In the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast, Susan Egan first played Belle.
Egan originated the Broadway role when the stage adaptation opened in 1994. The production transferred Disney's animated story to a live theater setting, requiring new staging, costumes, mechanical effects, and performances by actors who could sustain the story in front of an audience every night.
The musical retained songs from the 1991 film, including “Belle,” “Be Our Guest,” and the title song, while adding songs written specifically for the stage. Egan's performance helped establish the theatrical version of Belle as a role distinct from the animated character.
Paige O'Hara voiced Belle in the 1991 animated film, so the two performers are often confused. O'Hara originated the voice role, while Egan originated Belle in the original Broadway production. Julie Andrews and Jodi Benson are associated with other major Disney roles, not the first Broadway Belle.