Check out this great behind the scenes video clip of Gaston and Lefou from the Beauty and the Beast National Tour.
Click here to view the video
Click here to view the video
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
JUSTIN GLASER IS THE BEAST
by
Brendan Lemon
The Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast" is by far the best-known of the many versions of this classic tale. But, as he was preparing to play the Beast on the current tour, Justin Glaser consulted some of the others. One was the 1946 French film, "La Belle et la Bete," directed by Jean Cocteau.
"I'm a big movie buff," said Glaser, "so I'd seen the Cocteau version a long time ago. But I saw it again more recently. It's a beautiful, passionate story. So is the Disney version, just in a different way."
Glaser, who got his B.F.A. in theatre from Northern Kentucky University, mentioned that he had read an interview with Cocteau where the filmmaker said some people were disappointed that the Beast turned into a Prince. Glaser points out, however, that in the movie there's an exchange that such critics should remember.
"It goes something like this: the Prince says to the Beauty, 'Do you like the way I am now?' And Beauty replies, 'It will take me a while to get used to it.'
The point, Glaser said, "is that a person's image changes over time. In the fairy tale, the hero transforms suddenly from a beast into a prince. But, in real life, people's appearances change more slowly. If you love someone, you love them as they evolve."
That can be hard to do in today's world, observed Glaser, who only started singing seriously once he was in college and who, when he first moved to New York, worked in a brokerage firm. "We live in a consumer-driven society, and perfect celebrity images are put in front of our faces everyday. We're told what type of appearance we should like and be attracted to." He added: "Although 'Beauty and the Beast' has a fairy-tale ending, with a prince, it also says: If you give a chance to someone whose appearance didn't grab you at first, you might be surprised at how your feelings about them can change."
Glaser said that his own feelings - not about a loved one but about his country have evolved since he did his first national tour, of "Annie," earlier this decade. (He's also toured in "Jesus Christ Superstar.") "Touring is an amazing way to see the country. Before going out on the road, I had never been to California. I was surprised and stunned by how beautiful much of that state is." He continued: "But the country has many other beautiful sections.
It's great to get to work in front of so many thousands of people all over the place who appreciate what you are doing."
END
Brendan Lemon
The Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast" is by far the best-known of the many versions of this classic tale. But, as he was preparing to play the Beast on the current tour, Justin Glaser consulted some of the others. One was the 1946 French film, "La Belle et la Bete," directed by Jean Cocteau.
"I'm a big movie buff," said Glaser, "so I'd seen the Cocteau version a long time ago. But I saw it again more recently. It's a beautiful, passionate story. So is the Disney version, just in a different way."
Glaser, who got his B.F.A. in theatre from Northern Kentucky University, mentioned that he had read an interview with Cocteau where the filmmaker said some people were disappointed that the Beast turned into a Prince. Glaser points out, however, that in the movie there's an exchange that such critics should remember.
"It goes something like this: the Prince says to the Beauty, 'Do you like the way I am now?' And Beauty replies, 'It will take me a while to get used to it.'
The point, Glaser said, "is that a person's image changes over time. In the fairy tale, the hero transforms suddenly from a beast into a prince. But, in real life, people's appearances change more slowly. If you love someone, you love them as they evolve."
That can be hard to do in today's world, observed Glaser, who only started singing seriously once he was in college and who, when he first moved to New York, worked in a brokerage firm. "We live in a consumer-driven society, and perfect celebrity images are put in front of our faces everyday. We're told what type of appearance we should like and be attracted to." He added: "Although 'Beauty and the Beast' has a fairy-tale ending, with a prince, it also says: If you give a chance to someone whose appearance didn't grab you at first, you might be surprised at how your feelings about them can change."
Glaser said that his own feelings - not about a loved one but about his country have evolved since he did his first national tour, of "Annie," earlier this decade. (He's also toured in "Jesus Christ Superstar.") "Touring is an amazing way to see the country. Before going out on the road, I had never been to California. I was surprised and stunned by how beautiful much of that state is." He continued: "But the country has many other beautiful sections.
