Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration

• H.E.R. as Belle, a kindhearted bibliophilic young woman who is imprisoned by and eventually bonds with the Beast.
• Elle Naomi as Young Belle
• Josh Groban as the Beast, a young prince who was turned into a monster by an enchantress as a result of his arrogance.
• Joshua Henry as Gaston, a self-absorbed hunter who is obsessed with Belle’s beauty and determined to have her as a trophy wife.
• Martin Short as Lumière, the Beast’s debonair first footman who was turned into a candelabra as a result of the spell.
• Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts, the motherly castle cook who was turned into a teapot as a result of the spell.
• David Alan Grier as Cogsworth, the Beast’s stuffy butler and head of household who was turned into a mantel clock as a result of the spell.
• Rizwan Manji as LeFou, Gaston’s sidekick and biggest supporter.
• Jon Jon Briones as Maurice, Belle’s loving inventor father.
• Leo Abelo Perry as Chip, Mrs Potts’ sweet-natured son who was turned into a teacup as a result of the spell.
• Charissa Kroeger as a Bimbette, one of the girls who fawn over Gaston.

Rita Moreno is the special’s Narrator. In addition, it was announced that Paige O'Hara (the original voice of Belle), Richard White (the original voice of Gaston) and composer Alan Menken would cameo as, respectively, the Bookseller, the Baker, and the piano player during "Belle".{{Cite web|url=https://d23.com/first-look-see-paige-ohara-richard-white-and-alan-menkens-cameos-in-beauty-and-the-beast-a-30th-celebration/|title=First Look: See Paige O’Hara, Richard White, and Alan Menken’s Cameos in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration|first=Zach|last=Johnson|work=D23|date=December 12, 2022|accessdate=December 12, 2022}}

On July 5, 2022, ABC reported that a live-action/animation special based on the 1991 musical film Beauty and the Beast was in development, following the success of the televised musical adaptation of the 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid, entitled The Little Mermaid Live! in 2019.{{Cite web |last=Humphrey |first=Julia |date=2022-07-06 |title=‘Beauty and the Beast’ 30th Anniversary Live Event Taps Jon M. Chu |url=https://collider.com/beauty-and-the-beast-30th-anniversary-live-john-m-chu/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Collider |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=2022-07-05 |title=‘Beauty and the Beast’ Gets ABC Live Treatment for 30th Anniversary (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/beauty-and-the-beast-abc-live-special-1235175594/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}} The special was intended to air on December 15, 2022, with Hamish Hamilton being set as director, Jon M. Chu as executive producer and Done and Dusted would produce the television special, all of them worked on The Little Mermaid Live!.{{Cite web |last=Otterson |first=Joe |date=2022-07-05 |title=‘Beauty and the Beast’ Hybrid Live-Action, Animated Special Set at ABC |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/beauty-and-the-beast-special-abc-1235309363/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} ABC said that it would include live never-before-seen musical performances, with each will offer an homage to the story and add its own surprises for viewers, and also include new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.

Chu called the film as "a game-changing experience" adding that, "when the animated movie came out, I watched it multiple times in the first weekend. It showed me the outer limits of what animated artists and storytellers could achieve, so the fact that I get to executive produce a tribute to all the creatives that made this masterpiece is a dream I didn’t even think was possible." He hailed the special as "a true celebration of creativity [...] with world-class creatives and talent to reinterpret the classic musical numbers (with a few surprises), I can’t wait for the audiences, in person and at home, to experience what we have in store for them."

The film was earlier announced under the titles Beauty and the Beast Live! and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Special, before the special being officially titled as Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration in November 2022.{{Cite web |last=Muhammad |first=Latifah |date=2022-12-15 |title=‘Beauty and the Beast’ Live: How to Watch the 30th-Anniversary Special for Free |url=https://www.billboard.com/culture/product-recommendations/beauty-and-the-beast-live-how-to-watch-1235187284/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Billboard |language=en-US}} It was titled, in order to honor the 30th anniversary of the original film and its historic Oscar nomination for Best Picture.{{Cite web |last=Keates |first=Emma |date=2022-12-06 |title=Be Disney's guest for Beauty And The Beast 30th anniversary special |url=https://www.avclub.com/beauty-and-the-beast-30th-anniversary-celebration-1849860835 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en}}

On July 20, 2022, it was reported that H.E.R. had been cast to play Belle in the special,{{Cite web |last=Behzadi |first=Sofia |date=2022-07-20 |title=H.E.R. To Star As Belle In ABC’s "Beauty And the Beast’ Hybrid Live-Action & Animation Special |url=https://deadline.com/2022/07/h-e-r-cast-belle-beauty-and-the-beast-hybrid-live-action-animation-special-1235073135/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en-US}} becoming the first African-Filipino woman to play a Disney Princess on-screen.{{Cite web |date=July 21, 2022 |title=H.E.R. to star as Belle in ABC’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 30th anniversary special |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/her-star-belle-abcs-beauty-beast-30th-anniversary-special-rcna39346 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=NBC News |language=en}} Explaining about her role in an interview on Good Morning America, she said, "I never thought I could be a Disney princess, of course every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I've never seen one that looks like me —  so I get to be that to little girls now."{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2022 |title=H.E.R. on playing Belle in 'Beauty and the Beast' anniversary special: 'I never thought I could be a Disney princess' |url=https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/playing-belle-beauty-beast-30th-celebration-94684983 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Good Morning America |language=en}} Besides acting, she further served as the producer, and arranged the musical numbers with the original composer Alan Menken, which she felt it as an "amazing experience learning about so much herself."{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2022 |title=Video H.E.R. talks 'Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration' |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/video/talks-beauty-beast-30th-celebration-94673796 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=ABC News |language=en}}

On September 10, 2022, at the D23 Expo, the producers announced Josh Groban was cast as the Beast, along with Joshua Henry and Rita Moreno being cast as Gaston and the special's narrator, respectively.{{Cite web |last=Tangcay |first=Jazz |date=2022-09-09 |title=ABC's 'Beauty and the Beast' Special Casts Josh Groban, Rita Moreno and Joshua Henry (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/beauty-and-the-beast-josh-groban-rita-moreno-1235363562/ |access-date=2022-09-18 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} By late-September, Martin Short, Shania Twain, and David Alan Grier were cast as Lumière, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth, respectively,{{Cite web |last=Bonomolo |first=Cameron |date=2022-09-20 |title=Beauty and the Beast TV Special Adds David Alan Grier as Major Character |url=https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/disney-beauty-and-the-beast-30th-anniversary-tv-special-david-alan-grier-cogsworth-abc/ |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=ComicBook.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Echebiri |first=Makuochi |date=2022-09-23 |title='Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary Special’ Casts Martin Short and Shania Twain |url=https://collider.com/beauty-and-the-beast-cast-martin-short-shania-twain-30th-anniversary-special/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Collider |language=en-US}} Initially, Celine Dion, who performed the titular song for the animated film with Peabo Bryson for the end credits, was approached to play Mrs. Potts, but Twain was later offered the role, due to Dion's health issues.{{Cite news |last=Paúl |first=María Luisa |date=December 16, 2022 |title=‘Beauty and the Beast’ live gave us Belle on guitar – and a heartthrob Gaston |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/12/16/beauty-and-the-beast-live-disney-abc/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |issn=0190-8286}} Twain further sang the titular track with Menken, playing the song, as a tribute to Angela Lansbury (the voice of Mrs. Potts in the original film), who died in October 2022.{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Marisa |date=December 16, 2022 |title=How Angela Lansbury, the Original Mrs. Potts, Was Honored in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration |url=https://people.com/tv/beauty-and-the-beast-30th-celebration-live-honored-angela-lansbury-shania-twain-performance/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=People |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bernabe |first=Angeline Jane |date=December 15, 2022 |title=See Shania Twain transform into Mrs. Potts for 'Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration' |url=https://goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/shania-twain-transform-mrs-potts-beauty-beast-30th-95384650 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Good Morning America |language=en}}

