Beauty and the Beast greet Culver's diners

Belle, Mrs. Potts and Lumiere mingled with guests Thursday night at Culver's restaurant in Lake Zurich to give them a sneak peek of the production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr."

Students from Seth Paine Elementary School performed the songs "Be Our Guest" and the "Beauty and the Beast Finale" from the show for diners.

"I think it's always fun to see kids really dig from deep within and bring out their talents and do things worthy of being on stage," said director Kate Zwiefelhofer. "They worked really hard. Hopefully it will show through."

"Disney's Beauty and the Beast Jr." is an adaptation of the original Broadway production that was nominated for nine Tony Awards and the Academy Award-winning motion picture.

The classic story follows a young woman named Belle, played by Anastasia Berestova, from a French provincial town, and the Beast, who is actually a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. The Beast, played by Tyler Olson, must learn to love and be loved so that the curse will end and transform him to his former self. Otherwise, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

The play will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb, 23, and Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Lake Zurich High School Performing Arts Center.