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Beauty and the Beast

Music: Alan Menken

Lyrics: Howard Ashman + Tim Rice

Book: Linda Woolverton

Premiere: 1991

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1.Prologue

2.Belle

3.Belle (Reprise)

4.Gaston

5.Gaston (Reprise)

6.Be Our Guest

7.Something There

8.Beauty And The Beast

9.The Mob Song

10.Transformation

11.Beauty And The Beast (Duet)

1.Prologue

          NARRATOR:     Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a

                        shining castle.  Although he had everything his heart desired,

                        the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.  But then, one

                        winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and

                        offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter

                        cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at

                        the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not

                        to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. 

                        And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness

                        melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress.  The prince

                        tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that

                        there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she

                        transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a

                        powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there.

                        Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself

                        inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to

                        the outside world.  The rose she had offered was truly an

                        enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first

                        year.  If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in

                        return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would

                        be broken.  If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for

                        all time.  As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost

                        all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

          (We have seen a progression of stained glass windows illustrating the narration,

          as well as BEAST shredding his portrait.  The camera slowly zooms out from the

          castle and we see the title.  Fade up on the home of BELLE.  She exits the front

          door and begins her walk into town.)

2.Belle

          BELLE:        Little town, it's a quiet village

                        Every day, like the one before

                        Little town, full of little people

                        Waking up to say...

          TOWNSFOLK 1:  Bonjour!

          TOWNSFOLK 2:  Bonjour!

          TOWNSFOLK 3:  Bonjour!

          TOWNSFOLK 4:  Bonjour!

          TOWNSFOLK 5:  Bonjour!

          BELLE:        There goes the baker with his tray like always

                        The same old bread and rolls to sell

                        Every morning just the same

                        Since the morning that we came

                        To this poor provincial town...

          BAKER:        Good morning, Belle!

          (BELLE jumps over to the bakery)

          BELLE:        Morning monsieur!

          BAKER:        Where are you off to?

          BELLE:        The bookshop! I just finished the most wonderful story, about

                        a beanstalk and an ogre and...

          BAKER:        (Ignoring her) That's nice...Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!!

          TOWNSFOLK:    Look there she goes, that girl is strange no question

                        Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?

          WOMAN 1:      Never part of any crowd

          BARBER:       Cause her head's up on some cloud

          TOWNSFOLK:    No denying she's a funny girl, that Belle!

          (BELLE jumps on the back of a wagon and rides through town)

          DRIVER:       Bonjour!

          WOMAN 2:      Good day!

          DRIVER:       How is your family?

          WOMAN 3:      Bonjour!

          MERCHANT:     Good day!

          WOMAN 3:      How is your wife?

          WOMAN 4:      I need six eggs!

          MAN 1:        That's too expensive!

          BELLE:        There must be more than this provincial life!

          (BELLE enters the bookshop)

          BOOKSELLER:   Ah, Belle!

          BELLE:        Good morning.  I've come to return the book I borrowed.

          BOOKSELLER:   (Putting the book back on the shelf) Finished already?

          BELLE:        Oh, I couldn't put it down!  Have you got anything new?

          BOOKSELLER:   (laughing) Not since yesterday.

          BELLE:        (on ladder of bookshelf) That's all right.  I'll borrow...

                        this one.

          BOOKSELLER:   That one?  But you've read it twice!

          BELLE:        Well it's my favorite!  (BELLE swings off side of ladder,

                        rolling down it's track) Far off places, daring

                        swordfights, magic spells,  a prince in disguise!

          BOOKSELLER:   (handing her the book)  Well, if you like it all that much,

                        it's yours!

          BELLE:        But sir!

          BOOKSELLER:   I insist!

          BELLE:        Well thank you.  Thank you very much! (leaves bookshop)

          MEN:          (looking in window, then turning to watch her)

                        Look there she goes

                        That girl is so peculiar!

                        I wonder if she's feeling well!

          WOMEN:        With a dreamy far-off look!

          MEN:          And her nose stuck in a book!

          ALL           What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle!

          (BELLE sits on the edge of a fountain, singing to the sheep and the washing

          woman in the background, who leaves)

          BELLE:        Oh! Isn't this amazing!

                        It's my favorite part because, you'll see!

                        Here's where she meets Prince Charming

                        But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!

          WOMAN 5:      Now it's no wonder that her name means 'beauty'

                        Her looks have got no parallel!

          MERCHANT:     But behind that fair facade

                        I'm afraid she's rather odd

                        Very different from the rest of us...

          ALL:          She's nothing like the rest of us

                        Yes different from the rest of us is Belle

          (GEESE flying overhead, one is shot and plummets to the ground.  LEFOU runs

          over, holds out the bag, and misses catching the prize.  He returns to GASTON)

          LEFOU:        Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston!  You're the

                        greatest hunter in the whole world!

          GASTON:       I know!

          LEFOU:        Huh.  No beast alive stands a chance against

                        you...and no girl for that matter!

          GASTON:       It's true, Lefou, and I've got my sights set on that

                        one! (pointing to BELLE)

          LEFOU:        The inventor's daughter?

          GASTON:       She's the one!  The lucky girl I'm going to marry.

          LEFOU:        But she's--

          GASTON:       The most beautiful girl in town.

          LEFOU:        I know--

          GASTON:       And that makes her the best.  And don't I deserve the best?

          LEFOU:        Well of course, I mean you do, but I mean...

          GASTON:       Right from the moment when I met her, saw her

                        I said she's gorgeous and I fell

                        Here in town there's only she (BELLE walks by and away)

                        Who is beautiful as me

                        So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle

          BIMBETTES:    Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy

                        Monsieur Gaston, oh he's so cute

                        Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing

                        He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute

          (BELLE walks easily through the crowd of people in the town, GASTON struggles to

          catch up to her)

          MAN 1:        Bonjour!

          GASTON:       Pardon!

          MAN 2:        Good day!

          MAN 3:        Mais oui!

          WOMAN 1:      You call this bacon?

          WOMAN 2:      What lovely grapes!

          MAN 4:        Some cheese!

          WOMAN 3:      Ten yards!

          MAN 4:        One pound

          GASTON:       'xcuse me!

          MAN 4:        I'll get the knife!

          GASTON:       Please let me through!

          WOMAN 4:      This bread!

          MAN 5:        Those fish!

          WOMAN 4:      It's stale!

          MAN 5:        They smell!

          MAN 6:        Madame's mistaken!

          BELLE:        There must be more than this provincial life!

          GASTON:       Just watch I'm going to make Belle my wife! (TOWNSFOLK gather

                        around GASTON, and eventually surround him)

          ALL:          Look there she goes a girl who's strange but special

                        A most peculiar mademoiselle

                        It's a pity and a sin

                        She doesn't quite fit in!

          GROUP 1:      But she really is a funny girl

          GROUP 2:      A beauty but a funny girl

          ALL:          She really is a funny girl! That Belle!

                        Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour! Bonjour!

3.Belle (Reprise)

          (GASTON walks off, dejected, and the focus returns to the cottage. BELLE pokes

          her head out the door.)

          BELLE:        (To the chickens) Is he gone? Can you imagine, he asked me to

                        marry him.  Me, the wife of that

                        boorish, brainless...

                        Madame Gaston, can't you just see it

                        Madame Gaston, his little wife

                        Not sir, not me, I guarantee it

                        I want much more than this provincial life...

          (BELLE walks into the pen and feeds the animals, then runs off singing into an

          open field overlooking a beautiful valley)

                        I want adventure in the great wide somewhere

                        I want it more than I can tell

                        And for once it might be grand

                        To have someone understand

                        I want so much more than they've got planned.