Beauty and the Beast, the “tale as old as time”, celebrated its milestone 35th anniversary yesterday, August 14, 2026, at D23. Disney Legend Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle, was there to discuss the film’s legacy along with some of the film’s production team including Disney Legend and EGOT winning composer and songwriter, Alan Menken, who was emotional at times remembering his late good friend and collaborator Howard Ashman. Other guests included Susan Egan, the original Belle in the Broadway musical adaptation, and current national tour star Kyra Belle Johnson to discuss the legacy of the stage adaptation. Egan and Johnson also performed the title song for attendees. Like O’Hara and Menken, Egan, who also voiced Megara in Disney’s Hercules, will also become a Disney Legend this weekend.
Beauty and the Beast was a critical and commerical success upon its release in 1991. It went on to become the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. A live-action film starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast was released in 2017.
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