Enchanted by love

As the Broadway spectacle makes its capital debut we take a look at one of the world’s greatest love stories

When Flash Entertainment announced that a hit Broadway musical was making its way to the capital, theatre fans rejoiced. But when the title was revealed, that youthful excitement Walt Disney has instilled in many of us came alive, as a tale as old as time will soon be brought to life right here in Abu Dhabi.

At the du Forum on Yas, the 20th anniversary of this award-winning stage show is being celebrated between 30th October and 8th November. Allow yourself to be charmed once again by the magical and enchanting tale that is Beauty and the Beast.

Cursed by love

There once was a young prince who lived alone inside a massive castle. With a cold heart and icy manner, he was never going to find it easy to meet the love of his life.

When an old beggar came knocking at his door and offered a rose in exchange for a place to stay, the haughty bachelor dismissed the woman with sharp words – only for her to reveal her true identity as an enchantress. She cast a spell on the young man, turning him into the awful hulking Beast. There was a way to break the curse, though: the Beast must learn to love another, and to have her to love him in return.

In a tiny country village resides Belle, a smart young woman frustrated by the constraints of the bucolic life and constant badgering from the conceited village bully Gaston.

Belle’s elderly father, Maurice, gets lost in the nearby woods during a violent thunderstorm. His horse Philippe bolts and Maurice stumbles through the forest; he comes across the Beast’s castle. The Beast’s staff welcome him inside, but the Beast himself isn’t impressed – convinced this man has come to gawp at him, he throws Maurice into the castle’s dungeon.

Meanwhile, Philippe finds his way home and manages to guide Belle to the castle. Despite her fear and confusion, Belle understands Philippe has brought her here for one reason.

She finds her father, but the Beast catches the two. Belle instantly offers to take her father’s place in the cell … forever. With Maurice gone and Belle firmly in the Beast’s grasp, the hope of the father ever seeing his daughter again is bleak. But as time goes by, Belle and the Beast are hit by something they didn’t see coming: love.

It’s a story that has something for everyone, especially for the romantically inclined. It’s no wonder why so many guests are expected at the du Forum.

20 beautiful years

The 1991 feature film, winner of an Academy Award, was brought to the stage just three years later. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast ran for 13 years on Broadway and was nominated for nine Tony Awards.

The show has racked up some other impressive figures. It is one of the highest grossing Broadway productions of all time, generating over $1.7 billion in revenue since licensing of the title began in 2004. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has been produced in 22 countries, seen by more than 35 million people, translated into eight different languages and performed over 28,000 times. That’s the equivalent to a constant run of 67 years.

Currently there are five productions of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast playing around the world – in Paris, North America, Spain, Japan and Germany. And it’s not just professional productions this show has enchanted. With over 6,000 individual licenses to community and school productions in the US alone, this is the most performed school musical in the past five years.

Fans of the feature film couldn’t help but tap their feet to the beat of songs like ‘Be our Guest’ and fight back the tears to the romantic ‘Tale as Old as Time’. The stage performance has all the favourites and more – only performed before you in the flesh.

The musical boasts a score by Alan Menken, the musical mastermind behind The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Tangled. Most of the lyrics are by the late Howard Ashman, who also worked on The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. With additional songs by Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice (whose credits include The Lion King), this show has more stunning songs than you can shake a conductor’s baton at.

Be Yas’ guest

Theatre-goers across the capital will be looking to make their show day as enjoyable as possible, and with the event being held on Yas Island, there will be plenty of pre- and post-show activities for ticket holders.

Yas Island offers a plethora of activities you can try before the evening show. Yas Waterworld and Ferrari World Abu Dhabi will get your heart pumping long before the action on stage, with plenty of rides and slides for the whole family.

Some may fancy a leisurely round at the stunning Yas Links golf course, or even a jaunt on the water thanks to boat trips from Captain Tony’s and watersports at Watercooled Abu Dhabi, both based in Yas Marina.

Whether you’re in New York’s Broadway or London’s West End, a pre-show dinner is a must. And Yas Island has some cracking deals on offer to compare with those.

The newly opened Burlesque Restaurant & Lounge in Yas Viceroy and Choices in Yas Island Rotana both offer Dine and Show packages from AED 600 and up.

A 20 per cent discount is available for ticket holders when they dine at Noodle Box, Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi (on presentation of ticket on show days). For a touch of class, Cipriani Yas Island offers specialised packages starting from AED 350 for kids and AED 650 for adults. Or why not consider Yas Beach’s offers of a sunset dinner and drinks prior to the performance?

For more details on all these activities and deals visit: www.yasisland.ae

Being the Beast

We sat down with actor Darick Pead to talk about playing the Beast.

How long have you been playing the Beast? Are there any challenging aspects?

This is my third year in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. It can be hard, especially when I have the large costume on. When you have the costume on, the tools that are normally available to you as an actor are slightly altered and my physical language becomes very important. It is really cool and amazing though, because we have a great cast and we also have a wonderful crew.

How long does it take for your entire make up and costume to be applied?

When we get into a routine it takes about half an hour to get ready. Luckily it comes off a whole lot quicker!

Why is Beauty and the Beast such an exciting show? 

The story. It is a perfect love story that we all can relate to. It is something that we all want out of love: we want someone to love everything about us, the good and bad. So, it is magic when you watch a story where that happens. And that is why I love performing in it every night – it really is a very special story.

Tell us a bit about the characters. 

I play a man who starts at a selfish, lonely place and by the end has transformed into a selfless, giving person. I have to be careful that people don’t mistake him for evil or bad. I work very hard to portray the character as sensitive, but hurt; who responds the way he does as a defence mechanism. We’ve all felt like that!

Belle’s journey could be described as going from a strong willed girl to an independent woman. She has such a big heart and she isn’t afraid to love people throughout the story. What a beautiful character! It’s so great to play opposite her.

What is your favourite part of the show?

I love the scene where the Beast is telling Belle to come down to dinner. At the beginning of the show you see that he is scary but you learn in this specific scene that he really isn’t scary at all but a kid who never really learned how to be a loving and accepting adult. This is also the first chance that you really get to see the Beast for who he really is and the audience usually likes this part because it is really fun and silly.

What is it like to be part of a Disney show?

Amazing. I am glad that it has been as successful as it has been because it gives me a chance to play such an amazing role with a beautiful set and costumes. Even though it is 20 years old, the same creative team has been involved from the beginning.

Jack Dignum