From our Friends at D23
Disney Theatrical Group—under the direction of Andrew Flatt, Anne Quart, and Thomas Schumacher—has announced that a newly reimagined North American tour of Beauty and the Beast will launch in June 2025.
“We’ve heard from audiences for three decades now that Beauty and the Beast has profoundly touched them—these characters, songs, and this sweeping story,” said Schumacher, Chief Creative Officer, Disney Theatrical Group, also known as Disney on Broadway. “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.”
Based on the Academy Award®-winning feature film, Beauty and the Beast is one of the most beloved stage musicals of the last half-century. The Tony Award®-winning Broadway production ran for 13 years (1994–2007) and remains one of the Top 10 longest-running Broadway shows. Worldwide, there have been productions in 37 countries, seen by more than 25 million people and translated into 17 languages.
The new tour will hold technical rehearsals and launch in Schenectady, New York, at Proctors in June 2025, prior to the official opening in Chicago at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in July, followed by a stop in Minneapolis at the Orpheum Theatre in August. Casting and the anticipated two-year tour route will be announced at a later date.
Reuniting to create this new production are members of the original Tony Award-winning artistic team, including composer and Disney Legend Alan Menken (who wrote the film’s beloved score with the late lyricist and Disney Legend Howard Ashman), lyricist and Disney Legend Tim Rice, book writer Linda Woolverton, with direction and choreography by Matt West, scenic design by Stanley A. Meyer, costume design by Ann Hould-Ward, and lighting design by Natasha Katz.
“We are thrilled to have once again gathered this world-class creative team on Beauty and the Beast, under the masterful direction of original team member Matt West,” said Executive Producer Anne Quart. “Together they created a beloved show in 1994, and today they’re telling that story with all the charm and romance of the original production, and newly resonant for today’s audiences. It’s a pleasure to be back in the room with this peerless team as they re-discover and expand Beauty and the Beast.”
There are no plans for Broadway for the production, according to a company spokesperson.
The image at the top of this story depicts a scene from the current Australian production, with Shubshri Kandiah as Belle and Brendan Xavier as Beast.
