One of the most famous musicals of all time will take stage at next year’s FestivalSouth, with “Beauty and the Beast” set to open the festivities as part of tale’s 30th anniversary.
That announcement was made by officials from FestivalSouth – as part of cooperation between Hancock Whitney Bank and Forrest General Hospital – during a December 14 news conference at the Hattiesburg Train Depot. Six shows of the play will be held from May 30 through June 3, 2023 at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center on the University of Southern Mississippi campus.
“I’m thrilled to be here this morning to announce FestivalSouth 2023, and to be bringing some amazing things here (next) summer,” said Mike Lopinto, who serves as the executive director for the Hattiesburg Concert Association, which presents FestivalSouth, and the artistic director for the festival. “(We’re excited) to open with a giant production that has a full cast, elaborate costumes, incredible sets and a full orchestra, to really showcase something as we come back with our first fully-staged musical in three years (because of the COVID-19 pandemic).
“We thought we had to do something incredibly big.”
“Beauty and the Beast,” which was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released in 1991 by Walt Disney Pictures, is based on the 1756 fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. It also contains ideas from the 1946 French film of the same name directed by Jean Cocteau.
It tells the story of the Beast – a man who is magically transformed into a monster, while his servants are turned into household objects because of his arrogance – and Belle, a young woman the Beast imprisons in his castle for exchange for her father. The Beast faces the task of breaking the spell by falling in love with Belle – and earning her love – before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose.
“Hancock Whitney Bank has a long tradition of supporting the arts across the Gulf South, so when we had the opportunity to partner with FestivalSouth to present ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ we jumped at the opportunity,” said. Michael Schloegel, Hattiesburg market president for the bank. “
Thank you for letting us be a part of this, and we encourage fans of this iconic tale to attend. We hope to inspire a new generation of fans, and really to provide a quality of life opportunity (for participants).”
Tickets are now on sale for all six shows of “Beauty and the Beast” exclusively at www.festivalsouth.org. Adult tickets are $40 each, while youth tickets (12 years of age and younger) are $35 each.
“On behalf of Visit Hattiesburg and our tourism commission, what a great day to be in the tourism business in Hattiesburg,” said Marlo Dorsey, executive director of Visit Hattiesburg. “Certainly, this is a bucket list thing for many people, to see such an iconic presentation here in Hattiesburg.
“The arts are an economic driver, and tourism is a big component of quality of place. When we took at today’s fantastic experiences for our locals and our visitors, what better way than to start another season of FestivalSouth with this?”
FestivalSouth, the largest project of the Hattiesburg Concert Association, is an annual, multi-week festival presenting a variety of musical and other arts-related entertainment that aims to transcend social, cultural, and economic lines. The 2023 version of the event, which will mark its 1 4th season, will run from May 30 through June 24.