It's great to get to work in front of so many thousands of people all over the place who appreciate what you are doing."
END
Friday, January 29, 2010
THE GUY WHO PLAYS GASTON
by
Brendan Lemon
Gaston is the unbearably conceited stud in "Beauty and the Beast," and I think it's fair to say that for Nathaniel Hackmann, who plays him, the role's not a stretch. Just consider some of roles he's played in a still-young career fairly equally divided between opera and musical theater: Lancelot in "Camelot," Belcore in "Elixir of Love," the title role in "Don Giovanni."
"In my last bio," joked Hackmann, "it said, 'Other egomaniacal, misogynistic antagonists' I have played are..."
In the opera world, it's standard for a baritone to be the bad guy, or, at least, the personality with the shady past. But in the musical theater the baritone is just as often more heroic, a fact illustrated by digging deeper into Hackmann's roster of roles: Emile in "South Pacific," the Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance."
Hackmann only completed his schooling (a Master's in Music from Central Michigan University in December 2006) a few years ago, but his back-and-forth between opera and musicals is second-nature. He explains: "During the entire time I was a student, I was putting myself through school by doing professional theater on the side. I'd rehearse opera during the day and do musicals at night."
For Hackmann, who grew up in Arizona, in a very musical family, juggling the two art forms can be a challenge. "It can be complicated to work out the scheduling," he admitted. "Operas will often cast two or three seasons ahead of time. Jobs in musicals happen more quickly." He said that for the "Beauty and the Beast" tour he had to ask for release from three of his upcoming opera contracts.
"It's worth it," he explained. "Everything about rehearsing for this tour has been amazing. The cast are incredibly giving, and the creative team is so deep in talent that you can always find someone to give you just the help you need."
For Hackmann, such a support staff is a luxury compared to the previous times he played Gaston. He did the part last year at the Cumberland County Playhouse, in Crossville, Tennessee, and in 2005 in summer stock in Findlay, Ohio. "Findlay was good experience," he said, "but I'd be singing and at the same time have to turn the set. For this new tour I can concentrate on performing."
END
Brendan Lemon
Gaston is the unbearably conceited stud in "Beauty and the Beast," and I think it's fair to say that for Nathaniel Hackmann, who plays him, the role's not a stretch. Just consider some of roles he's played in a still-young career fairly equally divided between opera and musical theater: Lancelot in "Camelot," Belcore in "Elixir of Love," the title role in "Don Giovanni."
"In my last bio," joked Hackmann, "it said, 'Other egomaniacal, misogynistic antagonists' I have played are..."
In the opera world, it's standard for a baritone to be the bad guy, or, at least, the personality with the shady past. But in the musical theater the baritone is just as often more heroic, a fact illustrated by digging deeper into Hackmann's roster of roles: Emile in "South Pacific," the Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance."
Hackmann only completed his schooling (a Master's in Music from Central Michigan University in December 2006) a few years ago, but his back-and-forth between opera and musicals is second-nature. He explains: "During the entire time I was a student, I was putting myself through school by doing professional theater on the side. I'd rehearse opera during the day and do musicals at night."
For Hackmann, who grew up in Arizona, in a very musical family, juggling the two art forms can be a challenge. "It can be complicated to work out the scheduling," he admitted. "Operas will often cast two or three seasons ahead of time. Jobs in musicals happen more quickly." He said that for the "Beauty and the Beast" tour he had to ask for release from three of his upcoming opera contracts.
"It's worth it," he explained. "Everything about rehearsing for this tour has been amazing. The cast are incredibly giving, and the creative team is so deep in talent that you can always find someone to give you just the help you need."
For Hackmann, such a support staff is a luxury compared to the previous times he played Gaston. He did the part last year at the Cumberland County Playhouse, in Crossville, Tennessee, and in 2005 in summer stock in Findlay, Ohio. "Findlay was good experience," he said, "but I'd be singing and at the same time have to turn the set. For this new tour I can concentrate on performing."
