Is it bad for a grown man to admit that he loves Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"?

How about that he knows all of the songs by heart, and has, on occasion, been known to sing along with both Beauty and The Beast during the duet "Something There" (not to mention the parts sung by Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, and Cogsworth)?

It is?

Well, OK, then I have this friend who went to a performance of "Beauty and the Beast" at The Ogunquit Playhouse this past Thursday, and my friend had a lovely time.

For starters, the actors playing the three principal parts-Kristen Rossi (Belle), Stephen Tewksbury (The Beast) and Gerritt VanderMeer (Gaston)-all gave strong performances. Kristen Rossi's Belle, though, might be the most memorable. She played the bookworm beauty with a combination of spunk and childish innocence that fit well with the ethos of the fairy tale. When she sang, especially during her solos, she did so with emotion and grace. VanderMeer's performance as Gaston was also enjoyable-he played narcissistic bravado with panache. Equally skillful was the work of the principal Enchanted Objects: Lumiere (Kevin B. McGlynn), Cogsworth (William Hartery), Mrs. Potts (Jeanne Lehman), Chip (Alex Dorr), Madame de la Grande Bouche (Amanda K. Spears), and Babette (Jill Stacey Carlen). William Hartery as Cogsworth stood out among a "charming" crowd as the tightly wound head servant turned tightly wound clock.

The music, by and large, was fine and fun. This staging of "Beauty and the Beast," created and sanctioned by the mouse with the golden ears, transports all the songs from the Disney movie, and then throws in several more to fill out the show. All of the songs taken from the movie are sung with earnest joy. "Belle," the opening number that features Belle roaming around her "small, provincial town" is full of bustle and energy. "Gaston," one of my friend's favorites, is bellowed by the rowdy Lefou (Jonathan Stahl), Gaston, and friends with appropriate, hero-worshipping cheer. "Be Our Guest," the centerpiece of the play, is dazzling and delightful and impressively over the top.

In the second half, "Something There" lives up to expectations set by the movie, but it's Jeanne Lehman's rendition of "Beauty and The Beast," the part sung touchingly by Angela Lansbury in the film, that is the single best performance of the night, sung by Lehman with a clear, vibrant voice and a refreshing sense of humanity. It's the moment in the play when the impact of the love story becomes real, not just a fairy tale set in a Disney showpiece.

Of the new songs, some work better than others. Gaston's "Me," sung with Belle, rounds out the fun that the play has with the would-be suitor's egotism. "Human Again," an addition for all of the Enchanted Objects, is the best ensemble piece of the show, better even than "Be Our Guest." "Human Again," a song originally composed for the Disney film but cut from the first release (it was added later to the IMAX version) comes as a polished and playful surprise. Two new solos for Belle, "Home" and "A Change in Me," add emotional resonance to Belle's plight as well as a degree of depth and inner growth undeveloped in the two dimensions of celluloid.

The thing that my friend will remember most about this production, besides the music, is the quality of the costumes and set design. The work of costume designer Miguel Angel Huidor, set designer Richard Ellis, and the others who worked on the show's visuals brings to Ogunquit's stage a colorful world of French villagers, dancing dining ware and foreboding forests. The costumes worn by Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and the rest of the Enchanted Objects are the cr?me de la cr?me-they seamlessly bring the very talented actors playing clocks, candles and teapots from the screen to the stage without anything getting lost in the translation.

In the end, when the curtain falls, The Ogunquit Playhouse treats its audience to a delightful rendition of "Beauty and the Beast." It's a perfect way to end the summer theater season.

Just ask my friend.

"Beauty and The Beast" will be at The Ogunquit Playhouse through Saturday, Sept. 4. Showtimes are: Wednesday, Sept. 1 and Thursday, Sept. 2 at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 4 at 3 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35-$45. Call 207-646-5511 or visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org for more information.