Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
The Magical Muny FavoriteJune 22 – 30
Be our guest and bring the entire family for an enchanting night under the stars! Disney’s Beauty and the Beast reminds us to look for the beauty within. With a dose of Muny Magic, this production will bring all your favorite fanciful characters to life, with spectacular sets and costumes. Join Belle, the Beast, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Lumiere and all the spellbound characters of the fabled castle in a summer celebration for any age!
Performances begin at 8:15pm
Running Time: 2:30 Including Intermission
Join us for our Book Drive during this show!
CAST
ASHLEY BLANCHET
Belle
Broadway: Waitress (Dawn), Frozen (u/s Elsa), Beautiful (Little Eva), Annie (Star To Be), Memphis. Recent select regional productions include The Sound of Music (Maria, Paper Mill Playhouse) and Oklahoma! (Ado Annie, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera). This spring, she was Miss New Hampshire in the world premiere of the new musical The Bedwetter, written by Josh Harmon, Adam Schlesinger and Sarah Silverman. Film/TV: The Equalizer, The Good Fight, Better Nate Than Ever (Disney+) and the voice of Raquelle in the award-winning animated short film Are You Okay? Proud alumna of University of Michigan and The Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA.
BEN CRAWFORD
Beast
Muny: Footloose (Chuck), Titanic (Frederick Barrett), Oliver! (Bill Sikes). Broadway: The Phantom of the Opera (Phantom, 35th Anniversary), Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (Mr. Salt), On the Twelfth Century, Big Fish (Don Price, u/s Edward), Shrek (Shrek) and Les Misérables (u/s Jean Valjean, Javert). Off-Broadway: Irma la Douce (Persil-Le-Noir/Mec) and Merrily We Roll Along (Terry) for Encores!; Jasper in Deadland (Prospect Theatre). National tour: Guys and Dolls (Sky Masterson). Regional: Evita (Che, Studio Tennessee), 110 in the Shade (Starbuck, Ford’s Theatre), Big Fish (Don Price, u/s Edward, Oriental Theatre), South Pacific (Luther Billis, Ogunquit Playhouse), Next to Normal (Madden, Pioneer Theatre), Assassins (John Wilkes Booth, Arizona Theatre Company), Shrek the Musical (Shrek Standby, Seattle 5th Avenue Theatre), Oklahoma! (Jud Fry, Atlanta Theater of the Stars) and A New Brain (Gordan Schwinn, Arizona Onstage Productions). Concerts: Carousel (Billy Bigelow) with Rochester Philharmonic, and Hello, Dolly! (Cornelius) and Yuletide for Indianapolis Symphony.
CLAYBOURNE ELDER
Gaston
was most recently seen on Broadway as Andy in the Tony Award-winning revival of Company with Patti LuPone. He is a Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominee, known for his Broadway performances in Bonnie and Clyde, Sunday in the Park with George and Torch Song. He also appeared in Sondheim on Sondheim at the Hollywood Bowl, Road Show at the Public Theater, Do I Hear A Waltz? at NY City Center Encores!; Allegro at Classic Stage and Venice at the Public Theater. Other roles include George in Sunday in the Park with George, Giorgio in Passion, Tony in West Side Story, Joe in Angels in America, Curly in Oklahoma!; and Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods. TV/Film credits include John Adams on The Gilded Age, The Carrie Diaries, FBI, Bad Cupid and the video game Grand Theft Auto V.
ANN HARADA
Mrs. Potts
has appeared at The Muny in High School Musical, 42nd Street, Mamma Mia!; Gypsy and Matilda. She is best known for playing Christmas Eve in Avenue Q on Broadway and London’s West End. Other Broadway: Into the Woods, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Les Misérables, 9 to 5, Seussical, M. Butterfly. Recent off-Broadway: Dear World, Fairycakes, Emojiland, I Married an Angel, Pacific Overtures, Brooklynite. TV: Schmigadoon!; Smash, Blue Bloods, The Jim Large.
KELVIN MOON LOH
Lumiere
Muny Debut! Broadway: Beetlejuice The Musical (Otho), SpongeBob SquarePants, The King and I (Lincoln Center 2014), Side Show (2013 Revival). Select Theatre: Here Lies Love (Public Theater), Pacific Overtures (Classic Stage Co.), American Idiot (first national tour). Regional: Utah Shakespeare Festival, Pioneer Theatre Company, Houston TUTS, Arvada Center for the Performing Arts, La Jolla Playhouse, The Kennedy Center, Gateway Playhouse, North Shore Music Theatre, Kansas City Starlight, National Asian Artists Project. TV: Only Murders in the Building. Kelvin can be heard as a vocalist in the movies Spirited; Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile; and The Greatest Showman. He appears as Perch Perkins in the movie version of SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical. NYU Steinhardt.
ERIC JORDAN YOUNG
Cogsworth
Muny: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2022). Broadway: Ragtime (1998), Ragtime (2009), The Look of Love, Chicago and Seussical. Select off-Broadway and regional credits include Neighbors, Dessa Rose, Little Fish, Side Show (Helen Hayes Award), Ragtime, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sammy & Me. National tours: Chicago, Ragtime, Dreamgirls. Las Vegas: Cocktail Cabaret, Rock of Ages, Vegas! The Show; Shakin’; Chicago, Starlight Express.
HOLLY ANN BUTLER
Babette
Muny: Holiday Inn (Lila Dixon), Annie (Lily St. Regis), A Chorus Line (Sheila). Broadway/off-Broadway: Diana (Sarah Spencer), Come From Away, On the Town, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Grease, Happiness, Anyone Can Whistle. Tours: Evita, Shrek, Jersey Boys. Regional: The Royal Family of Broadway (Barrington, world premiere), The Honeymooners (Paper Mill Playhouse), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Drury Lane, Jeff Award nomination). Film/TV: Diana the Musical, A Holiday Spectacular, Spirited, SeaQuest 2032, Figure It Out.
