Coronavirus may have put halt to most theatre shows this year, but finally there is light at the end of the tunnel - a new Beauty and the Beast musical has been confirmed for 2021.
Based on the award-winning animated Disney film of the same name, Belle, the Beast, Gaston and all our favourite characters will be returning to the big stage for the new production, which has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice.
The Olivier Award-winning musical has been a hit since it had its UK premiere at the Dominion Theatre in 1997, while the piece's Broadway run lasted from 1994 to 2007, making it the tenth-longest running production in Broadway history. In a statement made in September, Disney said the musical will bring together the original creative team from the Broadway production.
This 2021 tour will commence at Curve Leicester on 25 May, where the piece reportedly plays for five weeks. After that it is set to visit Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin (from 8 July), Bristol Hippodrome (from 12 August), Liverpool Empire (from 23 September) and Edinburgh Playhouse (from 21 October).
We also know that director Rob Roth will completely transform the show for its new run, so we're excited to see how it turns out.
In other exciting news, Disneyland Tokyo's Beauty and The Beast Land is now open, and we're already fantasizing about taking a trip there.
The gigantic 47,000-square metre space is the Japanese park's largest ever expansion, and sounds like a total dream for fans of the Disney classic.
The classic music from the 1990s original has stood the test of time (tracks like Be Our Guest and Something There still hold strong today) and are used throughout the immersive experience.
We'll be on the first plane out of here when we can!
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