Update: Right now most shows are closed right now do to COVID related issues
A Broadway-style musical, Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage show at Sunset Boulevard’s Theater of the Stars at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios. The live stage show is based on the animated, popular film Beauty and the Beast the same date as the premiere of the film. The live show included many of the original characters and songs. Most of the soundtrack was recorded previously. The actors for Gaston and Belle sing and speak live. Since opening day, two versions of the live show have been presented.
What are the Beauty and the Beast Showtimes? The Beauty and the Beast live show has various showtimes. The twenty-five minute live show is shown at 11:00-am, 1:00-pm and 2:00-pm. The show is located at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Sunset Boulevard.
Beauty And The Beast Showtimes Current Version
The current show features the songs near the order in which the film presents them. Currently, this is the longest stage show running at Walt Disney World Theme Park. The reason it is the longest show running on stage is that the actors are perfect for their roles and look exactly like the characters of Belle and The Beast in the fairy tale. Each song is rehearsed perfectly, delighting kids and adults of all ages.
Beauty And The Beast Showtimes Previous Version
From the original version, the live stage show changed considerably to the version currently running. It resembles the 1991 same-name film more closely. Since the show is shortened to about twenty-five minutes, many edits and cuts have been made.
The Show Opens
Just like the Broadway musical, the show opens with a woman begging the selfish, spoiled prince if he would let her stay for the night in his castle since it was bitterly cold. She offered him a rose in exchange. The prince did not let her in. Because he did not let her in, the old beggar turns into an enchantress and punishes him by turning him to a hideous, scary and ugly beast. All the people in his castle also get transformed as a punishment. Only by learning to love someone else and earning reciprocal love from them can the prince break the spell. If he is not able to accomplish this before the last petal of the enchanted rose falls, he will remain in his ugly state forever.
Belle’s French Village
Year after year passes. Belle walks into the little quiet French village where her home is. Everyone agrees that she is beautiful but strange. The young, handsome hunter Gaston also boasts that he wants to marry Belle, whom he loves. She politely refuses Gaston. Later, she finds herself in the enchanted castle of the Beast. She gets to know all of the inhabitants of the castle such as the teapot, Mrs. Potts and Chip her son, the candelabra named Lumiere and the clock named Cogsworth. Cogsworth thinks that they made a mistake allowing Belle to come in. However, some believed that the curse could be broken through Belle. Thus, they sang her the song Be Our Guest as they threw her a feast.
Something There That Wasn’t There Before
Abruptly, the Beast expresses his fear and ends the celebration. He is afraid that Belle will never learn to love him. As she tours the castle, Belle discovers the rose in the West Wing. The Beast gets upset with Belle since he gave instructions not to go to that area. This caused an argument between the Beast and Belle. The others convinced the Beast to behave better since Belle might just be the curse-breaker. The inhabitants of the castle sing the song Something There that was not there previously. Belle and the Beast then fall in love.
A Rose For The Lucky Audience
Gaston declares that the Beast is a monster and until he is dead, the town would not be safe They sing The Mob Song as they attack the beast. The people of the town take over the Beast’s castle which ruined everything. Belle admits that she loves the Beast when she sees him so weak. She does this just as the last rose petal falls. The curse is then broken and the Beast transforms magically into his previous beautiful state. The entire castle and its inhabitants return to their former selves. At this point, Belle and the Beast sing and dance in their traditional attire. At the end of the live show, The Prince and Belle give a lucky audience member a rose.
The 1991 Premiere
The 1991 premiere of the film occurred simultaneously as the opening of the live show. As Sunset Boulevard was being constructed, Theater of the Stars was transferred and the show was moved temporarily to New York Street’s back lot Theater. Two years later, the show returned to Sunset Boulevard’s Theater of the Stars.
Which various television shows featured the live show of Beauty and the Beast.?
- At the Christmas Day Parade, the cast appeared and sang Be our Guest. This version featured John O’Hurley in 2005.
- Excerpts from the show in 1991 were shown when the show first appeared at the Christmas Day Parade in Walt Disney World.
- In The Oprah Winfrey Show, Beauty and the Beast was featured during the time Oprah visited Disney World. Audience members were able to watch the main title song performed by Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion. Characters that made an appearance included Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Chip, The Prince, and Belle.
- In the film, the live show made a cameo appearance when Chuck E. Cheese sang Something There, with the Beast in the show Cranberry Christmas.
On your next visit to Disney, don’t miss the long running live show of Beauty And The Beast. The singing and the dancing are something the entire family will truly enjoy. Kids of all ages will be delighted with the live performances, whether or not they had already seen the film version. Perhaps you will be the lucky audience member that gets the rose handed to them by Belle and The Prince.