Beauty And The Beast

IMDREW

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hi everyone! I don't think anyone knows, but why not ask> Is it known what production of Beauty and the Beast is coming and when it will open? I will be there at the end of the year and last time I visited I missed The Lion King because the two days I was there they weren't performing. Luckily they did open the theatre so I could get a look inside, but this time I really want to try to see a production in the Walt Disney Grand Theatre in Disneytown in SD.

My questions are; does anyone know if they're going with the original Broadway production, the new US tour version (Really don't like the look of that one) or the Europe version. They all are so different and I hope they do the original because I've never seen that one. And does anyone know when the show is slated to open?

Any thoughts would be welcome!
 

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
The show is supposed to open in June/July, so it will be ongoing by the time you arrive. Disney Theatrical is behind the production, so I would expect a plussed up version of the last national tour. It's possible they'll replicate the original production instead, but there's been no details on directors, designers, etc.
 

IMDREW

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The show is supposed to open in June/July, so it will be ongoing by the time you arrive. Disney Theatrical is behind the production, so I would expect a plussed up version of the last national tour. It's possible they'll replicate the original production instead, but there's been no details on directors, designers, etc.
Thanks!
 

Old Mouseketeer

Well-Known Member
I was talking to an acquaintance who is a performer just returned from a contract in Shanghai. He said they want the productions in the Disney Grand Theater to be interchangeable on relatively short notice and reuse performers, almost like repertory. So when they removed Lion King, it was with the intent of reusing the sets and costumes at some point, more like a touring production than the kind of final strike and outright demolition for Aladdin at the DCA Hyperion.

I'm not sure how accurate this assessment was because this guy is not actually a theater person. He was cast for a role that needed a big guy with a distinctly "American" look, if you catch my drift.
 

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
I was talking to an acquaintance who is a performer just returned from a contract in Shanghai. He said they want the productions in the Disney Grand Theater to be interchangeable on relatively short notice and reuse performers, almost like repertory. So when they removed Lion King, it was with the intent of reusing the sets and costumes at some point, more like a touring production than the kind of final strike and outright demolition for Aladdin at the DCA Hyperion.

I'm not sure how accurate this assessment was because this guy is not actually a theater person. He was cast for a role that needed a big guy with a distinctly "American" look, if you catch my drift.

I’m skeptical, only because the two shows can’t coexist in the theatre. For LK to return, BATB would have to be totally loaded out. Doing those set switches on a regular basis isn’t really feasible.

I think BATB will run until they can get the Broadway Frozen in there, and then that will be it for a long time.
 

Old Mouseketeer

Well-Known Member
I’m skeptical, only because the two shows can’t coexist in the theatre. For LK to return, BATB would have to be totally loaded out. Doing those set switches on a regular basis isn’t really feasible.

I think BATB will run until they can get the Broadway Frozen in there, and then that will be it for a long time.

I'm not saying you're wrong--as I said, I wasn't sure of the veracity of my source. But if these shows were designed and constructed like touring productions and could be swapped out in a week or two? I don't have enough detail to assess. It's just what I heard.
 

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
I'm not saying you're wrong--as I said, I wasn't sure of the veracity of my source. But if these shows were designed and constructed like touring productions and could be swapped out in a week or two? I don't have enough detail to assess. It's just what I heard.

The BATB set is a touring one - I'm not sure if they're reusing the last international tour set, but that's the most likely scenario as it was probably in storage anyway.

As far as I know LK was a new build. I didn't see it when I was there because God knows I never need to see LK again let alone in Mandarin but I'd be interested to know if Pride Rock rose from beneath the stage or if they used the touring Pride Rock mechanism instead. That would at least give a hint as to how seriously they took LK as an installation in the first place.
 

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
I should also say, while I'm rambling, that this was a bad idea. The Shanghai market isn't really there for sit-down permanent Broadway productions yet, and if it were, they would need to be downtown and not on the edge of the city at SDL. LK didn't sell like crazy, and I'd be surprised if BATB does either.

I think Frozen would, because the Chinese are mad for anything involving Elsa.
 

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