Broadway Musical ’Beauty And The Beast’ Coming To Shanghai Disney Resort

A new Mandarin production of hit Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast will debut at the Shanghai Disney Resort June 14, Disney Parks announced. Tickets go on sale May 24.

The musical will take the stage at the Walt Disney Grand Theater in Disneytown, the shopping, dining and entertainment district adjacent to Shanghai Disneyland.

One of the longest-running and highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time, the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical features music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, who contributed to the 1991 Academy Award-winning animated classic that inspired the lavish stage production.

"There are some special new elements for this exciting production, which, combined with the talented local performers, will make it a truly one-of-a-kind entertainment experience for the Chinese audience," Menken said.

The new cast highlights musical theater stars and talent from across China, including Chinese actress Xu Meng, who plays Mrs. Potts, a magically-transformed servant of the Beast who famously performs the titular "Beauty and the Beast" romantic ballad.

The Disney Parks Blog reports more than 80 performers and crew members were tapped for the production after a six month search across China, an ensemble that will include both well-known and undiscovered Chinese talents of all ages in addition to international performers, some of whom belonged to the resort's previous Broadway musical hit The Lion King.

YaoRong Guo stars as Belle, the inventor's daughter who longs for a life of adventure, alongside DouEr Sun as Beast, the spoiled and selfish prince cursed to live as a monstrous creature under a spell broken only by true love.

Yang Liu stars as the arrogant and villainous Gaston, with HaiFei Mao as charming candelabra Lumiere, Pai Peng as the snooty Cogsworth, Zhi Zhang as Gaston henchman LeFou, XueLiang Ma as Belle's kooky father, Maurice, ShaoYu Li as Madame de la Grande Bouche, a.k.a. Mrs. Wardrobe, and YaYU Chen as Babette.

Since its official launch on Broadway in 1994, Beauty and the Beast performed 5,461 shows on New York City's famed Theater District and exhibited national tours throughout the US and the UK through July 2016. In the 24 years since its inception, the beloved musical has been performed in more than 30 countries across the globe and has grossed more than $1.7 billion in its lifetime.

Pricing and tickets for the Shanghai production will be available on the official Shanghai Disney Resort website and other official resort travel trade providers starting May 24.

The Disney theme park, located in Pudong, Shanghai, opened in 2016 and features attractions inspired by Walt Disney classics Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Peter Pan as well as hit big-screen franchises Toy Story, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.