RSVP : A Fairy Tale Night of Stars . . . and Beauty

Beauty and beastliness were not the only antitheses conquered Wednesday night, as the Broadway Production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” premiered at the Schubert Theater: Tinseltown and The Great White Way also managed to see the good in one another.

About 750 guests attended the opening night party in the ballroom of the Century Plaza Hotel. which was heady with 6,000 roses (that’s not quite a dozen per head, but close enough).

The centerpiece was an imposing chocolate castle purported to weigh 1,100 pounds. Those in attendance included Michael Eisner, Esther Williams, Alfre Woodard, Pia Zadora, Fran Drescher, Gloria Allred, Mary Wickes, Marion Ross and Cathy Rigby and Martin Landau.

The party drew princesses of all ages, in meringue-like dresses festooned with tulle, moire and silk rosettes. The temptation was to run around slipping peas under seat cushions. Mr. Blackwell was for once left speechless, his only sartorial comment a baleful stare.

Beauty herself, the Tony-nominated Susan Egan, came to the party in a sheer black dress.

How was it, playing a role originated by a cartoon?

“I thought, ‘Are they going to sit me down with a videotape and say, “now arch your eyebrow like that.” ’ When they told me not to watch the film at all, I was impressed.”

Michael Eisner is quick to jump in with praise. “She solves problems all the time. And whenever something falls on stage, she picks it up without anyone seeing.”

Egan laughed with becoming modesty. “Well, I am the only character with hands.”

“Beauty, the Beast and the Boss,” said Egan’s co-star, Terrence Mann. Mann was impressed by the reaction of L.A. audiences.

“In New York, there’s a certain criticalness. That’s good, because it makes us step up. But here, people don’t have an agenda. Parents bring their kids, and it’s the first time the parents have ever been to the theater.”

Eisner likened the L.A. word-of-mouth to “a brush-fire--in a positive sense.”

Goodness knows we Angelenos are long overdue for one of those.