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Disney’s Beauty and the Beast sweeps into Bass Concert Hall in a rush of color and confidence, carrying the easy swagger of a show that knows exactly why it holds such a cherished spot in musical theater history. This national tour feels almost hand painted. Every cue lands with such precision you could swear the stage was inked by Disney animators and then coaxed into motion by artists who know the material down to its last glimmer.
🎠NEW! Austin Theatre Newsletter
The visuals stun from the start. Stanley A. Meyer’s set turns like the pages of a storybook caught in a breeze, drifting from the cheerful village to the shadowed castle with cinematic grace. Ann Hould Ward dresses the world in rich jewel tones, instantly familiar yet elevated for the stage. Natasha Katz bathes scenes in deep blues and warm golds that guide mood with a painter’s touch. Darrel Maloney’s projections shimmer just enough to modernize without overwhelming. Matt West’s choreography snaps with clean energy, and the tap number crackles through the audience like a live wire.
The transformations from prince to beast and back again arrive with clever flair. Quick, surprising, and gentle for younger viewers, they echo the film’s magic without leaning into spectacle for spectacle’s sake.
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​​​Kyra Belle Johnson and Company
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
The cast radiates charm and pulls us straight back into the childhood place where wonder reigns and magic is still possible. Kaira Belle Johnson’s Belle blends warmth with a curious spark, her voice blooming across the hall and her tap work landing bright and sure. Caleb McArthur, stepping in as Beast on Wednesday night, brings humor, emotional clarity, and real heart. Stephen Mark Lukas struts through Gaston with the puffed up bravado audiences love to loathe, while Harry Francis turns Lefou into a small hurricane of precise physical comedy. Danny Gardner and Javier Ignacio make Lumiere and Cogsworth a scene stealing duo. Kathy Voytko anchors the castle with a steady, generous Mrs. Potts. Cameron Monroe Thomas shines as Babette, Beatrice Goddard Beggs charms as Chip, Holly Ann Butler brings flair to Madame, and Kevin Ligon’s Maurice softens the room with quiet dignity. The ensemble is extraordinary, and collectively the company delivers a rich, polished, joy filled night.
The Texas connection sparks a warm jolt. Johnson, Thomas, and swing Carson Hampton Palmer all hail from the Texas State Musical Theatre program, and Gardner brings his own Texas roots. Their presence threads a bit of local electricity through the production.
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Harry Francis as Lefou and Stephen Mark Lukas as Gaston
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Photo by Matthew Murphy.
The story travels familiar ground. Belle yearns for adventure somewhere beyond the edges of her small town, only to find herself in the Beast’s enchanted castle, discovering the kindness hidden beneath his growl. Gaston rallies the village into a blind roar as he pursues Belle for all the wrong reasons, and the tale arcs toward redemption, courage, and the simple power of seeing someone fully. My favorite scenes remain unchanged across decades and countless versions: “Be Our Guest,” which in this production arrives like a royal banquet of color, and “Something There” which still prompts lively debates with my daughters about Stockholm syndrome and close proximity dynamics.
This tour honors the show’s legacy with care. When Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway in 1994, it marked one of Disney’s earliest, boldest, and most successful forays into theater, running more than thirteen years and helping shape the modern era of Disney stage musicals. This tour preserves the classic visual signatures while polishing them with fresh finesse.
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Enchanted Objects in ​Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Photo by Matthew Murphy
Even so, the story’s ideas land differently in 2025. “A Change in Me” nudges Belle toward reshaping her childhood dreams for the love of a man, and the Beast’s early temper reminds us that this fairy tale was born in another cultural moment, an era when women’s rights were not under the same pressures they face today. In a time when questions around autonomy, opportunity, and the balance between career and partnership are back in the spotlight, Belle’s shift in priorities feels more layered. Gaston’s tavern anthem still lands with its sly humor, yet it also shows how easily a crowd can cheer on boastful behavior without pausing to reflect. These elements do not dim the production, but they widen the conversation. Beauty and the Beast becomes both a nostalgic spectacle and a gentle prompt to consider how the stories we cherish interact with the values we hold dear.
What defines this tour, however, is its craft and its heart. It is spectacle woven with care, nostalgia shaped with intention, and performance anchored in precision. The magic is unmistakable. The color and movement sweep you up. The night glows with the warmth of a timeless story well told.
Let the show dazzle you. Then let the conversations afterward bloom as brightly as the enchanted rose glowing at center stage.
Warnings: This tour is family friendly but includes moments that may startle young children, such as wolves in the woods, loud noises, and flashing or strobe effects.
Age Recommendation: 6 and up.
Run Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with intermission.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Book by Linda Woolverton, author of the original screenplay
Score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, with additional songs by Alan Menken and Tim Rice
Directed and choreographed by Matt West
Texas Performing Arts presents Broadway in Austin
Bass Concert Hall | 2350 Robert Dedman Drive | Austin, TX 78712
Playing Dec 2nd through Dec 14th (2 weeks!)
Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 PM
Saturdays at 2:00 PM & 7:30 PM
Sundays at 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM
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