In order for a long-lived musical to be born, little is needed. Sometimes one sentence in a newspaper article is enough.
In its review of the 1991-1992 Tony Award contenders, the influential New York theater critic Frank Rich remarked that if Disney's recently released Beauty and the Beast were a musical, it would certainly win a Tony Award as best musical of the year. The newspaper with this article fell into the hands of Ron Logan, the head of Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, a small division of a huge corporation that produced theatrical performances in theme parks. He already had a 25-minute production based on Beauty and the Beast, which opened simultaneously with the premiere of the cartoon at Disneyland and the Disney-MGM theme park. Mr. Logan seized on the idea of making a full-fledged show and persuaded the president of the corporation, Michael Eisner (Michael Eisner) to take a chance.
To finalize the score, the cartoon composer Alan Menken was invited, and the place of the untimely deceased songwriter Howard Ashman was taken by British librettist Tim Rice.
Menken and Rice have already worked together - Tim was the author of additional lyrics to the songs from the cartoon "Aladdin". For the stage version of Beauty and the Beast, they wrote 5 new songs. Another composition - Human Again, lyrics for which Ashman wrote, was extracted from drafts for the film. Linda Woolverton, the cartoon's screenwriter, herself reworked the story for the theatre. The $12 million production was directed by Robert Jess Roth, choreographed by Matt West, with fabulous sets by Stanley Meyer and costumes by Ann Hould-Ward.
The show that marked Disney's entry into the world of musical theater had its world premiere in November 1993 at the Theater Under the Stars in Houston.
In some distant country there lived a heartless and selfish prince. One day cold winter night an ugly old beggar woman knocked at the gate of his castle. She asked the prince to let her warm herself and, in gratitude for the shelter, offered a rose. Seeing how ugly his guest was, the prince was disgusted and pointed her to the door. The old woman warned the young man not to judge by appearance, because true beauty is hidden in the depths of the heart, but the cruel prince did not listen to her. Then the old woman, who was in fact a powerful Sorceress, appeared to the prince in her true form as a beauty.
The owner of the castle fell on his knees and began to beg for forgiveness, but it was too late: because there is no love in the heart of the prince, the Sorceress turned him into an ugly Beast. She cast another spell on his dwelling and servants: the cherubs decorating the castle became gargoyles, and the servants began to gradually turn into furniture and utensils.
Sorcery can be broken if the Beast learns to love and someone loves him before the last petal falls from the magical rose the Sorceress left for the prince.
Years pass. The hope of the Beast to regain his human form is melting every day - who will love the monster? Hiding from people behind the impregnable walls of the castle, the Beast sinks more and more into despair.
In a small French village live a middle-aged eccentric inventor Maurice and his lovely daughter, who bears the "talking" name Belle - Beauty. Locals pay tribute to Belle's outstanding appearance, but consider the girl a little strange because of her passion for books (Belle). Local hunter and strongman Gaston is sure that Belle is the most beautiful girl in the village - is obliged to become his wife, and burns with the desire to marry her immediately. Gaston sends his servant Lefou into the forest to get a deer for the wedding feast.
After learning what the neighbors think of her, Belle asks her inventor-absorbed father if she's really strange. The father convinces the daughter that this is not so (No Matter What).
Maurice is going to the village fair to demonstrate his latest invention, a pneumatic wood splitter. Saying goodbye to her father, Belle gives him a scarf.
Maurice's path lies through a forest filled with different sounds. To his horror, Maurice discerns a wolf's howl among them. The animals surround the old man, and he rushes away from them, into the forest thicket. Before Belle's father, a huge castle grows up that looks abandoned until two of its inhabitants - the mantel-clock-like majordomo Cogsworth and the candelabra-like butler Lumiere reveal their presence in front of Maurice. Against Cogsworth's protests, Lumiere and the other servants give Maurice a hospitable welcome.
The Beast appears. The unsociable owner of the castle is enraged by the stranger's intrusion and declares Maurice his prisoner.
