'Beauty and the Beast' tour stops in Bloomington for first time, brings several IU alumni along

It’s been heralded as a “tale as old as time,” and tonight it will make its debut in Bloomington.

“Beauty and the Beast,” the Broadway-musical adaptation of the Academy Award-winning Disney movie, will make its Bloomington debut at 7:30 p.m. at the IU
Auditorium, with additional performances 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.

The performance kicks off a three-day run for the show and will feature returning IU department of theater and drama alumni David Zack as stage manager, Barb Bartel, as the productions electrician and orchestra member Ryan Claus.

Maria Talbert, events coordinator for the auditorium, said the show will have a lavish production reminiscent of the film.

“The production quality is outstanding,” Talbert said. “People should be swept away as they were when they saw the film. It’s a beautiful love story with magnificent music.”
The “Beauty and the Beast” stage production debuted on Broadway in 1994 and closed in 2007 after 5,464 performances, marking its place in theater history as the sixth-longest running Broadway show. The musical has since made residencies in Chicago, Los Angeles, London and Toronto, as well as a host of national traveling tours spanning 13 countries, including China, Germany, Argentina.

Talbert said ticket sales have picked up within the past week with an increase of interest in the show. However, tickets are still available for all three nights. Student tickets start at $20.

Freshman Rachel Gearns, a longtime fan of the film, said she intends to see the show after missing its run in both on Broadway and in Chicago.

“‘Beauty and the Beast’ was my favorite Disney movie growing up,” Gearns said. “I watched it all the time and always wanted to be Belle. I was upset when I missed the show’s run in Chicago, but because it’s coming here, I’ll be able to see it and relive a treasured part of my childhood.”