I've been pretty busy these past few weeks because the show I'm in, "Beauty and the Beast," opened. Well, by now we're on our last weekend, and we close tomorrow, but it's not too late to comment on it, right?
Confession: I wanted to be Belle in this show with every ounce of my gut and being. I worked on her songs, analyzed her character, practiced practiced practiced, and I thought I had an awesome shot.
I didn't even get a callback for her.
Really people? It's times like this that make me wonder why the heck I'm even in this business. Is hard work never appreciated? Are dreams just made to be crushed? What influenced this decision? My voice? My looks? My general inability to pull off a really good audition?
Anyways, I play a Silly Girl. You know, those girls that freak out over Gaston and think he's the cats pajamas in order to emphasis to the audience that Belle is really different in not wanting to marry him, as well as to provide a source of comic relief.
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| You know, these guys. |
Except, in our show we have six instead of three. Better harmonies that way, plus it opens up more casting room for those all those Belle hopefuls who didn't make the cut.
Like me.
I mean, sure, it would be nice to be a lead. But it's Belle. She's a Disney Princess, and one of the best ones too. She's intelligent, gorgeous, perceptive, and witty. All she ever wanted was to go somewhere where she didn't feel so alone and strange. We all feel alone sometimes...
Maybe someday, I'll get the chance to be in this show again as this lovely lady. I guess I've got a lot of improvement to do before then.
Being a Silly Girl does have its perks! We six girls have really bonded over the course of the show. Every time we're onstage, we live. it. up. Plus, the Gaston we get to trip over ourselves for is a really good friend of mine. Same with his Le Fou! Both boys are super sweet, and crazy talented. I love that I'm onstage with them in all the scenes I'm in.
Speaking of Le Fou, he had a pretty big scare opening night. During the song "Gaston," he got pushed off Gaston's chair, and slid all the way over to the edge of the stage. Right over an eight-foot orchestra pit with people and instruments below him. He was on his knees, halfway off the stage, and trying to retain his balance for a few split seconds, but managed to get back up and back in character in time for his next solo. We all broke character for a bit, I do admit. It scared the living daylights out of me though!!! I'm so glad he's ok. I think he might've actually enjoyed the attention from the experience, but our Gaston felt so bad: he's the one that pushed Le Fou off the chair in that direction. For the rest of the shows, the push has been in the other direction.
Live theater: Gotta love it.
The kids that see the show are great too. Since it's a Princess story, we get a lot of little kids dressed up as Belle and just gawking at her both before and after the show. It's totally adorable and sweet.
Another Confession: I'm super jealous. But I'm sure you understand based on what I said earlier.
......It's just so not fair.....Life isn't fair. I ought to get over it.
The leads were all very well cast for this show though. Our Mrs. Potts was my double back when I did "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," and I had no idea until now what a gorgeous voice she had. All of her solos sound perfect. Our Lumiere and Cogsworth have wonderful stage chemistry together: they're hilarious. The Beast is incredible too. Every time he comes onstage for his first scene, I just get wrapped up in what's happening and I feel like I'm watching the movie. His costume and makeup are pretty amazing too. There's a lot of intricate detail...he really looks like a different creature.
And of course, my fellow Silly Girls are just amazing. Each one has such unique talent, and I feel really blessed to get to know them. As upset as I was (and still kinda am) about not getting the role I wanted, these girls make it worth the trouble. I guess that's why I love these shows: There's always something wonderful that comes out of them. Even the most disappointing of them.
That there is all of us together, in rainbow order of course! I'm the purple one. I really love purple. Not all of us were prepared for the camera, but hey. It's a cute shot.
Closing show tomorrow, wish us luck!
Ahem, I mean... tell us to break a leg!!
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