It’s a tale as old as time, but the Australian premiere of Disney Theatrical’s Broadway blockbuster Beauty and the Beast is getting a thoroughly modern makeover ahead of its debut at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in June 2023. Securing the first Australian showing of this new production continues Sydney’s winning streak of bagging the premiere seasons of major international shows, including first Down Under outings of Broadway blockbuster Hamilton, Disney’s smash-hit stage adaptation of Frozen and most recently, the massively popular Moulin Rouge.
Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney Theatrical’s most successful productions. Since opening on Broadway in 1994, it has toured to more than 40 countries around the world and has been seen by 35 million people to date. The original Broadway production came to Melbourne’s Princess Theatre in 1996, starring Hugh Jackman as Gaston, Bert Newton as Cogsworth and Rachel Beck as Belle. The production coming to Sydney has been updated using state-of-the-art stage tech and will feature new costumes and set. Olivier Award nominee Matt West will direct and choreograph, while the original creative team, including titans of the musical theatre world like lyricist Tim Rice, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward and composer Alan Menken, have been assembled to reimagine the show for a 21st-century audience.
NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said that more than 400,000 people are expected to see the show when it opens next winter adding: “Bringing blockbuster musicals like Beauty and the Beast to Sydney is the key to turbocharging the NSW visitor economy.”