In case you think today’s Disney princesses are stronger, more self-assured girls, you’d be wise to remember ‘90s Belle of “Beauty and the Beast.”

Belle (who, in fact, doesn’t become a princess until the musical’s closing number), is actually a bit of a misfit. She’s a thoughtful bookworm who dreams of adventures beyond her small provincial town. Not content to marry chauvinistic, hothead Gaston and become one of his many playthings, she forges her own path. But her stubborn, independent streak also leads her into danger. To spare her eccentric father’s life, she becomes a prisoner to the Beast, a once-vain prince cursed to live as a monster until he can understand love.

The original 1994 Broadway production (based on the 1991 Disney animated film) was Disney’s first hit stage musical, and it spawned numerous tours over the next 20 years.

But this current NETworks Presentations production – at Miller Auditorium for a two-night run – is the first to reunite the original Broadway creative team for a reinvigorated love story that will delight both adults and children.

Director Rob Roth and choreographer Matt West re-team with Tony-winning (for “Beauty”) costume designer Ann Hould-Ward, bringing back the iconic costumes (Lumiere, the flirty candelabra; Cogsworth the wound-up clock; Mrs. Potts, the soothing British Tea Pot). Original sound, lighting and set designers collaborate on the stellar effects, including the Beast’s illusion/transition back to a human prince and the cute boy/teacup, Chip. That’s not to mention some very menacing wolves and a scary Enchantress, newly re-imagined by puppeteer Basil Twist. Some of the effects might be too frightening (including strobe lighting and thunder booms), for very young children.

Often, international tours have to scale down, which can ruin some of the magic. But not here, even in this non-Equity show.

Hould-Ward’s costumes, Stanley Meyer’s colorful, layered set and Natasha Katz’ lighting let the action transition seamlessly from a small French village to the spooky woods and Beast’s lair. It’s fitting, for a story about seeing past exteriors, that set pieces are layered and often transparent, gauzy enough to see through, yet murky enough to obscure full vision. There’s another nice juxtaposition between the vibrant colors of the villagers costumes and the dark shadows of the castle.

A sure highlight is the Act One-show stopper, “Be Our Guest,” where Belle dines amidst the half-human, half-objects of the castle. Silverware dances, a teapot croons, and a carpet flips. The high-energy ensemble never lets up, on point with the clever choreography, including a fun tavern number with clanking beer steins (“Gaston”). The famed score, by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice, doesn’t disappoint.

The principals – Belle, Beast, Gaston and an assortment of castle-mates – wring out the human emotion in this once-animated story. The cursed crew make us feel their sadness and loss watching their bodies slowly disappear under the witch’s spell.

Jillian Butterfield, making her national tour debut, is simply enchanting as Belle. Vocally powerful and engaging, she helps infuse a spunky, can-do attitude to the role. Her standout songs include the vulnerable “Home,” and the second-act highlight, “A Change in Me.” Ryan Everett Wood takes turns scaring and soothing audiences as the Beast, making a physically and vocally challenging role seem easy.

Supporting players are top-notch too, especially the comic duo of Lumiere (Patrick Pevehouse) and Cogsworth (Samuel Shurtleff), who pull in some of the night’s biggest laughs. Emily Jewell is a delightful Mrs. Potts, reviving the title song nicely, while Kelly Teal Goyette wows as the diva armoire, Madame De La Grand Bouche.

Cameron Bond brings the muscle-bound, pretty boy Gaston, to life, with some bumbling acrobatic help from his trusty sidekick, Lefou (Jake Bridges).

Die-hard “Beauty” fans noticed a song or two cut, and it seems this tour scaled back the scene of the villagers storming the Beast’s castle, but the tweaks haven’t eked away at any of the story’s heart.

With a stellar cast, re-invigorated design and still-catchy music, this production more than holds up over time.