‘Beauty and the Beast’ tour promises classic Disney magic
Performing in “Beauty and the Beast” marks multiple milestones in former Londoner Harry Francis’ acting career. Not only will it be his first national tour since officially moving …
Performing in “Beauty and the Beast” marks multiple milestones in former Londoner Harry Francis’ acting career. Not only will it be his first national tour since officially moving to the United States three years ago, but it’s also a chance to be part of a story he was obsessed with growing up.
“‘Beauty and the Beast’ was the very first show I auditioned for when I was 6,” Francis said. “I was auditioning for Chip, but that one didn’t work out. At the time, I was heartbroken, but I’ve gotten over it.”
Last year, he auditioned for the role of LeFou in Disney’s new touring production of the show, and this time, fate was on his side. While it’s a vastly different role than the one he sought as a child, he thinks LeFou is ultimately the perfect character for him.
“I love getting to be a goofball every day,” he said. “I love that I have free rein to go on stage and just have fun. It’s a real treat to have a job where you get to do that. Although there are certain elements that are very much set in the show, there are also lots of moments where I’ve been able to add my own spin on it.”
The tour, which began in June, is an updated version of the original musical that ran on Broadway from 1994 to 2007.
Francis made his West End debut at only 9 years old as Louis Leonowens in “The King and I” and has gone on to perform in a variety of musicals since, including “Wicked, “Mary Poppins, “Cats,” “The Book of Mormon” and “A Chorus Line.” Being a huge fan of “Beauty and the Beast,” he’s seen various productions in both the U.S. and the U.K.
“Coming into rehearsals, I think I was the only cast member who had seen this version on stage before, because we’re the first cast to do this version in the U.S,” he said.
He added that while this version is largely the same as the original, die-hard fans will undoubtedly notice that some songs have been cut.
“The show is slicker and tighter. We’re bringing in technology that didn’t exist in the ‘90s as well. There are some really great effects in the show that I’m very excited to see,” he said. “I can’t give away too much. We’re told just to say, ‘Disney magic,’ but people who see the show will know what I’m talking about.”
Without spoiling anything, he mentioned that Linda Woolverton, the playwright of the original stage adaptation, has also added some new scenes, including moments with LeFou and Gaston (played by Stephen Mark Lukas) that Francis is especially excited about.
“From the very first day of rehearsals, we were so lucky that Stephen and I instantly had a really great dynamic of playing off each other in our scenes,” he said. “We’ve just had so much fun. There’s been a bit of freedom with this version where they’ve allowed us to find our own takes on the role. I think what we’ve found is we’re not afraid for these characters to really become villains in the end. It’s been fun exploring that with Stephen every night.”
The most fun the two have on stage is performing the showstopping number “Gaston.” While the classic Disney villain song has always been an audience favorite, Francis promises that it’s better than ever in this production.
“They’ve added so many more elements to it,” he said. “It’s now a much longer number, and there are so many comedic elements that have been added. It’s full of silliness and potentially the most cartoonish moments in the show. There are so many fun surprises in it.”
Although the show is only scheduled to run for another year, Francis said that it has been resonating with audiences and is hopeful that its success will allow the company to keep touring.
“If you’ve got strong memories of the other version of the show, I think you’ll be happy with this,” he said. “We pay tribute to previous productions as well as bringing something new to it.”
October and early November theater productions:
“Every Brilliant Thing”
Thursday, Oct. 2-Oct. 26
Opening weekend showtimes:
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday
2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Rest of run showtimes:
2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday-Sunday
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Williamston Theatre
122 S. Putnam St., Williamston
“The Seagull”
MSU Department of Theatre
2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 5
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 9
1 p.m. Oct. 12
Arena Theatre
542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing
“Stupid F##king Bird”
MSU Department of Theatre
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 5; Wednesday, Oct. 8; Oct. 10
6:30 p.m. Oct. 12
Arena Theatre
542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing
“Ravenscroft”
Oct. 9-12 and 16-19
7 p.m. Thursday
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
Riverwalk Theatre
228 Museum Drive, Lansing
“A Song for Coretta”
Ixion Ensemble Theatre
Oct. 10-12 and 17-19
7 p.m. Friday-Saturday
3 p.m. Sunday
Stage One at Sycamore Creek Eastwood
2200 Lake Lansing Road, Lansing
“Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties”
LCC Performing Arts
Oct. 10-12 and 17-18
7 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
LCC Black Box Theatre
411 N. Grand Ave., Lansing
“Winnie the Pooh Kids”
All-of-Us Express Children’s Theatre
11 a.m. Oct. 11
3 p.m. Oct. 12
Hannah Community Center
819 Abbot Road, East Lansing
“Beauty and the Beast”
Oct. 14-19
7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday
2 p.m. Saturday
1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday
Wharton Center Cobb Great Hall
750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing
“A Wrinkle in Time”
All-of-Us Express Children’s Theatre
Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 30-Nov. 2
7 p.m. Friday
3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Hannah Community Center
819 Abbot Road, East Lansing
“Wait Until Dark”
Oct. 24-26 and Oct. 31-Nov. 2
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts
122 E. Main St., Owosso
“Dog Man: The Musical”
Noon and 4 p.m. Nov. 1
Wharton Center Cobb Great Hall
750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing
