The Penguin Project will present the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” Sept. 13 through 16 at DeKalb High School.

The program, operated by CCT, provides children and young adults with special needs the opportunity to take center stage in Broadway-style musicals, which allows them to showcase their abilities, rather than be defined by their disabilities. Each of those individuals is assisted by a peer mentor. Together, the duos have been rehearsing for four months to learn all of the songs and dances that have made this show a family favorite for more than two decades.

The cast, which includes 35 artists and 35 mentors, makes this the largest Penguin Project show to date. Headlining that group are Haley Tyrrell, of Sycamore, as Belle and Jacob Morton, of Genoa, as the Beast.