END
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
LA BELLE LIZ
by Brendan Lemon
Officially, auditions for the “Beauty and the Beast” tour began last year. Unofficially, they began fifteen or even twenty years ago: it’s just that the auditioners were performing not for judges or casting directors but for the bedroom mirror, as the “Beauty” DVD played on a TV, or for a parent or family member, who was playing a Disney songbook on a piano.
Consider Liz Shivener, who is the tour’s very talented Belle. “I was four when the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ movie came out,” she says, “but I didn’t get really obsessed with it until I was eight or nine. Like a lot of little girls, that’s the age when I wanted to be a princess.”
Shivener, who’s fromReynoldsburg , Ohio , outside of Columbus
I don’t think that Shivener has yet had the chance to perform in any of them besides “Beauty.” (With her lovely voice and onstage charm, I have a feeling she will.) She has, however, been in “Bye Bye Birdie,” which she auditioned for at 14, as she was getting started on a high-school experience that included half-days in a performing-arts program at a local career center.
At Otterbein College
As for her work so far on “Beauty and the Beast,” Shivener says she’s been especially grateful to director Robert Jess Roth and choreographer Matt West for their insights into Belle. “They’ve helped me understand the back story about Belle’s relationship with her father, which is key to the character.”
Was there anything Shivener wanted to share about her own family relationships? “There’s something I can say about my mother,” she answered. “When I got cast as Belle, I said to her, ‘All my dancing around the house singing those songs as a kid was totally worth it!”
END
Officially, auditions for the “Beauty and the Beast” tour began last year. Unofficially, they began fifteen or even twenty years ago: it’s just that the auditioners were performing not for judges or casting directors but for the bedroom mirror, as the “Beauty” DVD played on a TV, or for a parent or family member, who was playing a Disney songbook on a piano.
Consider Liz Shivener, who is the tour’s very talented Belle. “I was four when the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ movie came out,” she says, “but I didn’t get really obsessed with it until I was eight or nine. Like a lot of little girls, that’s the age when I wanted to be a princess.”
Shivener, who’s from
I don’t think that Shivener has yet had the chance to perform in any of them besides “Beauty.” (With her lovely voice and onstage charm, I have a feeling she will.) She has, however, been in “Bye Bye Birdie,” which she auditioned for at 14, as she was getting started on a high-school experience that included half-days in a performing-arts program at a local career center.
At
As for her work so far on “Beauty and the Beast,” Shivener says she’s been especially grateful to director Robert Jess Roth and choreographer Matt West for their insights into Belle. “They’ve helped me understand the back story about Belle’s relationship with her father, which is key to the character.”
Was there anything Shivener wanted to share about her own family relationships? “There’s something I can say about my mother,” she answered. “When I got cast as Belle, I said to her, ‘All my dancing around the house singing those songs as a kid was totally worth it!”
END
Monday, January 25, 2010
PUTTING ON A SHOW
by Brendan Lemon
Some rehearsal rooms resemble group therapy: the director and the actors explore deep emotions. Others are more like a college seminar: the director and the actors excavate the play’s text. But I’m happy to report that the rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast – I visited one last week -- are more like summer camp for grown-ups.
Rehearsals began early this month at the Gateway Playhouse, in Bellport, Long Island. The family that founded the theater in 1941 (and still runs it) took a page from the Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney musicals of that era and literally started putting on shows in their barn. Such can-do spirit permeated the air when I observed a rehearsal: director Robert Jess Roth and choreographer Matt West alternately surveyed the actors on stage from a makeshift table set up in the audience and went up on stage to work with them on a run-through of the first act.
“We’re very lucky to be rehearsing on an actual stage” Roth told me. As we talked his three year-old black lab Dash (“I’ve always wanted to have a dog come to rehearsals with me; it helps keep the vibe friendly”) rested his nose on the director’s legs (“He thinks he’s a lap dog”). “Usually, you rehearse in a big rehearsal room in New York and don’t have a chance to see how things look on an actual proscenium until you start the tech rehearsals. We’re a step ahead by doing things here on Long Island.”
