Starry BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: A CHRISTMAS ROSE Panto Opens Tonight in Pasadena

Lythgoe Family Panto (LFP), in association with Pasadena Playhouse, presents BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - A CHRISTMAS ROSE, which expands this winter at The Pasadena Civic Auditorium (300 East Green Street, Pasadena CA 91101) for 14 performances only, December 13 -24, 2017 with the official press opening tonight, December 13.

Kelli Berglund (Disney XD's "Lab Rats") as Belle, James Snyder (Broadway's If/Then) as Gus, and Harrison White (Broadway's The Lion King) as Dame Chanel join previously announced Jonah Platt (Broadway's Wicked) as The Beast; Gedde Watanabe (Broadway's Pacific Overtures, John Hughes' Sixteen Candles) as Marcel; John Tartaglia (Broadway's Shrek The Musical), as Bistro and Jared Gertner (Broadway's The Book Of Mormon) as Pierre. The production will be directed by Sheldon Epps and choreographed by Mandy Moore (La La Land), with book by Kris Lythgoe and music direction and arrangements by Michael Orland (American Idol). Bonnie Lythgoe will serve as Executive Director and oversee the production. Casting is led by Producer Becky Lythgoe. Note: Kelli Berglund is represented by Industry Entertainment.

The Ensemble for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - A CHRISTMAS ROSE features Jessica Richens (Top 3 "So You Think You Can Dance"/ "So You Think You Can Dance" All Star), Jennifer Bermeo, Alyse Rockett, Annie Gratton, Wally Pham, Brandon Hudson, Darnell Joseph and Mason Trueblood. The Youth Ensemble features Emmanuel Martin Lewis, JD Bering, Caden Miller, Bryanna Fernandez, Madison Han, Yasmine Arya, Cameron Steen, Cody Copley, Joshua E. Guerrero, Layla Krugh, Brooklyn Bustamante, and Lexi Hernandez.

Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com/PantoPasadena at The Pasadena Civic Auditorium or by calling 626-449-7360. Golden Tickets, which allow the ticketholder (children ages 4 - 12 only) a special on-stage experience during the production, are available for an additional $60.00 each.

An updated version of the classic tale, in the style of a traditional British family Panto, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - A CHRISTMAS ROSE features family-friendly magic, with a comedic twist, dancing (with "So You Think You Can Dance" alumni), contemporary music and more.

Director Sheldon Epps says, "I'm tremendously excited about these new additions to our already wonderful cast. This great group of actor/singers will be a joy to work with and I know that all of them will bring explosive verve and energy to the Civic for Panto in Pasadena this year! Very exciting! Special thanks to Becky for guiding the long haul in the casting process with great results!"

Choreographer Mandy Moore says, "I am so excited to be choreographing my first Panto with the Lythgoes. Kelli Berglund has such a strong dance background and along with our talented dancers, we are putting dance at the forefront of this spectacular holiday production."

This December, Lythgoe Family Panto will offer their largest season yet, with four different productions playing concurrently in Laguna, Pasadena, San Diego and Houston.

Previously Lythgoe Family Panto established their reputation with productions including A Cinderella Christmas starring Lauren Taylor, Alex Newell and Morgan Fairchild, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell - A Pirates Christmas starring Sabrina Carpenter and John O'Hurley, Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight starring Olivia Holt and Lucy Lawless, Aladdin and His Winter Wish starring Ben Vereen, Jordan Fisher, and Ashley Argota - and A Snow White Christmas (the original of this production) starring Ariana Grande and Neil Patrick Harris.

Lythgoe Family Panto produces fun, musical theatre the whole family can enjoy. Known for their creativity and involvement in television hits "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance," the Lythgoes are dedicated to bringing affordable theatre to families across America. Based on the Grimm fairy tales and others, each story has been modernized with topical scripts for parents and well known pop songs for kids. The Lythgoes pride themselves on creating a memorable experience a family can share together.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - A CHRISTMAS ROSE marks Lythgoe Family Panto's inaugural production at the venerable Pasadena Civic Auditorium and their sixth consecutive Panto presentation in Pasadena, five of which were presented at Pasadena Playhouse, the State Theater of California. As part of the organization's ongoing commitment to develop theatre for young audiences, a portion of Lythgoe Family Panto's proceeds from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be donated to Pasadena Playhouse's outreach and education programs.