Entertainment is slowly but surely making its way back into the parks, and that gives me hope for the future of Disney entertainment. On August 15th, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage made its way back on stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I am well aware that for many people this show is not a favorite and is seen as a pass. For me, this show has always held a special place in my heart because Beauty and the Beast is my favorite movie of all time, and I love the Broadway production.
Even if you may not be the biggest fan of the show, I think everyone needs to go see this show within the next few months because these performers are the happiest they’ve ever been. I think that right now all entertainment is important at Walt Disney World and these entertainment offerings should be celebrated even if the show isn’t your favorite.
Watching the show at Hollywood Studios, I had many moments where tears were streaming down my face because I could feel the happiness that these performers were exuding. They had cast members from the show in the audience that was part of the other cast that performed prior, and they were cheering them on the entire show. Yes, there were some changes that made the show look a little more awkward than normal, like how Belle and Beast didn’t touch at all during the entire show due to Covid-19. Belle and Beast not being able to fully interact with one another did feel awkward, but you could tell throughout the show that social distancing was in place to keep the performers safe.
Also, the dancers couldn’t partake in any partner dancing due to the social distancing rules put in place for the show, but even with those modifications, they told the story perfectly. Each dancer honored their spaces and made that space their own stage, which was amazing to see because that is something we don’t get to see often in group performances. Throughout the performance, guests were singing and clapping along to their favorite songs from this Disney classic. At the end of the performance, the audience got on their feet and gave the cast a standing ovation.
If you are someone who doesn’t fancy this show, if you’ll be in Hollywood Studios soon, I think you should make a stop and see it while the excitement is still there for the performers because that alone may change your mind. When the performers can show how much they love this show through their performance, and how much they love their job, it makes the show so much better. It’s also been over a year since this show was on stage, so you can only imagine how happy these performers are to be back on stage doing this show.
I can’t wait for all of the Walt Disney World shows to be back up and running because having entertainment back in the parks just feels so right. At the end of the day, entertainment is entertainment and it’s amazing to see a show like Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage back in the parks.
Hi, I'm Erica, and I write about all things Disney. Before working for The DIS, I was a theme park performer at SeaWorld, but I also performed at Disney. I have such an immense love for theme parks to the point I studied them in college.