Choreographer West seconded Roth’s comment. “The kind of stuff that you might not be able to correct until tech rehearsals is stuff we can start to work on here.”
And make no mistake about it: the cast was working hard. Numbers like “Belle” came to life onstage even though the cast had only basic scenery and was without the production’s sure-to-be spectacular costumes.
But the actors were also clearly enjoying themselves. As part of the summer-camp feel, they not only live, breathe, and sleep “Beauty” but they also live together: not in rustic cabins but in a nearby hotel. “ We’re not sick of each other yet!” said ensemble member Steven Czarnecki with good spirits as I rode with him and other cast members from their lodgings over to the theater in a van that had been christened “Martha Washington.” (I tried to extract a colorful story about that designation, to no avail.)
All the van passengers agreed that it was humbling to be doing the show with its original
Broadway creative staff at the helm. Brandon Haagenson, who was at the wheel of
the van, said that the animated Disney Beauty and the Beast had been “one of my first experiences in the movie theater.” Others – Jen Bechter (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Heather Russell (ensemble) – added that the movie had also played a part in their younger days.
“I used to drive my mother crazy with how often I played the DVD,” said another passenger, Liz Shivener, who plays Belle and to whom I will devote a separate blog entry.
END
Some rehearsal rooms resemble group therapy: the director and the actors explore deep emotions. Others are more like a college seminar: the director and the actors excavate the play’s text. But I’m happy to report that the rehearsals for Beauty and the Beast – I visited one last week -- are more like summer camp for grown-ups.
Rehearsals began early this month at the Gateway Playhouse, in Bellport, Long Island. The family that founded the theater in 1941 (and still runs it) took a page from the Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney musicals of that era and literally started putting on shows in their barn. Such can-do spirit permeated the air when I observed a rehearsal: director Robert Jess Roth and choreographer Matt West alternately surveyed the actors on stage from a makeshift table set up in the audience and went up on stage to work with them on a run-through of the first act.
“We’re very lucky to be rehearsing on an actual stage” Roth told me. As we talked his three year-old black lab Dash (“I’ve always wanted to have a dog come to rehearsals with me; it helps keep the vibe friendly”) rested his nose on the director’s legs (“He thinks he’s a lap dog”). “Usually, you rehearse in a big rehearsal room in New York and don’t have a chance to see how things look on an actual proscenium until you start the tech rehearsals. We’re a step ahead by doing things here on Long Island.”
Choreographer West seconded Roth’s comment. “The kind of stuff that you might not be able to correct until tech rehearsals is stuff we can start to work on here.”
And make no mistake about it: the cast was working hard. Numbers like “Belle” came to life onstage even though the cast had only basic scenery and was without the production’s sure-to-be spectacular costumes.
But the actors were also clearly enjoying themselves. As part of the summer-camp feel, they not only live, breathe, and sleep “Beauty” but they also live together: not in rustic cabins but in a nearby hotel. “ We’re not sick of each other yet!” said ensemble member Steven Czarnecki with good spirits as I rode with him and other cast members from their lodgings over to the theater in a van that had been christened “Martha Washington.” (I tried to extract a colorful story about that designation, to no avail.)
All the van passengers agreed that it was humbling to be doing the show with its original
Broadway creative staff at the helm. Brandon Haagenson, who was at the wheel of
the van, said that the animated Disney Beauty and the Beast had been “one of my first experiences in the movie theater.” Others – Jen Bechter (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Heather Russell (ensemble) – added that the movie had also played a part in their younger days.
“I used to drive my mother crazy with how often I played the DVD,” said another passenger, Liz Shivener, who plays Belle and to whom I will devote a separate blog entry.
END
Friday, December 18, 2009
Backstage Blog: "BEAUTY" AND THE DANCE
By
Brendan Lemon
Matt West, the choreographer for Beauty and the Beast, has a relationship with Disney that long predates his work on the show when it premiered in 1994. "I grew up in Los Angeles," West told me recently. "I was Peter Pan on the road starting when I was 13. I did the role to promote Disney's re-release of "Peter Pan." West then was in a Disney singing group called Kids of the Kingdom for two years. Some years later, he was in Los Angeles at a party to celebrate the 60th birthday of Mickey Mouse. "Somebody asked me if I had ever choreographed. I lied and said yes. I went from there."
