Say bonjour to the return of “Beauty and the Beast.” The national tour has been in Boston before, but this is the first time in 25 years that Disney is behind the production.
Kyra Belle Johnson stars as Belle, the bookworm who doesn’t quite fit into her quiet village.
“I think part of treating her like a real person is finding the humor and finding the faults and breathing and being present on stage every night,” Johnson said.
As Mrs. Potts, Kathy Voytko embodies the beloved teapot.
“When I was talking to my daughters about, ‘How do you feel about mom being gone for the better part of a year?’ They said, ‘Well, geez, mom, we’re gonna miss you, but it’s Mrs. Potts,’” Voytko explained.
The actors told WBZ-TV that Disney’s involvement in this tour makes a noticeable impact, with Voytko saying, “There is nothing like a Disney-produced Disney production because the magic in the show, the attention to detail, the loving recreation of the movie that we all know and love, plus some elements of surprise.”
Johnson added, “They care about this piece of art so much… And they’re really precious with it, but at the same time, they’re open with it.”
Book writer Linda Woolverton worked with the cast in the rehearsal room to make sure the piece felt modern.
“She literally changed some scenes and lines specifically for us and our versions of these characters to make it seem grounded and real,” Johnson explained.
And Johnson gained extra insight into Belle’s life by visiting the Alsace region of France, which inspired the original Disney animators.
“Walking in the town and having like a storefront and then the leaning building that was this like blue and the wooden windows and somebody leaning out of it talking to somebody on the street. These are real places, it’s not just like a made-up place in your head.”
The wonder she felt is echoed in the audience’s response.
“This is a gate for a lot of new theater lovers. We get a lot of people who this is their first show,” said Johnson.
“It’s for everybody,” added Voytko. “It’s for adults, it’s for married couples, it is for a date night, it for a pack of pals who just want to see something nostalgic from their youth and it makes it a thrill for us every single day.”
You can see Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at the Citizens Opera House in Boston through Sunday.
Nick Martinez gave up six hits over seven innings, Ben Williamson and Nick Fortes hit RBI doubles, and the Tampa Bay Rays held on to beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Martinez (6-2) allowed three runs while striking out two. Kevin Kelly added a hitless eighth, and Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his 18th save.
Ryan Vilade had three hits and scored the Rays’ first run in the fourth inning. Williamson and Fortes each had two hits, and Tampa Bay managed 12 overall while going 5 for 10 with runners in scoring position.
Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle (3-3) went six innings, allowing nine hits and four runs while striking out three. His streak of eight consecutive starts with three or fewer runs allowed came to an end.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 2 for 3 with two runs and Marcelo Mayer drove in two runs with an eighth-inning double that pulled Boston within 4-3.
The Red Sox threatened to tie the game in the eighth but Kelly entered and forced three straight groundouts to escape the inning.
Jarren Duran’s RBI single in the third inning opened the scoring.
The Rays scored three in the fourth inning to take the lead, and added an insurance run in the sixth on Richie Palacios’ single.
Up next
Tampa Bay RHP Drew Rasmussen (5-2, 3.00 ERA) starts in the series finale. Boston has not named a starter.
With another loss on Monday, the Boston Red Sox are now 10 games below .500 at 27-37 on the season with two more games scheduled against the Tampa Bay Rays before heading back to Fenway Park to face the Texas Rangers on Friday.
On one hand, it’s pretty clear that the Red Sox don’t want to wave the white flag. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has made it clear that he is looking around trying to make a move. On Monday, reports surfaced from ESPN’s Buster Olney indicating that the trade talks have elevated to the point that ownership has gotten involved. It’s clear that Boston wants to add. But will the performance on the field warrant that? It’s the big question right now. Being 10 games below .500 on June 9 isn’t completely insurmountable, but it is a big hole to get out of. It’s not going to be easy.
Boston is in a tricky spot, so naturally, rumors and speculation have also popped up about various guys the club could look to offload. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported that the team has fielded calls on Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten, but has told teams that they aren’t willing to move their relievers yet. McCaffrey also reported that the Red Sox are shopping Connor Wong. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale took the Chapman noise further and said he’s “expected” to get traded this season. Arguably, a bit far for this point in the season, especially with the Red Sox clearly trying to add, not subtract. But something to watch.
But how does Chapman feel? He made it clear on Monday that his hope is to stay in Boston and turn things around, as shared by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.
“My mentality is to stay here and win here,” Chapman said through a translator, as transcribed by Smith. “Try to turn things around. … I don’t have the control over that.”
Chapman made his point clear. Now, it’s going to be very interesting to see what the club does. He has a 0.46 ERA in 20 appearances with 13 saves. The reigning Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award winner has a conditional option for the 2027 season that will be unlocked when he reaches 40 innings pitched and he passes a physical at the end of the year. He’s just under halfway to the innings goal.
At the end of the day, the best-case scenario would be Boston getting hot and shutting down all of this noise. Chapman clearly would bring a solid return, but winning is much better than that. Hopefully, things will change soon. But if the club can’t turn things around, the Red Sox hold the cards and could easily find a taker. Chapman made his point clear. What will Boston do?
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BOSTON (WHDH) – Boston homicide detectives are investigating the death of a child in the South End.
First responders received a call Monday night for a cardiac event at a home on Shawmut Avenue.
The child was taken to the hospital where they died.
The circumstances surrounding the death have not been released.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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