At this time, Gaston, who is waiting for Belle near her house, informs his fans that he is getting married. Beauty has a different opinion on this matter. Politely but firmly, she resists Gaston's persuasion to marry him (Me). Having got rid of her obsessive boyfriend, Belle promises herself to escape from the musty life of a small village (Belle (Reprise)).
The girl comes across Lefa, who is walking around in her father's scarf. Terrified that something bad could happen to Maurice, Belle begs Lefau to show her the place where he picked up the scarf. Lefou leads Beauty into the depths of the forest and hides.
Belle's search for her father leads her to the Beast's castle. The servants are glad for the appearance of a young beauty - perhaps she will break the spell, and their human appearance will return to them. Belle finds Maurice alive and unharmed, but the father and daughter fail to leave the castle - the Beast sees no reason to let the old man go. Belle offers her freedom in exchange for her father's freedom. The monster puts forward a condition - Beauty will remain in the castle forever, and the girl accepts it.
After showing Belle to her new room, the Beast invites her to dinner.
Belle is indignant: she was not allowed to say goodbye to her father and was locked in a gloomy cold house. This was not the kind of change she dreamed of (Is This Home?). Wardrobe- Madame de la Boucher tries to interest the Beauty in an outfit in which she could go to dinner, and the teapot-like Mrs. Potts offers her friendship (Is This Home? (Reprise)).
In the village tavern, Gaston laments his matrimonial plans. To cheer him up, Lefou and other patrons of the drinking establishment begin to extol the virtues of Gaston (Gaston). Maurice runs into the tavern screaming for help. He reveals that Belle is being held captive by a hideous monster. Gaston and the villagers call the old man crazy and refuse to save Belle. Meanwhile, a plan is hatching in Gaston's mind to use Maurice's "madness" to his advantage (Gaston (Reprise)).
Dinner time arrives, the Beast and his servants eagerly await Belle, but she never shows up. The Beast is sure that Beauty will never fall in love with him because of his repulsive appearance. Lumiere advises the owner to be witty and courteous, and most importantly, to keep his violent temper in check. Tired of waiting, the Beast, accompanied by servants, goes to Belle's room, but persuasion and threats do not work on her. The girl claims that she is not hungry, and flatly refuses to go out. Then the Beast orders not to feed her at all.
Secluded in his chambers, the Beast watches Beauty through a magic mirror that allows him to see from a distance. A petal flies from an enchanted rose (How Long Must This Go On?).
Hungry, Belle makes her way to the kitchen, and the servants, violating the order of the ferocious master, arrange a gala dinner for her, which develops into a colorful performance (Be Our Guest).
After dinner, Cogsworth and Lumière undertake to show Beauty the castle. The girl escapes from her guides and enters the forbidden west wing, where the enchanted rose is hidden. At this time, the Beast decides to show nobility and comes into the room to the captive. Finding the room empty, the enraged Beast rushes off to find Belle and finds her just as she is about to pick up the enchanted rose. The monster pounces on the girl, involuntarily causing her pain. It hurries to apologize, but it's too late - the frightened Beauty runs away from the castle, into the forest. The enchanted prince understands that the girl sees only the Beast in him and will never fall in love, so he is destined to remain ugly for the rest of his life (If I Can't Love Her).
In the forest, Belle is attacked by wolves. The girl is on the verge of death, when help unexpectedly comes to her - this is the Beast, who in his magic mirror saw that Belle was in danger. Belle returns with the wounded Beast to the castle and tends to him herself. Gradually, the girl is imbued with sympathy for the owner of the castle, and in gratitude for the care, the enchanted prince gives Beauty his huge library (Something There). The servants, who are increasingly reminiscent of interior items, furniture and utensils, rejoice at this friendship - because this is the first step towards ensuring that they regain their human form (Human Again).
Upon learning that the Beast can barely read, Beauty reads her favorite Arthurian story to him. The monster is surprised to understand that the book helps him forget about his misfortune for a while. Turning the last page, the girl asks the owner of the castle if he will give her another chance by inviting her to dinner. The monster happily agrees.