TOMMY BRACCO
Lefou
Broadway: Disney’s Newsies (Spot Conlon, OBC), Pretty Woman: The Musical (Giulio, OBC) and A Chorus Line (Mike Costa, NY City Center Encores!). In addition to theatre, Tommy has a love for reality TV and competed on CBS’ Big Brother and MTV’s The Challenge.
HARRISON WHITE
Maurice
makes his Muny debut in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Broadway: The Lion King and Sarafina! West End: Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Off-Broadway: A Good Swift Kick and Romance in Hard Times at the Public Theater. Other credits include Dreamgirls, Seussical, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Full Monty, Gulls, Miss Saigon, It’s A Wonderful Life; Purlie, Ain’t Misbehavin’; Five Guys Named Moe, Once on This Island, as well as world premieres of Ray Charles Live and Sister Act. TV: The Villains of Valley View, The Underground Railroad, Kenan, Danger Force, The Kominsky Method, Fresh Off the Boat, How To Get Away With Murder, This Is Us, 9-1-1, Modern Family and many more. Film: Mermaid, I Got the Hookup 1 and 2, The Way You Look Tonight, Waiting in the Wings 1 and 2, Opening Night, The Muppets, Se7en. Proud member of AEA since 1988.
DEBBY LENNON
Madame de la Grande Bouche
is thrilled to be a part of The Muny’s 105th Season. Muny credits: Chicago (Standby Matron Mama Morton/Mary Sunshine), Mary Poppins (Miss Andrew), Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, Singin’ in the Rain (Dora Bailey), Oliver!; Cinderella on Ice, South Pacific, Annie, Fiddler on The Roof and Show Boat. St. Louis Theater Circle Awards for Grey Gardens (Edith/Little Edie, Best Actress in a Musical) and Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins (Best Actress in a Comedy). She looks forward to playing the role of Mother in Union Avenue Opera’s upcoming production of Ragtime. Debby celebrates 23 years as director of The Webster University Jazz Singers and is an adjunct professor of voice at Webster University in St. Louis, MO.
MICHAEL HOBIN
Chip
is honored to make his debut this summer at The Muny as a member of the principal cast in Beauty and the Beast. His favorite and recent roles include Ralphie (A Christmas Story), Bruce (Matilda), Young Luke (The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical), Jeter (Footloose) and Olaf (Frozen Jr.). He has performed with Gateway Center for Performing Arts, Shooting Star Productions, Stages Performing Arts Academy and Kirkwood Youth Theatre. Michael is a member of the Muny Kids Touring Troupe. He studies voice with Dr. Philip Woodmore and dance training at Gateway Center for Performing Arts.
Ensemble
Lori Barrett-Pagano, Devin Cortez, Matthew Davies, Duane Martin Foster, Nigel Jamal Hall, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Ryan Lambert, Samantha Littleford, Daniel Brooks McRath, Georgia Monroe, Rich Pisarkiewicz, Paris Porché Richardson, Heather Jane Rolff, Grace Marie Rusnica, Michael Santomassimo, Mark Saunders, Leann Schuering, Gordon Semeatu, Kelly Sheehan, Wesley Slade, Molly Stilliens, Meridien Terrell, Cameron Monroe Thomas and Kristen Welsh.
CREATIVE TEAM
JOHN TARTAGLIA
Director
Muny (Director): Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Matilda, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Disney’s Tarzan and Shrek. Muny (Actor): Disney’s Aladdin (The Genie), Seussical (The Cat in the Hat), A Funny Thing…Forum (Hysterium, St. Louis Theater Circle Award). Director: The Secret Silk (Princess Cruises, writer/director), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter), Claudio Quest (NY Musical Festival), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks) and many more. Broadway: Avenue Q (Tony nomination), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Shrek. Film/TV: Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock (currently on Apple TV+), The Happytime Murders (STX Films), Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Jr., Emmy nomination), Sesame Street (PBS Kids), Jim Henson’s Word Party and Julie’s Greenroom (Netflix), creator, co-executive producer and star of Jim Henson’s Splash and Bubbles (PBS Kids, Emmy nomination).
PATRICK O’NEILL
Choreographer
Muny: Guys and Dolls (Co-Choreographer), Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins (Choreographer). Patrick was last represented on Broadway as the Associate Choreographer of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical School of Rock which he also staged in Sydney, Melbourne,
BEN WHITELEY
Music Director/Conductor
Muny: The Sound of Music, Singin’ in the Rain;A Chorus Line, 42nd Street, My Fair Lady, The Addams Family, Spamalot, Pirates!; Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Kiss Me, Kate; Oklahoma!; The Music Man, Meet Me In St. Louis, South Pacific. St. Louis Symphony: A Little Sondheim Music and A Celebration of Muny 100. Music Director for 1776 at New York City Center Encores! Broadway/national tours: Hello, Dolly!; A Christmas Story, The Addams Family, Spamalot, The Full Monty, Cats, Grand Hotel, Falsettos, Big. Carnegie Hall: Sail Away with Elaine Stritch. Madison Square Garden: A Christmas Story. Sacramento Music Circus: Oklahoma!;Something Rotten! Choral Direction/Preparation: Carousel (NY Philharmonic/PBS) and 31 NY City Center Encores! productions. Other: Paper Mill Playhouse, 5th Avenue Theatre, University of Michigan, The Irish Tenors. Recordings: Allegro, Boardwalk Empire.
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice
Book by Linda Woolverton