The cast will be led by Rebecca Kupka as Belle and Josh Davis as the Beast. Kupka made her Broadway debut in Saturday Night Fever, and has toured the country as Maggie in A Chorus Line. Davis' credits include The Last Five Years at Everyman Theatre, Delilah at York Theatre, and One Red Flower at Arlington's Signature Theatre. Oklahoma native J.B. Adams will take the role of Maurice.

Lyric's production of Beauty and the Beast will be directed by Sam Scalamoni (the Disney production's associate director for four years, setting and maintaining companies on Broadway, the UK, Brazil, and Korea) and choreographed by Kate Swan. Swan performed in the original company of the show almost 13 years ago and has served as the associate choreographer for all its official domestic and international productions for the last several years.

Performances continue to July 1. The season will also include Fiddler on the Roof, Godspell and Cabaret starring Lyric artistic director Demos.

Fiddler on the Roof (July 11-15) will be directed by Alan Souza and Bill Szobody choreographs. Jonathan Beck Reed will play Tevye and Cyndi Steele-Harrod will be Golde.

Lyric will present Godspell (July 25-29) "like never seen before, as a cirque-inspired spectacle bursting with color, costumes, and amazing performing artistry" featuring "acrobats, aerialists and theatrics…" The Stephen Schwartz musical is a contemporary retelling of the Gospel According to Matthew. Tom Stuart will play the Jesus character. Godspell will be directed and choreographed by Lyric's artistic director Nick Demos.

"This will be the first time we've brought flying acrobats to the stage, so that will be an entirely new experience for our audience," Demos said in production notes. "We've also decided to perform the song 'All Good Gifts' with both [spoken] words and with sign language. Although we've always had a sign language interpreter on stage to translate one performance of every show, this will be the first time that the actors themselves will participate, and it will be a part of every performance of Godspell."

Demos suggested that sign language seems an appropriate language for this song, which he interprets as a message that "sometimes the greatest challenges can turn into life's most beautiful gifts."

John Kander, Fred Ebb and Joe Masteroff's Cabaret (Aug. 8-12) will star Amy Eschman as Sally Bowles, Tom Stuart as Clifford Bradshaw, and Nick Demos as the Emcee.

Artistic director Demos took an eight year absence from acting, during which he focused on directing, choreographing, developing new works, and guiding Lyric Theatre. He now returns to the stage as the Emcee, a role he performed for Lyric in 1998. The 2006 production will be directed and choreographed by Lyn Cramer.

For more information, call (405) 524-9312 or visit www.lyrictheatreokc.com.