Meanwhile, Gaston and Lefou persuade the director of the local asylum for the insane, Monsieur d'Arc, to take Maurice in with them in order to force Belle to marry Gaston (Maison Des Lunes) in exchange for his freedom.
The monster is worried about the upcoming dinner. The enchanted prince is about to confess his love to Beauty, but he is not sure that she will take his words seriously. The dinner goes excellently and ends with the main characters waltzing to a romantic song sung by Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast). Just as the Beast is about to tell Beauty how he feels, Belle confesses that she misses her father and longs to see him again. The monster gives the girl his magic mirror. Looking into it, Belle learns that Maurice decided to find the castle on his own and got lost again. The Beast releases Belle to help him. Servants enter the Beast's chambers to congratulate their master, but find him upset. Mrs. Potts says that the Beast has learned to love, but that's not enough to break the spell - the Beast needs to be loved in return. The penultimate petal falls from the rose.
Belle returns to the village with her unlucky father. Maurice wonders how his daughter managed to escape from the clutches of the Beast. Beauty replies that the Beast itself let her go, that it has changed, and she has changed with it (A Change in Me).
An angry mob, led by Gaston, bursts into the courtyard of Belle's house. The unfortunate suitor threatens to put the old man in an insane asylum if Belle does not agree to the marriage. The girl is desperately trying to prove that her father is normal, and the Beast really exists. With the help of a magic mirror, she shows his image. In response, Gaston incites the villagers to deal with a socially dangerous monster and plunder his dwelling (Mob Song).
While the enchanted servants defend the castle, the Beast yearns for Belle - he is sure that the girl will never return to him. Gaston manages to get inside the castle, into the chambers of the Beast, and a fight breaks out between them. Gaston provokes the rival with shouts that Belle never cared about the Beast, and she is going to marry him, Gaston. Opponents are on the roof, and Gaston drives the Beast to the very edge. Just as he raises his hand to deliver the final blow, the Beast hears Belle's voice behind him and dodges. Now on the edge of the roof - Gaston. The monster realizes that it is no longer capable of harming another person, and leaves the enemy alive. Beauty and the Beast are together again, but only for a moment: the insidious Gaston plunges a dagger into the back of the Beast. His betrayal does not go unpunished - having lost his balance, Gaston flies down from a great height.
Belle helps the Beast down into the room where the enchanted rose is. Unable to believe that the Beast is dying, Beauty confesses her love to him. The last petal falls from the rose. The body of the Beast rises up. In flashes of fire, the Beast comes to life and turns into a handsome prince, as he once was. At first, Belle does not recognize the beautiful stranger who appeared in front of her, but then, looking into his eyes, she realizes that in front of her is her beloved. Their kiss finally destroys witchcraft, and the servants again become people. This is the end of this magical tale.
On April 18, 1994, Beauty opened on Broadway at the Palace Theater and immediately set a single-day ticket sales record. In the original cast, the main character was played by Susan Egan, the Beast by Terrence Mann, and Gaston by Burke Moses. The Narrator's voice in the Prologue is by actor David Ogden Stiers and is part of the cartoon's soundtrack. By tradition, this phonogram is used in all English-language productions.
In 1996, the original Broadway cast in in full force moved to Los Angeles, where The Shubert Theater opened the first production of "Beauty" outside of New York. In 1997, with the premiere on the West End, the musical began to conquer the world. Under the auspices of Disney, the musical has been performed in more than twenty countries in fourteen languages.
Contrary to Frank Rich's prediction, Beauty and the Beast did not win the Tony Award for Best Musical of the Year. Presented in 9 nominations, the performance won only a secondary prize for the best costume design (Anne Hould-Ward). In the British Isles, the musical was more fortunate: the West End production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical of 1997.
