Tartaglia, who was Tony-nominated for creating the roles of Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q, will assume the role of Lumiere. Freeman, who received a Tony nomination for his performance in the She Loves Me revival, will play the role of Cogsworth.
Tartaglia and Freeman will join a company that includes Sarah Uriarte Berry as Belle, Steve Blanchard as the Beast, Donny Osmond as Gaston, Jeanne Lehmann as Mrs. Potts, Mary Stout as Madame de la Grand Bouche, Meredith Inglesby as Babette and Aldrin Gonzalez as Lefou.
John Tartaglia made his Broadway debut in Avenue Q. He received a Tony nomination, a Theatre World Award and the Clarence Derwent Award for that performance. The singer-actor also appeared in the Children of Eden and Hair benefit concerts and in the City Center Encores! presentation of Carnival. His TV credits include eight seasons on "Sesame Street" as well as "Animal Jam," "Bear in the Big Blue House," "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" and "The Rosie O'Donnell Show." Tartaglia was also seen in the Empty-Handed concerts at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and has performed solo evenings at the Ars Nova and Joe's Pub. His live action puppet series, “Johnny and The Sprites,” will premiere on the Disney Channel in January 2007.
Jonathan Freeman's Broadway credits include The Producers, 42nd Street, On the Town, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Platinum, Sherlock Holmes and She Loves Me, earning a Tony Award nomination for the latter. He was recently seen in the Irish Rep's production of Finian's Rainbow, and his other theatrical credits include Sail Away, Encores! Li'l Abner, A Class Act and An Empty Plate.
Beauty and the Beast, according to press notes, is "the classic love story of Belle, a young woman in a small, provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a prince trapped in a spell placed on him by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and to be loved, the spell will be broken and he will be transformed back to his former self. But time is running out, and if the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he will be doomed for all eternity." Featuring a score by Alan Menken, Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman, Beauty and the Beast boasts a book by the author of the original screenplay, Linda Woolverton; the musical was directed by Robert Jess Roth.
Tickets may be purchased at the Lunt-Fontanne box office (205 W. 46th Street) or by calling (212) 307-4747. For more information, visit Walt Disney Theatricals on-line at www.disneyonbroadway.com.
