DISNEYÂ'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Plays Omaha's Orpheum 6/22-27

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, presented locally by Omaha Performing Arts and Broadway Across America, is coming to Omaha. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the Orpheum Theater, Tuesday, June 22 through Sunday, June 27, 2010.

Tickets for Disney's Beauty and the Beast range in price from $25 to $65 and go on sale Friday, April 23. They can be purchased at the Ticket Omaha Box Office in the Holland Performing Arts Center, 13th and Douglas streets, Omaha, Neb; online at TicketOmaha.com; or by calling 402-345-0606. For group sales call 402-661-8516 or toll-free 866-434-8587.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast features the animated film's Academy Award®-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, with additional songs with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. The book is written by Linda Woolverton.

The original creators of the Broadway production are together again for this new touring production. The musical is directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West, with costume design by Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award® winner for her work on Disney's Beauty and the Beast), lighting design by Natasha Katz, scenic design by Stanley A. Meyer, sound design by John Petrafesa Jr. and music supervision by Michael Kosarin.

"It has been wonderful to bring the entire original design team back together to work on this new production of Beauty and the Beast," Director Rob Roth said. "As a director, it is rare to have the opportunity to revisit your work fifteen years later. Hopefully I've grown and developed as an artist, along with my collaborators, and we can bring 15 years of experience to this new production."

Roth said: "We have remained very close as a team over the years of producing the show around the world, and it has been so much fun getting together to re-explore and re-invent the show for this new NETworks tour. The theme of ‘Beauty' is about seeing past the exterior into the heart of someone, and this is reflected in the design for the show, which is about transparency and layers, seeing past one thing and into another."

Disney's Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to 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.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast has become an international sensation that has played to over 35 million people worldwide in 21 countries.

Omaha Orpheum Theater performances are Tuesday through Sunday, June 22 through June 27, 2010. Show times are: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. For tickets go to www.ticketomaha.com. For additional information go to www.omahaperformingarts.org or visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

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