The Marian Theatre Guild is presenting a fairy tale that has resonated through time.

“Disney's Beauty and the Beast” will be presented at the guild's Hammond auditorium on Saturdays and Sundays, from Saturday through Nov. 20.

Established in the 1920s, the history-rich guild is putting its efforts behind a colorful, big-cast musical.

“I think it's a perfect match,” said David Long, the director.

Although the visual elements on their own are striking, Long also pointed to the type of message the production conveys.

“Be true to one's own beliefs — that's more the road to happiness than trying to please others,” said Long, a 54-year-old Chicago resident.

The main character of Belle has depth and resolve, he said.

“She doesn't give into the people in her village telling her how she should live her life,” Long said. “She loves books. She finds a magic castle with magic characters in it — and romance.”

To spin out the story of love and fantasy, Long is enlisting a cast that he estimates as numbering slightly more than 30.

He noted that such an onstage presence is “pretty big for a community theater production.”

Taking on the prime role of Belle is Sheree Wheeler-Gudeman, of Kouts.

“This is my dream role,” she said. “This show is my dream. I'm super excited. I get to be a Disney princess.”

Belle happens to be a character of substance.

“She's smart and strong-willed. She likes to read,” Wheeler-Gudeman said. “She's not like anyone else in her town. She doesn't feel she fits in.”

Aside from acting, Wheeler-Gudeman also has the chance to display her singing proficiency in a theatrical presentation that brims with accessible melodies.

“It's very Disney; there's lots of catchy tunes,” the actress said.

With music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, “Beauty and the Beast” became a Tony Award-winning play with numerous Tony nominations.

Long said there will be live orchestral music for Marian Theatre Guild's production.

Spun from the 1991 Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast,” the musical features the Oscar-winning song of the same name.

“Belle” and “Be Our Guest” are other notable songs from both the musical and the film.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its release, the cinematic “Beauty and the Beast” stands as the first animated feature to earn an Academy Award nomination for best picture.

Disney's movie sprang from an 18th-century French fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont.

About 200 years later, Jean Cocteau tackled the fantasy romance with the release of his French film “Beauty and the Beast” (1946).

In 1987, a CBS television series debuted that was loosely based on the fairy-tale concept. Ron Perlman starred as the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” which had a three-year TV run.

Enduring through the centuries, the saga of Belle and the cursed Prince stands as a timeless ode to the redemption that can follow a figurative fall.

The story revolves around the castle of a beast, who, in actuality, is a cursed prince transformed by a spell because of his cold heart.

The spirited Belle schools him in admirable human traits, and a romantic connection is formed.

Portraying the Beast for the Marian Theatre Guild engagement is Jeremiah Souza, of Michigan City.

“I am ecstatic,” Souza said. “This is an incredible opportunity for me.”

He will be performing for a troupe that began as the St. John Drama Club. It retains a stellar reputation as a community theater group that has, for many decades, continuously served Whiting and the adjoining Robertsdale section of Hammond.

Dinner-theater packages for $40 are available by reservation for Saturday performances of “Disney's Beauty and the Beast.”

The cost is $37 for senior citizens and students. The auditorium box office is open 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune