How about a fairy-tale written to enchant children and grown-ups with the aim of teaching a moral message? This is Beauty and The Beast, a fairy-tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published anonymously in 1740. It's the fairy-tale that inspired Walt Disney to turn it into a full-length animated feature film following the success of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs in 1937. However, Walt Disney's two attempts to realize this wish during the 1940s and 1950s failed. But, after Walt's death, his company, inspired by the success of The Little Mermaid (1989), proposed that a full-length animated feature film of Beauty and The Beast would be arranged as a musical with original songs by the same Little Mermaid songwriting team, lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken.
Released into cinemas in 1991, the film received widespread acclaim for its story, characters, music, and animation. Beauty and The Beast was the first animated film to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture. It was also the first such film to receive a nomination for six Academy Awards, although it only ended up receiving awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Beauty and The Beast). In 1994, Beauty and The Beast became the first Disney film adapted into a Broadway musical which won a Tony Award. The show had a 13-year run and this musical became truly an international sensation that has been produced in 37 countries worldwide. Based on the award-winning animated feature film, the stage version includes all the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by the same Alan Menken and Tim Rice.
The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town in France, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.
Now, with the collaboration of the Gozo Heritage Directorate, after obtaining the necessary rights from London, Disney's Beauty and The Beast is being produced live on stage at the Don Bosco Oratory Theatre in Gozo.
Disney's Beauty and The Beast is a show of enchanting music, songs and dance, which together with new amazing costumes will recount the emotional story of the Beastly Prince who has to fall in love with Belle in order to undo the curse, restoring him and his servants to their human forms. Among the most popular songs of the musical expect to hear Me, Gaston, Be Our Guest, A Change in Me, and of course the title-song Beauty and The Beast, together with many other beautiful melodies so much loved by musical theatre patrons. Neville Refalo will be interpreting the main part of the Beast, while the young Krista Mercieca would be portraying the other main role of Belle. Other characters would be interpreted by Andrew Buhagiar, Karl J. Buhagiar, Ludwig Galea, Jeremy Paul Grech and Sharon Sciortinio, together with a cast of about a hundred other persons, including musicians, singers, choristers and dancers.
Mro Mark Gauci, who in recent years has already conducted other great musicals, namely Scrooge, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, will be the artistic director helped by Sandra Susnjic as choir director. The artistic direction will be left in the hands of Jamie Camilleri, who in recent years has also directed other musicals produced in the theatre. Mario Grech and Frances Zammit are the show's choreographers. Marisa Theuma and Mario Grech will be in charge of the wardrobe with the many extravagant costumes needed for this extraordinary show. Scenography has been left in the hands of artists Dennis Mompalao and Paul M. Cassar together with a group of volunteers from the Don Bosco Oratory Theatre.
The opening night of Disney's Beauty and The Beast will be on Friday, 7 November at 7.30pm, with repeat performances on Saturday, 8 November at 7.30pm, and a matinee performance on Sunday, 9 November at 2.30pm Another two performances will be held on Saturday, 15 November at 7.30pm, and on Sunday, 16 November at 5.30pm. This musical is surely one of the most challenging musicals ever to be staged at the Don Bosco Oratory Theatre of Gozo.
Booking is now open.
Tickets can be obtained from the Don Bosco Oratory of Gozo every day between 5 and 6.30pm or else by phoning on 2155 6616 or 9948 7751. Online booking is also available through theatre.donboscogozo.org or donboscogozo.org.