DANBURY — Musicals at Richter invites everyone to be their guest for their production of Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, which runs until July 20.

Kicking off Richter’s 40th season under the stars, the show dazzles and delights with energetic choreography, gorgeous live music accompaniment, and stunning performances from an incredibly talented cast, making for a show that no one wants to miss.

Everyone knows the story: Set in 19th Century France, Belle (played by Hannah Grace) is a young woman who longs for a better life beyond her small provincial town, while the Beast (Charles Romano) is a young prince whose spoiled and selfish personality eventually trapped him under the spell of an enchantress. He hides away with his servants in his castle, ashamed of his monstrous form. Only once he learns to love and be loved will the curse end and he will return to his former self. If not, then he will be doomed to stay a beast for eternity.

Taking on such a popular musical like Beauty And the Beast is no easy task, but Richter goes above and beyond to faithfully adapt the story and breathe life into the characters that people already know and love.

Grace gives an extraordinary performance as Belle. Her emotions pour out into whatever scene she is in, whether it is a warm, tender moment shared between her and her father Maurice (Ted Schwartz) or disgust and disbelief at how Gaston (Max Monson) continuously hits on her in increasingly stupid ways. This carries into the musical numbers as well, where Grace’s gorgeous and powerful voice makes numbers like “Belle,” “Is This Home” and “A Change in Me” stand out and easy for the audience to empathize with her struggles.

She was also a delight in the scenes she shared with Romano, who absolutely sold the evolution of their relationship from disdain into love. The final scene they share together, when the Beast transforms back into his former self, especially feels so soft and tender in the perfect way: the culmination of the great scenes shared between them throughout the second act. These are two people who, after feeling like they do not fit in for so much of their lives, finally find home and belonging in each other, and that connection feels so real here.

It works because Romano also does a fantastic job as the Beast. His cold, abrasive personality in the initial castle scenes to Maurice and Belle show in his strong character acting, with how he towers over them and aggressively carries himself around the stage. Despite the harsh attitude he shows others, Romano is excellent in capturing the vulnerability of the Beast in numbers like “How Long Must This Go On?” and “If I Can’t Love Her.” He has this powerful and deep voice, also accompanied by the equally emotional and heartbreaking score courtesy of the live orchestra, that makes those scenes hit the audience hard the way they need to.

Monson as Gaston is another absolute highlight. He absolutely owns the stage in all his scenes, and has this infectious chemistry with whoever he shares the stage with, from LeFou (Robert Fontenelli), who is endearingly equal parts punching bag as he is a hype man, to Belle, whose loathing of him is deserved and entertaining. Monson’s controlling and dominating demeanor as Gaston bleeds over from the script into his phenomenal character acting.

In one scene, Fontenelli grabs and clutches Monson’s foot since his character dreads going back into the forest, and Monson stomps off anyway, literally dragging his sidekick offstage with him. This can also be seen in the number “Me,” where Monson moves Grace around the stage throughout the whole song, even lifting her up and carrying her at one point. The number is also super fun because Grace’s deadpan delivery contrasts nicely with how Monson’s character is infatuated with her. Fontenelli also does fantastic character acting as LeFou, and is incredibly funny in every single scene and number he’s featured in.

There are so many other performances that make the show an absolute treat that it is a shame that there is only so much room to name them all. Lumiere (played by Robert Bria, who is also Richter’s executive director) pulls off a fantastic French accent and is extremely fun whenever he takes the stage. His chemistry with Cogsworth (Michael Solano) and Babette (Jennifer Analise Roberts), who also give great performances, is an absolute delight. Bria plays off Solano’s constant anxiousness and Roberts’s flirty combativeness very well.

The ensemble is also great, and especially shines in songs like “Gaston” and “Be Our Guest,” where they throw themselves into these energetic and infectious choreography numbers courtesy of choreographer and Assistant Director Matthew Farina. “Gaston” has everyone weaving in and out of one another and clanking their mugs together among intensive and impressive footwork. “Be Our Guest” has the whole ensemble decked out in charming furniture and utensil costumes while performing some impressive harmonies. Equally as impressive are the costumes that perfectly capture the time period and look stunning; particular highlights are Belle’s iconic yellow dress and the previously mentioned furniture and utensil costumes.

Richter also makes full use of their stage; quickly changing the scenery of the bustling town to that of the initially intimidating castle thanks to well-placed and well-designed set pieces. The lighting helps transform locations such as the castle, originally lit with cool blues, into something more warm and welcoming with pink lights by numbers like “Be Our Guest.” Performers will also constantly interact with set pieces such as the well in the town or through props like the mugs in “Gaston,” which help make the world feel brimming with life.

There admittedly was the occasional audio hiccup, with Grace’s mic sometimes cutting in and out, but thankfully that was a rare occurrence.

How fitting is it that Richter kicks off their 40th season of performances with Beauty And The Beast, which celebrates its 30th anniversary of premiering on Broadway this year. Richter brings their decades of experience to tackle this story head on, and they made it come to life on their stage.

Founded in 1985, Richter stands today as Connecticut’s longest-running outdoor theater, and is nestled by sprawling hills and a small wooded forest area. The stage looks especially stunning when the sun sets and is lit under the glow of production lights and fireflies that buzz around. It creates the perfect summer atmosphere, with everyone seated together on the grass and under the stars.

Bring a chair and bug spray, and relive the tale as old as time in this show for all ages — there is something here for everyone.

Performances for Beauty And The Beast are Friday through Sunday evening at 8 pm and continue until Saturday, July 20. There is also one last specially discounted performance on Thursday, July 18. Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors (65+) and students (with ID), and $10 for children ten and under.

Musicals at Richter is located at Richter Arts Center, 100 Aunt Hack Road, Danbury. The Arts Center stage has served as the scenic backdrop for over 100 musicals produced by Richter, as well as a professional springboard for hundreds of up-and-coming performers. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website at musicalsatrichter.org, call 203-748-6873, or e-mail info@musicalsatrichter.org.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.