includes Vinny Andaloro, Benjamin Cheng, Spencer Dean, Julian Marcus De Guzman, Michael Dikegoros, Masumi Iwai, Darrell T. Joe, Emily Larger, Lena Matthews, Caleb McArthur, Sam Rose Pearson, Melaina Rairamo, Ellen Roberts, Grace Marie Rusnica, Ben Sears, Michael Seltzer, Jasmine Pearl Villaroel and Kate Wesler.
This show is perfect for all ages. Whether you are a 5-year-old girl in a princess dress or a 60-year-old enjoying the nostalgia of this classic, everyone will leave the theater with the grandest of smiles.
Based on the 1991 Academy Award®-winning animated feature film, Beauty and the Beast premiered on Broadway in 1994 and still ranks as the 10th longest-running show in the industry’s history. Nominated for nine Tony® Awards, winning for Best Costume Design, Beauty remains one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time. The title’s visibility and success have expanded globally with productions of the stage show and the smash Oscar®-nominated 2017 live-action film, which grossed over $1 billion worldwide.
Beauty and the Beast runs at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., through August 2. Running time is 2.5 hours including an intermission. You won’t want to miss it!
Individual tickets for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast are on sale now and start at $40 with a select number of premium tickets available. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at 312-977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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