— KEYSER, W.Va. — It’s a tale as old as time.

Boy meets girl. Boy throws girl’s father in the dungeon. Girl meets the man of her dreams but alas he is a monster at first until love transforms him.

Beyond the Renaissance costumes, the powdered wigs, the French countryside and the talking candles lies a story with a message being presented for eight public performances at the Church-McKee Arts Center on the Keyser campus of Potomac State College.

Of all the Disney films brought from animation to live action for the stage in the last two decades, none has been as well received as “Beauty and the Beast.”

And now for eight wonderful shows with a talented, lively and local cast, the show can be enjoyed like a wonderful spin on the Teacups.

From the opening number with a blue and white clad Belle (McKenna Kirchner) walking in the French village on a shopkeeper square, a delightful show full of magic, mischief and romance unfolds.

There is truly something for everyone in this production — the very young and the young at heart.

A lively score with a 10-person orchestra conducted by producer and musical director John “Doc”Hawkins under the stage direction of Tom Valentine, fans of the animated Disney classic will not walk away disappointed. Indeed, the notes will linger and tunes will be hummed on the drive home.

Highlights of the production include the ensemble numbers “Be Our Guest” and “Human Again” choreographed by Kimberli Rowley in which the brevity and comedic elements of all the inanimate objects of the Beast’s enchanted castle sing and dance and set a marvelous table.

Truly some of the best moments and lines of the play happen when Lumiere (Alex McDonald), Cogsworth (Ron Growden) Mrs. Potts (Heather McConnell) and Babette (Rowley) are together and later joined by an ensemble of 28 other stage performers ranging in giant dancing crockery, wardrobes, cutlery, napkins, plates, and even a whisk in a moment of suspended disbelief audience members will hate to see end. And Sarah Bussard’s performance as Madame De La Grande Bouche steals her scenes. There is also a delightfully nasty performance from Ken Nolan as Monsieur D’Argue, played with a creepy “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”-inspired mustache twist.

The show also features 25 principle actors, 40 colorful production numbers, and 13 seamless scene changes.

There must be both a challenge and a comfort in bringing such as well-known commodity to the live stage. The comfort is that most audience members are familiar with the story so if a line or note is dropped it’s barely noticed. The challenge is that this show has a great number of fans — mostly children and Disney enthusiasts — who want the play to be as true to the animated film as possible. The show succeeds on both levels.

The essence and spirit of every character is evident. No one is two dimensional in this show. How could they be? Yet under all this is a simple story. And that story is what should not be lost. It’s at its heart a simple fable of an oddball girl who sees the true nature and potential of a misunderstood man. Beyond that are layers which could be easily over analyzed. For instance, the character that believes most in his own charm and beauty (Gaston played by Ernie Poland) in the end turns out to be an ugly creature while the cursed and reclusive Beast (played to frightening levels by John McConnell) is revealed to have a true inner beauty. It is Gaston’s own vanity that allows him to think he is doing nothing wrong as he sins and repels the love he seeks so desperately from Belle, while the Beast’s selflessness and willingness to let Belle go in the end proves the first step in his own salvation.

Could the story be that deep? That psychological? Could that be the secret to its success? Or is it just pure family entertainment?

A truly astonishing presentation in a way that only a Disney based production can be, Potomac State’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a charming show at the highest level.

Indeed, the tale may be as old as time, the song old as rhyme, but “Beauty and The Beast” is still a production that should not be missed.

The show runs through March 21. Tickets are available by calling (304) 788-6863 or by purchasing at The Book Center and Victorian Creations in Cumberland, Main Street Books in Frostburg and Linda’s Hallmark and Main Street Books in Keyser.

 Shane Riggs is the managing editor of Allegany Magazine, a sister publication to the Cumberland Times-News.