By 1990, West had met "Beauty"'s director, Robert Jess Roth, and the show's set designer, Stan Meyer. Disney asked the trio to work on spectaculars for the company's theme parks. "These were 30 minutes shows that were done five times a week," West said. "That got us working with computers. It took us a while to be able to use all our razzle-dazzle experience on a Broadway show, but we persisted in our dream to do one, and eventually Beauty and the Beast happened."
One of the show's best-known scenes involves a waltz between the title characters. How will West approach that in the new tour's re-imagining? "The castle can now go completely offstage. Which means I have a completely open stage to put together a waltz. There wasn't room for 30 people to do a waltz before."
West said that not just the waltz but the other dance numbers as well will change because of the new approach to the story's scenery. For example, he says he always wanted the town buildings in the show's opening number to move. "Frankly, I got a little bored with Belle walking around the stage. Now we can do more with that because the buildings can move."
West said the new choreography in general is fuller. "We can tell even more story now. And because I've grown as a choreographer I think the choreography will be richer, too."
In addition to his work, aided by able associates, on "Beauty" over the years, what experience has helped West - who among many other credits played Bobby in the 1985 movie of "A Chorus Line" -- to grow in his art?
"I worked on "Elaborate Lives" in Atlanta," he answered, referring to the Elton John-composed musical that on Broadway became "Aida." West added: "And I am now working with Disney on a version of 'Fantasmic!' for Disney theme parks in Japan." As Disney lovers know, that show has been a long-running attraction at Disney theme parks in California and Florida. For the Japanese version, which will open in April 2011 and which West is directing and choreographing, there will be spectacular moments like dragons that come out of the water and an entire lagoon set afire. "It's amazing," West commented.
But back to "Beauty." West said that part of his pleasure in working on the new tour has been the chance to see so many talented people at the auditions. "There are so many phenomenal dancers around the country now." Echoing something the show's director, Robert Jess Roth, told me, West commented, "For this show, it's not enough to be a phenomenal dancer. You have to be well-rounded - you also have to be a fantastic singer."
West said that even for the boy role of Chip that he and his colleagues saw some first-rate hopefuls. "We cast that part last" he explained, because at that age (around 8 or 9) boys grow up so fast. "If we cast Chip too far in advance," West said, "by the time we got to rehearsals he would have been old enough to play Gaston or the Beast!"
END
Brendan Lemon
Matt West, the choreographer for Beauty and the Beast, has a relationship with Disney that long predates his work on the show when it premiered in 1994. "I grew up in Los Angeles," West told me recently. "I was Peter Pan on the road starting when I was 13. I did the role to promote Disney's re-release of "Peter Pan." West then was in a Disney singing group called Kids of the Kingdom for two years. Some years later, he was in Los Angeles at a party to celebrate the 60th birthday of Mickey Mouse. "Somebody asked me if I had ever choreographed. I lied and said yes. I went from there."
By 1990, West had met "Beauty"'s director, Robert Jess Roth, and the show's set designer, Stan Meyer. Disney asked the trio to work on spectaculars for the company's theme parks. "These were 30 minutes shows that were done five times a week," West said. "That got us working with computers. It took us a while to be able to use all our razzle-dazzle experience on a Broadway show, but we persisted in our dream to do one, and eventually Beauty and the Beast happened."
One of the show's best-known scenes involves a waltz between the title characters. How will West approach that in the new tour's re-imagining? "The castle can now go completely offstage. Which means I have a completely open stage to put together a waltz. There wasn't room for 30 people to do a waltz before."
West said that not just the waltz but the other dance numbers as well will change because of the new approach to the story's scenery. For example, he says he always wanted the town buildings in the show's opening number to move. "Frankly, I got a little bored with Belle walking around the stage. Now we can do more with that because the buildings can move."
