Disney Beauty and the Beast Live in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl

A SoCal Way of Life recently went to the Hollywood Bowl to watch Disney Beauty and the Beast live in concert. This was the kids’ first time at the Hollywood Bowl and it did not disappoint! Here we provide a glimpse into what the experience was like.

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Why Beauty and the Beast?

Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up. Belle was an unusual princess at the time. She loved to read books, she was an independent thinker, didn’t need a prince to feel complete. I mean, wow! What a great message for little girls.

I missed the Disney The Little Mermaid in concert at the HollywoodBowl last year and was kicking myself for missing the opportunity. I was on the hunt for reasonably priced tickets and lucked out by finding a deal on a local website.

We made the mistake of driving to the Hollywood Bowl because we thought the park and ride shuttle was unavailable that night. Unfortunately, we were wrong, and we paid the price later. For tips when visiting the Hollywood Bowl, be sure to read our Tips for Visiting the Hollywood Bowl.

Pre-Show Opps at the Hollywood Bowl

We arrived at the Hollywood Bowl early enough to go to the shop and look around. There were some fun finds there. I really loved the purses they had, but at $300 plus tax, I opted to leave them on the shelf Mon Cheri!

There were some fun pencils that the kids got as souvenirs.

I also picked up a piano magnet. We all wanted that one!

As we walked right outside the store, we found that there were plenty of photo opportunities at the Hollywood Bowl. There was one backdrop of the Beauty and the Beast ballroom scene, with chandelier and all. The other backdrop had a picture of the small village that Belle walks through at the beginning of the movie. Too bad I didn’t have a book to hold in my hands for this pose!

Once we got to our seats and enjoyed some snacks, there was some pre-show entertainment. This included an a capella group and someone from a singing contest show. The kids enjoyed it and so did the adults.

The Hollywood Bowl Magically Transformed

Once the show started, the band started playing and the otherwise white bowl transformed. A 1920’s art deco style print was projected on the Hollywood Bowl. It was magical!

As the show went on, there were actors that sang during select parts of the movie. Although I originally anticipated that there would be live singing performances throughout, the performer did not sing during the entire show. Instead, the performers only sang during select parts. I truly wish that the performers sang throughout the show. Their performances were amazing! However, the orchestra played live music during the entire film.

The cast of well-known singers included:

Zoe Deschanel as Belle
Taye Diggs as Gaston (Wow! Who knew?)
Rebel Wilson as Lefou (My girls LOVED her!)
Kelsey Grammer as Lumiere (He sang as though he was the original Lumiere)
Jane Krakowski as Mrs. Potts (it was amazing!)
Anthony Evans as Beast (Beautiful voice)

The show ended with a performance by Alan Menken, who wrote the original score back in 1991. He also asked the performers in the orchestra to raise their hand if they had been involved in the music for the movie when it was made in 1991. To the audience’s surprise, a lot of hands were raised.

The Disney Beauty and the Beast in concert at the Hollywood Bowl was a truly remarkable experience for everyone in the family. I will be looking into the next Disney movie in concert at the Hollywood Bowl!