A best-selling R&B singer , Braxton made her Broadway debut when she was cast as Belle in 1998 , turning down actress Halle Berry 's role in the film '' Why Do Fools Fall In Love '' ( 1998 ) . Braxton 's desire to pursue an acting career stemmed from a series of conflicts with the singer 's record label at the time , in turn making her the only African American to portray Belle in the show 's history . Belle 's ballad " A Change in Me " was written by songwriters Alan Menken and Tim Rice specifically for Braxton . However , the song was ultimately so well-received that it has been included in the musical ever since . During her tenure as Belle , Braxton was stalked by an " obsessed fan . " The stalker had reportedly " bombarded " Braxton with threatening e-mails and letters . Several measures were taken to ensure the singer 's safety , including forcing Braxton to dress in full disguise when traveling to and from the theatre in addition to reducing her total number of weekly performances from eight to seven . The stalker was eventually arrested and charged with " aggravated harassment . " Belle along with Beast and Chip appeared at the 64th Academy Awards as presenters for Best Animated Short Feature . She also makes a brief cameo appearance in Disney 's 34th animated feature film '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame '' ( 1996 ) during the " Out There " musical sequence
64th Academy Awards
64th Academy Awards
Belle (Beauty and the Beast)