A new entertainment offering has made its debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, taking the place of “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage” — “The Disney Society Orchestra and Friends.”
The new show features a six-piece band playing hit songs from the iconic Disney stories represented at the park, including The Muppets, Star Wars, Toy Story, and more.
“The Disney Society Orchestra and Friends” does not feature any equity actors, but does include appearances from character performers; in contrast to “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage,” which did include a cast of equity actors and performers.
This exclusion has caused some worry in the Disney community, as it appears that this new show may be the result of the ongoing dispute between the Actors’ Equity Association and Disney. A similar change was made to “UP! A Great Bird Adventure” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as the equity performer was also removed and the show was retooled into “Feathered Friends in Flight.”
It is unclear how long this show will be offered, as decor for “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage” is still present at the Theater of the Stars.
Stay tuned for more updates as these changes continue at Walt Disney World.