Details 

Beauty & the Beast 

 

Beauty & the Beast

by Kevin M Reese

Video Promo Available Soon

Plot:
After the Narrator teaches the audience a little French (PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?), we meet the beautiful Emilie, her doting father and her two hateful, bumbling sisters, Drucilla and Janella. The sisters are always making Emilie do their chores and treat her worse than Cinderella. Soon a letter arrives (THE LETTER) telling of a long-lost Uncle who has left his possessions to their father. In their greed, they wonder what riches await them (CITY GIRL TRAPPED IN A FARM GIRL’S BODY) Father leaves to collect his inheritance but gets lost in the forest and stumbles upon the Beast’s castle. The Beast imprisons him as a trespasser and only releases him to say goodbye to his family. When he returns to his family and relates his sad tale, Emilie steals away to the Beast’s castle to take her father’s place. When father returns to the castle, he discovers Emily. The Beast agrees to take Emilie in her fathers place despite her fathers protests. Emilie says goodbye to her father (I’M SORRY), and he returns to his other two daughters, who will soon drive him crazy with their constant complaining. Meanwhile, the Beast and Emilie soon become friends. Every day, Beast asks Emilie if she thinks he is ugly and every day she tells him the truth. One day she tells Beast how lonely she is for her father, so out of his love for her, Beast agrees to let her go back for a visit. Emilie promises that she’ll honor her word and be back in a week. Back at home, Emilie tells her sisters all about her friendship for the Beast. Out of jealousy, they try to get her to break her word to the Beast. Just as Emilie realizes that she and the Beast are more than friends, she sees that she is late getting back to him. She hurries back to the castle– but it is too late. The Beast has died of a broken heart. She kneels and weeps over the Beast and suddenly he transforms into the handsome Prince Arthur. Her love for the Beast has broken the spell! They sing BEAUTY IN THE BEAST. Emilie’s father and sisters arrive and the sisters are taught a lesson in being nice to people. Everyone sings the finale, ONCE UPON A TIME.

Courtesy: DARO Productions (St Gallen, Switzerland)

Production Length: 55 minutes with music. Recommended for Audiences Age 5 and up.

Sets:
1> Beauty's Farm House Interior
2> A Country Roadside
3> Beast's Castle Interior (w/ Fireplace)
4> Beast's Exterior (Walled Garden)

Original Cast: 6:   3 Men, 3 Women.

Characters: 
Narrator (Jean-Paul)
Beauty (Emilie)
Janella
Drucilla
Father (Henri)
Beast / Prince Arthur

Short Description:
The Narrator introduces us to Beauty's sisters who are driving their poor old Papa crazy because they just sit around and complain. Thank goodness for his youngest daughter, Beauty, to help keep him sane. After a fateful turn of events, Beauty meets the Beast and we watch her discover what it is about a person that really makes them special. It’s what’s inside that counts!

MUSIC:
#1 Parlez-Vous Français? (Narrator)
#2 The Letter (Father, Janella, Drucilla)
#3 City Girl Trapped in a Farm Girl's Body (Jan & Druc)
#4 I'm Sorry (Father & Beauty)
#5 Beauty in the Beast (Beauty & Beast)
#6 Finale: Once Upon a Time (Everyone)

 

Original Production
BEAUTY &THE BEAST was First produced by the Wichita Children's Theatre Professional Touring Company. It opened September 27, 1994 and played 147 performances over a seven-month touring period. John (JB) Boldenow directed, Susan Hearne was the Music Director, and J Branson was the Set Designer.