Hilary Maiberger and Darick Pead to Star in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Segerstrom Center, 1/14-19

Casting has been announced for the Orange County engagement of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts from January 14 - 19, 2014.

Single tickets, which start at $29, are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556- 2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755- 0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, January 18 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.

Hilary Maiberger and Darick Pead will star in the title roles of Belle and Beast. Joining Maiberger and Pead will be Jordan Aragon as Lefou, Paul Crane as Maurice, James May as Cogsworth, Stephanie Moskal as Babette, Hassan Nazari-Robati as Lumiere, Tim Rogan as Gaston, Kristin Stewart as Mrs. Potts and Roxy York as Madame de la Grande Bouche. Performances in the role of Chip will be alternated between Holden Browne and Jack Mullen.

Rounding out the cast are Tony D'Alelio, Blair Baker, Chris Brand, Alyssa Brizzi, Tiger Brown, Kieron Cindric, Mark Edwards, Sarah Gawron, Bonnie Kelly, Kevin Robert Kelly, Anthony LaGuardia, Corey Joseph Masklee, Emilie Renier, Brandon Roach, Trevor Sones, Emily Thomas, Becky Whitcomb and Jill-Christine Wiley.

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 composed 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 play 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 (three-time Tony Award winner), scenic design by Stanley A. Meyer, sound design by John Petrafesa, Jr. and music supervision by Michael Kosarin.

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 more than 35 million people worldwide in 22 countries and has been translated into nine different languages. This production launched in February 2010 and has been seen by more than two million people while playing over 1,000 performances in all 50 United States and six Canadian Provinces.

NETworks Presentations (Producer). Since 1995, NETworks has produced and managed more than 55 touring productions in the U.S., U.K. and internationally. Current Productions include Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Blue Man Group National Tour, Elf The Musical, Flashdance the Musical, Memphis the Musical, Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, The National Theatre of Great Britain's production of War Horse and We Will Rock You, the musical by Queen and Ben Elton.

Darick Pead (Beast). Pead is humbled and very excited to join the national tour of Beauty and the Beast. Credits include: Elephant Man (Dr. Treves), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Freddy Benson), The Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho), 110 in the Shade (Starbuck), Little Shop of Horrors (The Dentist), The Fantasticks (El Gallo) and Disney's Aida (Radames).

Hilary Maiberger (Belle). Originally from Yucaipa, CA, Maiberger is thrilled to be part of NETworks Beauty and the Beast playing her dream role as Belle. Her theater credits include: Aladdin: the Musical Spectacular (Jasmine), Cinderella (Cinderella), Little Women (Jo March), The Marvelous Wonderettes (Cindy Lou), Evita (Mistress) and Anyone Can Whistle (June). Some of her favorite roles include State Fair (Margie), Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? (Becky), Titanic the Musical (Kate), A Christmas Carol (Mrs. Cratchit) and Working (Millworker). Equally at home on the operatic stage, she has appeared in Don Quixote, The Coronation of Poppea and I Quattro Rusteghi.

For information on the production, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi- disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Rene?e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family- friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will play Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Segerstrom Hall January 14 - 19, 2014, Tuesday - Friday at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, January 18 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation. Tickets start at $29. The Box Office: 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily SCFTA.org or call (714) 556-2787. Information provided is accurate at the time of printing, but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a private, non-profit organization. "Segerstrom Center for the Arts" is a registered trademark.