Disney’s Beauty & The Beast has come back to the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary and runs until February 22^nd. The opening night, February 17^th, saw a packed house teeming with adults and kids ready to witness the 1991 film brought to life on stage.

The movie will mark 25 years next year, which means many of those in attendance were not alive, or children themselves, when it first captured the imagination of the world. It endures and has become a classic film that will be passed on for generations, much like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, because its simple story is one that appeals to anyone. Brought to life on stage, it is purely magical.

I took an eight-year-old to the show and, when it previously played in Calgary, took two boys of a similar age. Watching the show through their eyes – the pure joy on their face when Belle sings or appears in her gown for dinner, their laughter at Gaston – is something to behold. You don’t need to have a kid with you to love the show, but it adds a dimension to the experience that makes it extra special.

The cast for this tour is phenomenal. Jillian Butterfield captures Belle’s sweet nature beautifully. Ryan Everett Wood takes The Beast through the gamut of emotions, and the growth of the character from monster to man. Cameon Bond’s Gaston is perfect – the build from goofy fun character to villain is excellent and his performance is a standout in a show of many. From Emily Jewell’s Mrs. Pots to the duo of Lumiere (Patrick Pevehouse) and Cogsworth (Samuel Shurtleff), whose chemistry is vital to the show, every performer delivers. It is all you can ask for.

Whether five or 95 Beauty & The Beast is a treat that brings you back to a simple tale as old as time, true as it can be. There are few tickets remaining for the rest of the week, so go ahead and be their guest for a night of Disney magic.