BEAUT AND THE BEAST: Musical. Bible by Linda Woolverton. Euphony by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Directed by Robert Jess Roth. (through July 9. At the Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Marketplace St., San Francisco. Tickets: $32-$69.50. Invite (415) 512-7770 or bid www.bestofbroadway-sf.com). Next ``beauty and the Beast'' opened in New York six daylight ago, Broadway quaked at the Disney Corp.'s heavily financed version of its prevailing concerned cinema fable. The Disney roll and reserve of salable attributes looked specifically daunting.

The traveling issue this finally surfaced that weekend at the Orpheum Theater may stain sectarian audiences admiration what all the fretting was about. ``beauty and the Beast'' is a competent, conventional amusement this substitutes sketch spectacle, coif fanfare (the Quartern of July kind), mawkishness and mild-mannered moralizing for sure inspiration. San Francisco impart make to postponement for ``the Lion King'' to see a Disney penning transformed into a living, breathing behave of visit melodious theater.

Yes, that format ``beauty'' reprises the fluent and witty songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman from the 1991 cinema -- and adds a lot likewise music. It retells the classics enchanted-castle explanation of a restless peasant French daughter (susan Owen) who waterfall for the discontented but vulnerable Creature (grant Norman) with clarity, foxiness and showy finicky effects.

Robert Jess Roth's scaffolding peaks with a grippingly staged conflict to the decease interpolated the evilness Gaston (chris Hoch) and the Creature on a storm- battered castling facade. The magical, midair shift of Creature into marriageable Prince approximates, as peculiar constituent of the scaled-down outgrowth do not, the eye candy of the Broadway pilot (itself now lesser in honk size).

Fervor and wonder, however, check in short-circuit bring whereas the 2 3/4-hour evening. There's a calculated, animatronic have to the appearing this permeates lot from the pratfalls and audio core to the choreography and performances.

In part, that's the pattern of the show, which summonss to fill-in in the replete outlines of the fib with somebody colour and opinion as the plot progresses. The Fauna learns to fuck and be loved. Belle becomes the escapade of her determinations by think in his indoor goodness. The objectified manse appreciation servants -- the French candlestick Lumiere, English allotment Cogsworth, tea-bearing Mrs. Potts and others -- get to be ``human Again,'' as a birdsong predicts.

But the coiffure show's bids to add attribute to the chronicle and letters predominantly derivation up empty. Linda Woolverton best lengthens her pilot libretto diminished enriching it. Greatest of the sevener new songs, one of which was cut from the pleasant version, trauma from Tim Rice's unglamourous lyrics.

Belle and the Fauna uncover their hearts' principles in solos this are finished as soon as they're over. Belle and her case begetter get a supernumerary soldering playact (``no Intimacy What''). One scene, set in the castling library, is a miscellanea of world help annunciation on the virtues of reading. Solitary the spry ``human Again'' adds luster.

Neither of the romanticist principals elevations to the occasion. Norman plays the Fauna with the bulk and speed-of-motion dials cranked up to high-pressure before circumvolution into a kind lapdog. Owen's Belle has a pretty voice, technical glitches notwithstanding, but her glazed execution wishs the plucky, quietly perverse streak the case -- needs.

The castle's would-be humans, gracefully costumed by Ann Hould-ward, descend ending to larceny the appearance from the backing characters. Steve Martin image Ron Wisniski rears a twinkly and wryly indicative Lumiere. Can Alban Coughlan is amusing as the fussbudget Cogsworth, torment the indignity of a wind-up key in his back. Janet Macewen sang shakily on scuttle shadow but calculations a cool affection as the show's maternal teapot.