Theatre Under the Stars offers a 2-for-1 rate for VocalEye users and one guest/attendant. Regular ticket prices range from $30 to $45. To purchase, please call 604-734-1917.
Running time is two and a half hours, including intermission. This performance will be followed by a Touch Tour.
Theatre Buddies are also available to guide patrons from the Stanley Park Bus Loop. Please reserve your Theatre Buddy by email or call 604-364-5949 at least 48 hours in advance.
Described by Anika Vervecken.
Arrive early and have a bite to eat at the Garden Café or grab a light snack from the snack bar. There is a wide range of hot, cold and alcoholic beverages for sale as well. Bring your own seat cushion for more comfort. A limited number of cushions are available to rent on site for $5, first-come, first-served.
You’ll be sitting outdoors, so dress for the weather and be prepared for temperatures to cool in the evening. You may want to spritz a little insect repellent on exposed skin. The show will go on, rain or shine, with few exceptions. Check TUTS’ rain policy.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is an enchanting musical for the entire family, and the first Disney film ever to make the leap to stage. The ‘tale as old as time’ follows Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, a young prince transformed by a wicked spell. If the Beast can learn to be loved, the curse will end and he will be restored. But time is running out…
A feast for the senses, the treasured production is abundant with lavish sets, sumptuous costumes, and spectacular musical numbers, including “Be Our Guest,” “Gaston,” and the titular ballad. The stage version includes all of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s songs from the Academy Award-winning film, as well as new songs by Menken and Tim Rice.
Music by Alan Menken, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Book by Linda Wolverton.
Director: Shel Piercy
Choreographer: Shelley Stewart Hunt
Music Director: Wendy Bross Stuart
BRIEF SYNOPSIS
Based on the smash hit 1991 Disney movie 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?
The action begins once upon a time in a small French village…
CHARACTERS
In the Village:
Belle is a bold, free-thinking young woman with a love of books and adventure.
Maurice is Belle’s doting father and an eccentric inventor.
Gaston is a man with big muscles and a bigger ego who wants to marry Belle.
Lefou is Gaston’s lowly sidekick.
The Silly Girls are smitten with Gaston, swooning and squealing at the sight of him.
Monsieur D’Arque is the scheming proprietor of the local insane asylum, the Maison des Lunes.
Other Villagers include Bookseller, Aristocratic Lady, Fish Man, Egg Man, Sausage Curl Girl, Baker, Marie, Lady with Cane, Lady with Baby, Candle Man, Hat Seller, Milkmaid, Shepherd Boy, Tavern Patrons, Townsfolk and Mob.
In the Castle:
The Beast is an enchanted Prince under a spell that is slowly turning him into a Beast. His castle is also enchanted with all its inhabitants in a state of transformation as well.
Lumière is a suave French Maître d’ in the process of turning into a candelabra.
Cogsworth is a tightly-wound English Butler turning into a grandfather clock.
Mrs. Potts is a matronly Cockney cook turning into a teapot.
Chip is Mrs. Potts young son who is turning into a teacup.
Babette is a flirty French maid turning into a feather duster.
Madame de la Grande Bouche is a former opera diva turning into a wardrobe.
Guillaume is a houseboy turning into a doormat.
Other enchanted people/objects include Gargoyles, Napkins, Plates and Cutlery.
In the Forest:
An Old Woman/Enchantress, Wood Nymphs and Wolves
PREVIEWS AND REVIEWS
“Simply put, everybody’s good. How often do I get to say that? The leads ace it. Jaime Piercy captures all of Belle’s no-nonsense appeal, and she’s got a big, pure, no-nonsense voice to go with it. Peter Monaghan’s Beast is sometimes hilariously feline and the guy’s singing is gorgeous: his voice sounds like a warm, dark night. Steven Greenfield is wittily restrained as the tightly wound Cogsworth, and Victor Hunter delivers an enormous yet charismatic portrait of Lumiere. Sheryl Anne Wheaton is warmly engaging as cook-turned-teapot Mrs. Potts: her suede-like voice is perfect for the title song. Dane Szhoner plays Bell’s boneheaded village suitor, Gaston, with all the vigorous narcissism the role requires, and, as Gaston’s sidekick Lefou, Nicholas Bradbury has a swell time with the physical comedy. Shelly Stewart Hunt’s choreography is showy and exuberant, which is exactly what you want. Brian Ball’s set is surprisingly successful—lavish and witty on a limited budget—as it flips between the Beast’s grand castle and Belle’s storybook village. And Chris Sinosich’s costumes are a huge accomplishment. Many of her designs, including the Beast’s evening wear, are gorgeous. Under the direction of Wendy Bross Stuart, the orchestra sounds terrific. And Gerald King lights the heck out of this show, often pumping volumes and volumes of fog onto the Malkin Bowl stage to painterly effect. Got kids? Take them to Beauty and the Beast? Don’t have kids? Take yourself.” -Colin Thomas
“Just like Belle’s favourite book, the Theatre Under the Stars’ production of Beauty and the Beast gives you everything you could want in summertime entertainment… light, bright, and fun, providing everything you could ask for in a family musical. Bring the kids, get some popcorn, and enjoy.” –Vancouver Presents
“a hairy tale given especially heartwarming life in its beloved live version” –Vancouver Theatre
“Theatre Under the Stars has a reputation for putting on great musical plays and the production of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast is no exception. The music, dancing, set, singing and acting are all excellent.” –Vancouver’s Best Places
SUPPORT MATERIALS
Beauty and the Beast – SONG LIST (Word doc)
Beauty and the Beast – SYNOPSIS (Word doc)
