April 18, 1994 – Beauty and the Beast: The Broadway Musical Opens on Broadway
“When we’re human again, only human again, when we’re knickknacks and whatnots no more…”
On April 18, 1994, the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical, Disney’s first musical on Broadway, opened at the Palace Theater on Broadway. Based on the hit 1991 animated film, the musical took most of the songs and plot from the film version, but added some new songs, including a new Howard Ashman and Alan Menken song written for, but never used in, the film (the song, “Human Again,” would be added to the animated film when it was rereleased in 2002). Other new songs added to the film were written by Alan Menken and Sir Tim Rice.
The original cast starred Susan Egan as Belle, Terrence Mann as the Beast, Tom Bosley as Maurice, Burke Moses as Gaston, Gary Beach as Lumiere, and Heath Lamberts as Cogsworth. The show would go on to receive nine Tony Award nominations in 1994, but won only one, for costume. The original cast recording was released on April 26, 1994. The musical ran until 2007, becoming Broadway’s eighth-longest running production. The success of the musical led to worldwide productions, including an Australian production featuring Hugh Jackman as Gaston.
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