LAPEL, Ind. — Cast members of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” musical visited Lapel Middle School on Thursday to promote the school’s good-behavior program, DAWG.

Erin Morgan, Lapel’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) committee president and teacher, said DAWG is “preventative and proactive instead of waiting for things to happen.”

She said PBIS is a nationwide push for good behavior in schools.

“(DAWG is) part of our goals to improve behavior management, and it makes sense to go a positive way, preventative way to teach kids what to do right instead of nailing them all the time for what they’re doing wrong,” she said.

The cast’s visit was a reward for the good behavior, and a reminder to keep it up.

The event started off with introductions and a skit from the show.

After some playful banter and question-and-answer session, each cast member went over a letter from DAWG: “D” for discipline, “A” for accountable, “W” for well-mannered and “G” for goal-oriented. The cast members described how their assigned words have affected their lives or work.

Dane Agostinis, who portrays the Beast in the musical, said that in order to accomplish his goals, he had to have discipline,  requiring a good work ethic.

Michael Haller (Lumiere) said that when a person is accountable, others will rely on and trust him or her.

“You’re responsible for your actions, whether they’re successes or failures,” he said to the students.

Haller said a person who is accountable can succeed through others.

Ben Lovell (Cogsworth) said children don’t have to be perfect students in order to succeed. In a job interview, for example, those who show respect to the people interviewing or helping them and those who are well-mannered get the jobs, he said.

Emily Behny, who portrays Belle, is a native of Silver Lake, Ind., and graduate of Ball State University. She said there were 300 other girls auditioning for the role of Belle. Despite the large number and multiple auditions, Behny stuck with it and kept trying because playing Belle was her goal.

“You have to fight through that and keep trying,” Behny said.

She said it’s important to set goals, even small ones.

Afterward, Behny sang a song from the show, and the top 10 ticket-getters for September were given “Beauty and the Beast” items, such as blankets and water bottles.

“I thought it was interesting,” eighth-grader Katelyn Willis said. “It was fun to listen to.”

The students found out about the cast’s visit about a week earlier.

“I was surprised,” eighth-grader Kaity Wood said. “I didn’t think they’d come to a little school like this.”

Behny said Greg Allison, a teacher at Lapel she knew, asked the cast to come. Behny did the planning on the cast’s side.

Behny and the rest of the cast said they like being involved in such events.

“I think it makes what we do that much more rewarding, honestly,” Behny said. “I love performing and I love what we do, but I love when it can make a difference in the community and in people’s lives in a direct way.”

Agostinis said he enjoys when he has “the opportunity to come in and see kids and just help inspire them in any way.”

Wood and Willis said one of their favorite parts was Behny’s singing.

The students had cheered loudly when Behny said she was from Silver Lake and had gone to Ball State.

“It’s crazy to think someone (from around this area) could do that,” Wood said of Behny.

Pierce Pickett, an eighth-grader who was one of the top 10 ticket-getters, said it felt good to be recognized.  And he also enjoyed the show.

“I think it was really cool,” he said.

Contact Dani Palmer: 640-4847, dani.palmer@heraldbulletin.com