I saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway around 2005–2007, thinking it a good children’s story with surprisingly memorable songs. The experience stayed with me, unblurred by later versions, unlike some other classics.

I already knew the theme song by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson, and “Be Our Guest,” which seemed to be heard everywhere at the time. “Gaston” is a muscular and less scholarly opponent to Belle and the prince, and “Belle” was fun with its shifting village background.

It was good fun with good songs, just like many Disney animations or musicals, and I wasn’t expecting any more. Just a good day’s end. I didn’t really know how the story ended or why the prince became a beast before I went to the musical, but I came out with the lesson from an old tale: not to be prejudiced. Pride can be a sin, and prejudice an even bigger one.