Nathan Spitler as Maurice and Caitlin Musselwhite as Belle.

Courtesy of Lee County High School

Lee County High School’s Fine Arts Department will present Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” in McLeod Auditorium April 28 through May 1.

The production is based on the original Broadway production that ran for over 13 years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards. That production was, of course, based on the Academy Award-winning animated Disney film.

Students from East Lee Middle School, West Lee Middle School and San-Lee Middle School will join Lee County High School students in bringing the musical to the stage. Rounding out the cast are two students from Tramway Elementary School, including a second-grader playing Chip.

Leah Page, Peyton Freeman, and Lillian Moore as Silly Girls and Lucas Nelson as Gaston.

“In this musical — as in real life — everyone has the power to change, grow and learn from every situation, good or bad,” says director Ron Coley, lead fine arts instructor at Lee County High School. “This message is so important to all of us and is one of the reasons this production resonates with so many people, both young and old.”

Show times are 7 p.m. on April 28, April 29, and April 30 and 2:30 p.m. on May 1. Tickets are $10 for adults. Students in grades k-12 are admitted for $5 and those in preschool or younger are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.gofan.co.