West said the new choreography in general is fuller. "We can tell even more story now. And because I've grown as a choreographer I think the choreography will be richer, too."
In addition to his work, aided by able associates, on "Beauty" over the years, what experience has helped West - who among many other credits played Bobby in the 1985 movie of "A Chorus Line" -- to grow in his art?
"I worked on "Elaborate Lives" in Atlanta," he answered, referring to the Elton John-composed musical that on Broadway became "Aida." West added: "And I am now working with Disney on a version of 'Fantasmic!' for Disney theme parks in Japan." As Disney lovers know, that show has been a long-running attraction at Disney theme parks in California and Florida. For the Japanese version, which will open in April 2011 and which West is directing and choreographing, there will be spectacular moments like dragons that come out of the water and an entire lagoon set afire. "It's amazing," West commented.
But back to "Beauty." West said that part of his pleasure in working on the new tour has been the chance to see so many talented people at the auditions. "There are so many phenomenal dancers around the country now." Echoing something the show's director, Robert Jess Roth, told me, West commented, "For this show, it's not enough to be a phenomenal dancer. You have to be well-rounded - you also have to be a fantastic singer."
West said that even for the boy role of Chip that he and his colleagues saw some first-rate hopefuls. "We cast that part last" he explained, because at that age (around 8 or 9) boys grow up so fast. "If we cast Chip too far in advance," West said, "by the time we got to rehearsals he would have been old enough to play Gaston or the Beast!"
END
Monday, December 14, 2009
Backstage Blog: DIRECTING THE SHOW
By
Brendan Lemon
Robert Jess Roth directed the original 1994 Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast and he says that helming the new tour is "pretty extraordinary and unique." With a show this crowd-pleasing and beautiful, the extraordinary part of his remark is easy to understand. What about "unique"?
"It just feels pretty unique to me for the original director of a hit Broadway show to have the opportunity to go back in there and reimagine it. That's what we're doing with the tour."
Rather than ask Roth the specifics of what will be different this time (audiences should have some surprises when they sit in the theater), I inquired about the overall changes. "This design feels lighter to me than the original show," Roth replies. "We are retaining the cool magic effects from the original, but we've got a significantly redesigned production, courtesy of the original design team: sets by Stan Meyer, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, and lighting by Natasha Katz."
Beauty and the Beast has had dozens of productions around the world since 1994. "Don't I know it!" Roth says when I remind him of that fact. "Can you imagine how many hours of auditions I've had with this show? For this new tour alone, more than 3000 people were seen." So does he ever get bored of hearing someone sing any of the show's numbers? "Not at all," Roth says. "The songs are a total wow, and every talented person I see brings something a little different to them. The actors are one of the main reasons I never get bored with 'Beauty.'"
With all the talent that shows up for each production, how does Roth winnow down the hopefuls? "No matter how many great people show up, it's always hard to cast the ensemble, because the ensemble has to cover the principal parts. That can be kind of tricky, because the principals have to have big, beautiful, almost operatic type of voices. And if you're in the ensemble, you also have to be a great dancer. The combination of those qualities means the talent pool can shrink pretty fast in auditions."
Roth, who grew up in northern New Jersey and has been doing theater in some form since the age of 12, emphasizes the importance of honesty in working with "Beauty" actors. "They have to be capable of conveying honesty, otherwise the show doesn't sing. The story may have magic too it, but the performers have to convey very human qualities. Otherwise, the heart of the message - that you have to look past someone's exterior to see their essence - doesn't shine like it should."
Besides Beauty and the Beast, perhaps the biggest professional passion in Roth's life is his hobby: collecting rock 'n' graphics - newspaper advertisements, posters, backstage passes, etc. - from major bands.
"I have 3500 pieces in my collection," Roth says with justifiable pride. "One of the side benefits of directing 'Beauty' all over the world is that I've been able to go to record stores in every country and look for new items. Just when I think that I've found everything related to a particular band, something else will turn up."