The special was filmed at the Disney lot in Burbank, California in November 2022.{{Cite web |last=Lenker |first=Maureen Lee |date=December 14, 2022 |title=How Disney reinvents and celebrates 'Beauty and the Beast' with an ABC anniversary special |url=https://ew.com/tv/disney-beauty-and-the-beast-abc-special-her-josh-groban-exclusive-preview/ |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}} Chu called the film as "a part animation and part live action spectacle" with song and dance numbers intertwined with clips from the original version, saying that "We want to show how young dancers and choreographers can reinterpret some of the same numbers and some that were never in the animated version."{{Cite web |last=Tangcay |first=Jazz |date=2022-12-15 |title=Jon M. Chu Reveals ‘Beauty and the Beast’ 30th Anniversary Special Will Pay Tribute to Angela Lansbury: ‘How Could We Not?’ |url=https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/beauty-and-the-beast-30th-anniversary-special-angela-lansbury-jon-m-chu-1235461586/ |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} Jamal Sims and Derek Hough choreographed the musical, with over 30 dancers working for the special.{{Cite web |last=Lansky |first=Chava Pearl |date=2022-12-16 |title=Jamal Sims on Working On "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration" |url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/jamal-sims-on-working-on-beauty-and-the-beast-a-30th-celebration/ |access-date=2022-12-25 |website=Dance Magazine |language=en-US}} Hough said that the cast performed various styles, including breakdance, ballet and contemporary dance, but had to workshop ballroom dancing as "many of the cast had never danced with a partner". Raj Kapoor, who was one of the executive producers, described the camera work as "cinematic" saying that "We didn’t want the at-home audience to feel like a spectator. We wanted them to feel as if they were a guest in the television special."

Emmy-nominated production designer Julio Himede worked on the special, who utilized the cutting-edge technology to "celebrate the artwork of the original film through a different creative approach."{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Martha |date=2022-12-16 |title=Stage architecture, from Disney to dance |url=https://www.wallpaper.com/architecture/stage-architecture-from-disney-to-dance |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=Wallpaper |language=en}} Her team spent over 15 months on the design, adding a three to four month period on pre-production, and followed by the extensive set design, they inspired multiple sketches from the animators who had exclusive access to the studio's archive collections in Burbank, California and consulted Mark Henn, who worked as an animator for the original film. Several sketches were used as backdrops in the television special, to illustrate the union between the animated film and live-action production, and these were achieved using video projection and technology. Monochromatic storybook sketches appear in the song "Belle" to portray the character coming out of her house in a sketch world, and then transition from monochrome to color.{{Cite web |last=Zachary |date=2022-12-15 |title=How the ‘Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration’ Production Design Honors the Animated Classic |url=https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/how-the-beauty-and-the-beast-a-30th-celebration-production-design-honors-the-animated-classic/ |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=The Walt Disney Company |language=en-US}} Costume designer Marina Toybina designed over 400 costumes for the special.

The musical numbers featured in the special were released into a soundtrack on December 16, 2022 by Walt Disney Records.{{Cite web |last=Major |first=Michael |date=December 15, 2022 |title=Listen: BEAUTY & THE BEAST: A 30TH CELEBRATION Soundtrack Out Now |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Listen-BEAUTY-THE-BEAST-A-30TH-CELEBRATION-Soundtrack-Out-Now-20221215 |access-date=2022-12-24 |website=BroadwayWorld |language=en}}

The official poster for the special was released on November 10, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Lee Lenker |first=Maureen |date=2022-11-10 |title=Josh Groban and H.E.R. bring a modern edge in 'Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration' first look |url=https://ew.com/tv/josh-groban-her-beauty-and-the-beast-special-first-look/ |access-date=2022-11-10 |website=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}} Teaser trailers were released on November 18, 2022, showing a sneak peek at H.E.R. as Belle and Groban as the Beast.{{Cite web |last=Nemetz |first=Dave |date=2022-11-18 |title=Beauty and the Beast Video: H.E.R.'s Belle Strums a Guitar, Josh Groban's Beast Dons a Cape in New Promos |url=https://tvline.com/2022/11/18/beauty-and-the-beast-video-her-belle-guitar-josh-groban-abc/ |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}}

