Video shows snow, ice cover Oklahoma City roads in massive winter storm
ODOT road cameras show before and after snow and ice from Winter Storm Fern impacted Oklahoma City.
Provided by Oklahoma Department of Transportation
- A winter storm forced the cancellation of the final weekend performances of “Beauty and the Beast” in Oklahoma City.
- Ticketholders for the canceled shows will be contacted to arrange refunds or exchanges for a future production.
- The national tour is scheduled to continue with performances in Tulsa from Jan. 27 to Feb. 1.
- The new production features updated sets, costumes, and choreography from members of the original creative team.
Belle’s glittering yellow gown elicited gasps of wonder, the enchanted candelabra Lumiere led the tableware in a dazzling tap dance to top off the delectable number “Be Our Guest,” and the Beast actually floated above the stage as he transformed back into a prince.
The opening night of the Oklahoma City stop on the national tour of the Disney musical “Beauty and the Beast” went off like a fairytale dream Tuesday, Jan. 20 at Civic Center Music Hall.
Unfortunately, even Disney magic proved no match for the massive winter storm that sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits and dropped a blanket of snow on Oklahoma City Friday night, Jan. 23.
With perilous travel conditions statewide and another round of snow expected, OKC Broadway — Oklahoma City’s local presenter of nationally touring Broadway shows — announced Saturday, Jan. 24 that it was canceling its remaining performances of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” due “to the unprecedented hazardous weather conditions forecasted now through Sunday.”
The Mouse House’s first North American production of the “Beauty and the Beast” musical in more than 25 years was set to play matinee and evening shows both Saturday, Jan. 24 and Sunday, Jan. 25 at the Civic Center. Instead, nearly 10,000 ticketholders set to see the family-friendly show had their Disney dreams dashed by Winter Storm Fern.
OKC Broadway season subscribers and all theatergoers for the affected performances who purchased tickets through the official OKC Broadway and Civic Center ticket outlets — either online, by phone or in person at the downtown venue’s box office — will be contacted via email to make arrangements to receive a refund or exchange their tickets for a future OKC Broadway show, according to the announcement.
The musical’s OKC weekend shows are among the dozens of events statewide that have been canceled — including, ironically, both of Theatre Tulsa‘s planned Jan. 24 performances of its production of the Disney musical “Frozen” — or postponed due to Winter Storm Fern.
OKC Broadway’s 2025-2026 Civic Center season continues March 3-8 with the national tour of the all-ages jukebox musical “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.”
The national tour of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is heading to Tulsa next week. Here’s how to get tickets
Like most national theatrical tours, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast is traveling every week to a new city, where the orchestra, cast and crew will put on eight shows before moving on to the next stop.
Fortunately, Belle, the Beast and their fairytale friends and foes aren’t going too far for their final January 2026 engagement.
The national tour of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is traveling next week to Tulsa, with performances set for Jan. 27-Feb. 1 at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.
Last-minute tickets are available at https://www.celebrityattractions.com/shows/10196/Disney39s-Beauty-and-the-Beast/Tulsa/2026.
For theatergoers who missed the musical’s shortened OKC run, a spokesman for Celebrity Attractions, Tulsa’s presenter of touring Broadway shows, said the Tuesday, Jan. 27 and Wednesday, Jan. 28 performances have the best ticket availability. Limited tickets are available for next weekend’s performances at the Tulsa PAC.
After its Tulsa run, the North American tour of “Beauty and the Beast” will travel to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for a Feb. 3-8 stint at the Walton Arts Center before taking its theater magic to the East Coast.
The tour has dates set through June 2027, with more cities to be announced.
Is Disney’s new national tour of the musical ‘Beauty and the Beast’ worth a trip to Tulsa?
For diehard Disney fans, theater buffs and little girls still enraptured by the magic of fairytales, the current touring production of the musical “Beauty and the Beast” is well worth making the 90-minute drive from OKC to Tulsa.
Like the landmark 1991 movie — the first animated film ever nominated for the Academy Award for best picture — the stage version of the “tale as old as time” boasts a Tony-nominated and Oscar-winning score. With Music Director David Andrews Rogers, who has a long history with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Lyric Theatre, conducting the orchestra for the national tour, beloved songs “Belle,” “Be Our Guest” and the title theme are delivered with spirited precision.
Director and choreographer Matt West has a 35-year history with Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” having worked on the original stage adaptation of the movie. His passion for the story sparkles in every aspect of production, but particularly in the brilliant song-and-dance numbers.
Led by Danny Gardner’s ever-charming Lumiere, the show-stopper “Be Our Guest” has been upgraded to a 10-minute “culinary cabaret” of cast members costumed as supersized silverware, flowing napkins and golden candlesticks tapping, kicking and romping tirelessly across the every inch of the stage.
But the musical’s tunefully villainous tribute to “Gaston” also has been buffed up, as the townspeople’s enthusiastic toasts to the village bully morph into an athletic and intricately choreographed series of mugs raised and glasses clinked together.
Along with West, other members of the musical’s original Tony-winning artistic team who’ve reunited on the new production include composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, book writer Linda Woolverton, scenic designer Stanley A. Meyer, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward, lighting designer Natasha Katz, hair and make-up designer David H. Lawrence and illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer.
Although the original Broadway production was nominated for nine Tony Awards, winning for Hould-Ward’s costume designs, Disney’s new North American touring version of the treasured musical features spectacular new sets and costumes that take advantage of dramatic changes in technology. Belle’s yellow gown alone is a wonder to behold, but the getup for Mrs. Potts’ spellbound son Chip is even more captivating, with the child actor (Levi Blaise Coleman and Kanoa Edgar share the role) appearing as just a face in a large teacup perched on a rolling cart.
Massive and magnificent, the Beast’s castle almost seems truly enchanted, as moving props and set pieces transport the audience to the dungeon, the dining room, the West Wing, the library and the ballroom. Thanks to the canny work of projection and video designer Darrel Maloney, the woods outside appear even more intimidating, especially when the ravening wolves are on the prowl.
Fortunately, the cast doesn’t let the show’s impressive technical aspects outshine them, particularly leading lady Kyra Belle Johnson who brings down-to-earth courage and charm, plus a beautiful voice, to the one of Disney’s most beloved princesses.
Stephen Mark Lukas plays Gaston with brawny, bass-voiced vigor, while Harry Francis practically oozes toadyish glee as his sidekick LeFou. She’s not be the late Angela Lansbury, but Kathy Voytko makes for a lovely Mrs. Potts, while understudy Benjamin Cheng convincingly played the Beast as both scary and sympathetic on opening night of the company’s too-short OKC run.
Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’
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