Roth's collection is celebrated in his new book, "The Art of Classic Rock," which is out in Europe and Australia and will be published next fall in the U.S. by HarperCollins.
"The timeframe of the book," Roth says, "is the 1970s until now. I concentrate on eight acts: The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, and Alice Cooper." Roth is especially well-acquainted with those last two acts: he worked on the Broadway musical "Lestat" with Elton John and he has directed tours of Alice Cooper.
Are there similarities between directing Beauty and the Beast and directing Alice Cooper's current tour, "Theater of Death"? "I put together the show with Alice to tell a story," Roth says. "And of course the heart of "Beauty and the Beast" is the telling of a story. In fact, I would say that, in addition to the actors, the reason I don't tire of 'Beauty' is because of the quality of the writing. It's wonderful."
END
Brendan Lemon
Robert Jess Roth directed the original 1994 Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast and he says that helming the new tour is "pretty extraordinary and unique." With a show this crowd-pleasing and beautiful, the extraordinary part of his remark is easy to understand. What about "unique"?
"It just feels pretty unique to me for the original director of a hit Broadway show to have the opportunity to go back in there and reimagine it. That's what we're doing with the tour."
Rather than ask Roth the specifics of what will be different this time (audiences should have some surprises when they sit in the theater), I inquired about the overall changes. "This design feels lighter to me than the original show," Roth replies. "We are retaining the cool magic effects from the original, but we've got a significantly redesigned production, courtesy of the original design team: sets by Stan Meyer, costumes by Ann Hould-Ward, and lighting by Natasha Katz."
Beauty and the Beast has had dozens of productions around the world since 1994. "Don't I know it!" Roth says when I remind him of that fact. "Can you imagine how many hours of auditions I've had with this show? For this new tour alone, more than 3000 people were seen." So does he ever get bored of hearing someone sing any of the show's numbers? "Not at all," Roth says. "The songs are a total wow, and every talented person I see brings something a little different to them. The actors are one of the main reasons I never get bored with 'Beauty.'"
With all the talent that shows up for each production, how does Roth winnow down the hopefuls? "No matter how many great people show up, it's always hard to cast the ensemble, because the ensemble has to cover the principal parts. That can be kind of tricky, because the principals have to have big, beautiful, almost operatic type of voices. And if you're in the ensemble, you also have to be a great dancer. The combination of those qualities means the talent pool can shrink pretty fast in auditions."
Roth, who grew up in northern New Jersey and has been doing theater in some form since the age of 12, emphasizes the importance of honesty in working with "Beauty" actors. "They have to be capable of conveying honesty, otherwise the show doesn't sing. The story may have magic too it, but the performers have to convey very human qualities. Otherwise, the heart of the message - that you have to look past someone's exterior to see their essence - doesn't shine like it should."
Besides Beauty and the Beast, perhaps the biggest professional passion in Roth's life is his hobby: collecting rock 'n' graphics - newspaper advertisements, posters, backstage passes, etc. - from major bands.
"I have 3500 pieces in my collection," Roth says with justifiable pride. "One of the side benefits of directing 'Beauty' all over the world is that I've been able to go to record stores in every country and look for new items. Just when I think that I've found everything related to a particular band, something else will turn up."
Roth's collection is celebrated in his new book, "The Art of Classic Rock," which is out in Europe and Australia and will be published next fall in the U.S. by HarperCollins.
"The timeframe of the book," Roth says, "is the 1970s until now. I concentrate on eight acts: The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Who, David Bowie, Elton John, and Alice Cooper." Roth is especially well-acquainted with those last two acts: he worked on the Broadway musical "Lestat" with Elton John and he has directed tours of Alice Cooper.
Are there similarities between directing Beauty and the Beast and directing Alice Cooper's current tour, "Theater of Death"? "I put together the show with Alice to tell a story," Roth says. "And of course the heart of "Beauty and the Beast" is the telling of a story. In fact, I would say that, in addition to the actors, the reason I don't tire of 'Beauty' is because of the quality of the writing. It's wonderful."
END
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