Broadway's 'Beauty and the Beast' Brought to Life on Citrus Stage

For the past five weeks, local high school students have spent part of their summer vacations producing their own Broadway musical and this weekend, they will debut the culmination of their efforts in a production of Beauty and the Beast, Jr, at Citrus College’s Haugh Performing Arts Center.

About 60 students from Glendora, San Dimas, Bonita, Claremont and even as far away as Arizona, have participated in the Citrus Summer Conservatory, a musical training and theater production program. Since 2000, the program has trained high school students in the musical theater arts.

“Students get to experience a full, live musical theater production,” said conservatory director Doug Austin. “Not just any theater production, but a Broadway musical. And you can’t beat the combination of Broadway and Disney.”

This year’s production is Beauty and the Beast, Jr., much like the Broadway adaption of the Disney film, with slight modifications to make it more accessible for high school productions, said Austin.

The production is slightly shorter than the original Broadway musical, with some dance and musical numbers altered for a younger cast.

Still, the production will have a look and feel of a full Broadway musical, said Austin.

“The students have been working very hard these past five weeks to bring this musical to the Citrus stage,” said Austin.

Beauty and the Beast, Jr. opens Friday, July 26 at 8 p.m. in the Haugh Performing Arts Center. The production will play again Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 and will be sold at the Haugh Performing Arts Center box office during the week. Tickets will also be sold an hour before each show begins.