Children's Playhouse of Maryland Presents Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, JR., Now thru 12/22

The Children's Playhouse of MD, in residence at CCBC Essex, will perform Disney's "Beauty and the Beast, Jr." the weekends of today, Dec. 7-8, 14-15, 21 and 22 at 1 pm in the Administration Building Lecture Hall at CCCB Essex, 7201 Rossville Boulevard. On Dec. 15, an additional 4 pm. performance will be given. The Dec. 7 performance will include American Sign Language interpretation by students of the CCBC Interpreter Preparation program. All tickets are $10 and can be ordered in advance by calling the CCBC Box Office at 443-840-ARTS (2787) or online at www.cpmarts.org. Group rates are available. Tickets will be sold at the door, space permitting. Advanced purchase is highly recommended.

Disney's "Beauty and the Beast, Jr." has music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice with the book by Linda Woolverton. In this version of the classic fairy tale, the lovely and well-read young Belle yearns for something more than her small-town life. Her father, Maurice, finds himself lost in the woods on the way to a local fair. He seeks shelter in an enchanted castle that houses a horrible Beast and is locked in the dungeon. To save her father Belle takes his place, and over time, finds there is more to the Beast than meets the eye.

This CPM production features 50 student actors from Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Harford County. Nicole Smith of Timonium appears as Belle withPeter Pferdeort of Essex as the Beast. Other featured roles include John Endres of Baltimore (Gaston), Will Foohey of Pikesville (Lefou), Tiffany Flahartyof Bel Air (Madame Grande la Bouche), Victoria Caldwell of Joppa, Ilyssa Rubin of Reisterstown, and Rachel Miller of Baltimore (Silly Girl), Sheridan Merrick of Baltimore (Mrs. Potts), Yaki Weingarten of Pikesville (Cogworth), Gracie Aubele of White Marsh (Chip), Nina Cicero of Street (Babette), Philip Merrick of Baltimore (Lumiere) and Max Wolf of Parkville (Maurice).

Supporting cast members are: Matthew Boyd and Zachary Byrd of Arbutus, Louise Baron, Ava Correlli, Julia Egan, Eva Hellerback, Gwen Lowell and Devonte Tasker of Baltimore, Nicole Arrison of Bel Air, Samantha Jenkins of Cockeysville, Katie Levey and Maria Reeves of Jarrettsville, Sophia Thrappas of Kingsville, Carley Groves, Emma Hester, Sammy Jungwirth and Emily Ricci of Nottingham, Megan Davis of Parkton, Autumn Cole, Clara Guston, Allison Mudd, Allison Naglieri, and Catie Zimmer of Parkville, Allie Sullivan of Phoenix, Angela Boeren and Kate Lutz of Rosedale, Ely Shilling of Timonium, William Macsherry and Maia Vong of Towson and Olivia Aubele, Wesley Brown, Brooke Marriott, Brendon Morrison and Dylan Morrison of White Marsh.

Liz Boyer Hunnicutt is the Director, Julie Parrish, the Musical Director and Amanda Dickson, the Choreographer.

All performances are held in the Administration Building Lecture Hall, located near parking lot 4 at CCCB Essex. The Lecture Hall is a wheelchair-accessible facility. Please request accommodations at the time of ticket purchase. For more information, please call the Box Office, or the CPM Administrative Office at443-840-2426. For directions, go to www.ccbcmd.edu.

Children's Playhouse of Maryland, Inc. is a not for profit community theatre dedicated to youth performers ages 18 and under.