Matt West News

Disney's beloved Olivier Award-winning stage musical Beauty and the Beast - re-imagined and re-designed in a completely new production staged by members of the original award-winning creative team – will come to Birmingham in 2022, as part of the recently opened UK & Ireland Tour.

“You can’t believe in nothing/If you’re caked in mud for something/Cuz we’re sewn inside each other”. “free bird” thrashes in, setting the tone pretty quickly for what the new album is all about. 

Young Culture worked with Benjamin Leiber and Miguel Barbosa to bring their vibrant world to life, with animation by Matt West (Neck Deep). “Hum” is out now via Equal Vision Records.

Disney's Olivier Award-winning stage musical Beauty and the Beast today announces the cast to star in the re-imagined and re-designed new production. Staged by members of the original award-winning creative team, Beauty and the Beast will open a UK & Ireland Tour at The Bristol Hippodrome on Wednesday 25 August 2021 (National Press Night: Wednesday 29 September).

Beauty and the Beast at La Mirada is now on stage! What did the critics think? Read all the reviews!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Enchants at the Orpheum Now Thru July 10!

The 1991 Disney film Beauty and the Beast is a spectacular work of animated musical storytelling. Belle, a type of feminist in a sense (at least within the context of Disney, especially when compared to Ariel, who taught millions of young girls just two years earlier that it is important to change who you are for a man), is an independent, intelligent, and beautiful young woman who reads and finds pleasure in the pursuit of knowledge. She has found her voice and she demands to be heard. So naturally, the whole town thinks she is crazy. A heroine of this caliber is a lot to live up to in any fairy tale and such a fanciful, witty and heartfelt presentation seems impossible to duplicate, but that's what I expect from a Broadway production. I expect seats that can cost a good $120 to rival the magic created by the brilliant animators working with Disney in the early part of that transitional decade. Unfortunately, the touring Broadway musical produced by NETworks Presentations does not live up to this expectation. In fact it falls quite short of perpetuating the wonder and depth established in the original film. I brought my twin 6-year-old daughters to the show and they loved it. Certainly it was quality enough to entertain a kindergartener, but is that really what Dallas should grow to accept as quality theatrical art. We have a booming and continuously growing art scene and so-called 'Broadway' productions such as this should not be tolerated in our community. Broadway is supposed to be a leader in the creation of quality art, not the preservation of an industry that overcharges audiences, underpays artists, undermines unions, and whose primary mission is not artistic success but financial success.

Maine State Music Theatre will be presenting one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most beloved musicals, EVITA, June 29 through July 16.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning, worldwide smash hit, Broadway musical is returning to Fort Lauderdale as a 2015-2016 Broadway in Fort Lauderdale season option.  Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts June 15-19, 2016. For information on the production, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, returns to Cincinnati as a season special for Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati presented by TriHealth. Produced by NETworks Presentations, the elaborate theatrical production comes to life on stage at the Aronoff Center beginning today, April 20. The show will continue through April 24, 2016.

?Inspired by Belle's generous heart and love of books in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Broadway in Cincinnati is collecting children's books to help further the good work of the inspiring local non-profit Adopt a Book.

Broadway In Chicago has announced that individual tickets for the return engagement Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, will go on sale on Friday, March 25. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W Randolph) for a limited one-week engagement, May 24-29, 2016. For information on the production, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com. In 2015, Disney's Beauty and the Beast played Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre for a sold-out limited one-week engagement.

No doubt one of the greatest classic Disney films of all time, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has launched a new NETworks tour, which reunites original Broadway director, Rob Roth, choreographer, Matt West, along with the original design team, including Ann Hould-Ward (costume designer), Natasha Katz (Lighting Designer), Stanley A. Meyer (Scenic Designer), John Petrafesa Jr. (Sound Designer) and Music Supervision by Michael Kosarin.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is coming to Mesa as part of the Broadway on Center series. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at Mesa Arts Center on March 28, 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is returning to Palm Desert. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the McCallum Theatre on Friday March 25, at 8:00pm, Saturday, March 26 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sunday, March 27, 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Disney's Beauty and the Beast features the 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. 

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is returning to San Jose as part of Broadway San Jose's 2015-16 season. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on-stage at the Center for the Performing Arts (255 Almaden Blvd.) for five performances only - April 1 - 3, 2016. Tickets for Disney's Beauty and the Beast are available now online at www.ticketmaster.com, in-person at the City National Civic Box Office (150 West San Carlos Street), or by calling 800-982-ARTS (2787). Orders for groups of ten (10) or more may be placed by calling 669-242-8557. Ticket prices are subject to change without notice.

?Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning, worldwide, smash hit Broadway musical, is returning to Columbus' Palace Theatre. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the Palace Theatre March 15-20.

The nonprofit AT&T Performing Arts Center announced today that tickets for the return engagement of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, will go on sale Monday, February 15 at 10 a.m. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage for a limited one week engagement June 22 through June 26, 2016 at the Winspear Opera House in the Dallas Arts District as part of the Broadway Series. For information on the production, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning worldwide smash hit Broadway musical, is returning to San Francisco from June 29 through July 10, 2016. Produced by NETworks Presentations, this elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the SHN Orpheum Theatre. For information on the production, visit www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com.

We're taking you on a journey to the magical world of Beast, Belle, Gaston, and friends as we travel through time. Taking place in 18th century France, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's Beauty and the Beast is making it's way to Atlanta's Fox Theatre. I had the chance to sit down with Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek (Gaston) to talk about bringing this great book, turned film, and now theatrical play to life.