Adapted from the public domain and dedicated to the memory of co-songwriter Howard Ashman (1950-1991). Once upon a time, a prince named Adam is cursed by an enchantress disguised as an old woman to become what he is on the inside: a hideous beast. The only way to break the curse is to find someone to love and love him in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. Belle is a beautiful young woman who loves reading and dreams of "something more than this provincial life". She's especially sick of fighting off her boorish, egotistical suitor Gaston. Her father, Maurice, is an inventor who gets lost on his way to a fair and comes upon the Beast's hidden castle. He is taken prisoner there and Belle gives up her freedom to take his place there forever. The Beast's servants, who were changed into enchanted objects which fit their personality, hope that this is the girl they've been waiting for.