Bria McNeal of Esquire praised the performance and vocal ability of H.E.R., calling her "simply delightful," and complimented the costume designs, writing, "This version of Beauty and the Beast (literally) rocks. Don't judge me if I watch it again."{{Cite web |last=McNeal |first=Bria |date=December 16, 2022 |title=I Can't Erase the 'Beauty and the Beast' Live Show From My Brain |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a42268549/beauty-and-the-beast-30th-anniversary-live-show-reaction/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=Esquire |language=en-US}} Andy Swift of TVLine said, "Twain was arguably the most unconventional casting choice for this special. (A sexy Mrs. Potts? Unheard of!) That said, she turned out to be one of the best surprises of the night," and praised the performance of H.E.R., saying, "As much as we enjoyed H.E.R.’s performance as Belle, she was never more captivating than when she returned to the stage with her guitar for the special’s big finish. We never imagined what Beauty and the Beast‘s title track would sound like on electric guitar — and now we never want it any other way."{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Andy |date=December 15, 2022 |title=Beauty and the Beast Goes ‘Live’ on ABC: 10 Moments That Made Us Laugh, Cry and Question Our Sanity |url=https://tvline.com/lists/beauty-and-the-beast-live-review-abc-best-worst-moments/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=TVLine |language=en-US}}

Maureen Lee Lenker of Entertainment Weekly ranked Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration 3rd in their "Every live TV musical" list, described the sets and the costumes as "truly magical," called the casting "perfect," praising the performances of H.E.R., Josh Groban, and Joshua Henry, and stated, "Each musical number was eye-poppingly wonderful, whether because of Jamal Sims' interpretive, high energy choreography or the incredible vocal prowess of the talent. Turns out the tale as old as time still has the power to delight anew, and we'll be a guest at this Disney party any time they want to invite us."{{Cite web |last=Lenker |first=Maureen Lee |date=December 15, 2022 |title=Every live TV musical, ranked |url=https://ew.com/tv/every-live-tv-musical-ranked/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=Entertainment Weekly |language=en}} Kelli Boyle of TV Insider asserted, "Anyone excited about the Wicked movies (which Chu will be directing) should see this special as an encouraging display of what Chu can do to make an old, beloved story feel both honored and new."{{Cite web |last=Boyle |first=Kelli |date=December 15, 2022 |title='Beauty and the Beast' Special Honors Angela Lansbury & More Must-See Moments |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/gallery/beauty-and-the-beast-a-30th-celebration-best-moments/ |access-date=2023-08-19 |website=TV Insider |language=en-US}}

In the United States, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration scored 0.79 in the key 18-49 demo,{{Cite web |last=Oganesyan |first=Natalie |date=December 16, 2022 |title=Ratings: 'Beauty and the Beast' Special Transports ABC to Demo Win |url=https://www.thewrap.com/ratings-beauty-and-the-beast-abc-special/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}} and 4.26 million viewers.{{Cite web |last=Porter |first=Rick |date=December 16, 2022 |title=TV Ratings: ‘Ghosts’ Hits Series High, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Special Solid |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-ratings-thursday-dec-15-2022-1235283940/ |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |date=December 21, 2022 |title=World Cup final draws record ratings but NFL coverage still wins the week |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2022-12-21/tv-ratings-story-for-the-week-of-dec-12-18-wed-dec-21-2022 |access-date=2023-08-20 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

According to Whip Media's TV Time, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration was the 6th most-streamed film across all platforms in the United States during the week of December 16, 2022 to December 18, 2022.{{Cite web |last=Prange |first=Stephanie |date=2022-12-21 |title=‘Black Adam’, ‘Wednesday’ Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts |url=https://www.mediaplaynews.com/black-adam-wednesday-top-weekly-whip-u-s-streaming-charts/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=Media Play News |language=en-US}}

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Category:2020s American television specials

Category:2022 television specials

Category:American Broadcasting Company television specials

Category:American live television shows

Category:Disney television specials

Category:American English-language television shows

Category:Films shot in Los Angeles

Category:American musical television films

Category:Musical theatre television specials