After playing 2,200 performances at the Palace Theatre, "Beauty" moved to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. This move was necessary for Disney to occupy the more spacious Palace with their new theater project- musical "Aida" by Elton John and Tim Rice. The scenery was tailored to new scene, and on November 12, 1999, Beauty and the Beast lifted its curtain in a new location.
Over the 13 years of the musical's existence, dozens of established and emerging stars of the American and British theater have gone through its school. At different times and in different productions of the musical, Terrence Mann and Donny Osmond, Annalin Beechey and Andrea McArdle, Kristin Chenoweth and Dianne Pilkington, Gary Gary Beach and John Tartaglia, Ashley Brown and Laura Michelle Kelly, Marc Kudisch and Chuck Wagner. In 1998, she appeared on the stage of "Beauty" in the title role. famous singer Toni Braxton. Especially for her, Menken and Rice wrote the song A Change in Me, which has been an integral part of the second act score ever since.
On July 29, 2007, after 5464 performances, the Broadway tale ended. The last, seventeenth performer of the role of Belle on Broadway was the star of the television series Anneliese van der Pol (Anneliese van der Pol). Steve Blanchard, who appeared in the form of the Beast in the final season, set a record by being in the musical for 12 years, 11 of which he played leading role. At the final performance and the reception that followed it was attended by 135 people out of more than three hundred who have ever been associated with the Broadway "Beauty".
"Beauty and the Beast" left Broadway, giving way to another Disney musical based on an animated film - "The Little Mermaid" by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, but the story of the performance did not end there.
Back in 2004, Disney licensed the musical to Music Theater International, an agency that licenses regional and amateur productions. The first independent professional production of the musical was performed by the famous Massachusetts theater The North Shore in the summer of 2004. Since October of the same year, a license for amateur theatrical groups appeared. Since then, the number of productions of Beauty and the Beast has grown exponentially. But Disney did not abandon its first theatrical offspring. The touring version of the musical is touring the UK and the Netherlands, and in the United United Arab Emirates work in progress over a stationary performance.
On October 11, 2008, the premiere of the musical "Beauty and the Beast" translated by Alexei Kortnev took place at the Moscow Youth Palace. The performance was attended by Alan Menken, who spoke in the most flattering words about the Moscow show. The production, which cost domestic distributors about 3.5 million euros, was an updated version of the musical created in 2005 by Stage Entertainment and Disney. It was distinguished by a somewhat smaller scale and mobile scenery, allowing the show to be shown both stationary and on tour. Directed by Glenn Casale. The main roles were played by Natalia Bystrova (Belle), Ekaterina Guseva (Belle), Andrey Birin (Lumière), Elena Charkviani (Mrs. Chayton), Marat Adbrahimov (Maurice), Igor Portnoy (Ding-Don), Dmitry Dyakonov (Gaston), Alexei Yemtsov (Lefou) and others. Igor Ivanov, selected through a nationwide casting, was announced for the role of the Beast in the premiere cast, but due to illness, the artist could not take part in the premiere, and Dmitry Yankovsky performed the part. It is curious that in the second year of the musical's release, an attempt was again made to find the male lead. This time it was done with the help of a popular TV show format - telecasting. Actor Viktor Dobronravov became the winner of the Find the Monster series of programs, which aired weekly on the TVC channel from September 26 to December 29, 2009. The last performance of the musical "Beauty and the Beast" took place on April 30, 2010.
In 2014, the musical returned to Moscow, but this time the Rossiya Theater became the rental platform, on the stage of which another Disney musical was played until mid-April -. The production opened on October 18, 2015. The premiere was attended by Anastasia Yatsenko (Belle), Pavel Levkin (The Beast), Andrey Konovalov (The Beast), Yevgeny Shirikov (Gaston), Anna Guchenkova (Mrs. Chayton), Alexander Oleksenko (Lefou), Konstantin Sokolov (Monsieur Mrak). The troupe of the musical also included many artists who took part in the 2008 production: these are Andrey Birin and Igor Portnoy, who again play Lumiere and Ding-Don, as well as Vladimir Yabchanik (Maurice), Alena Firger (Madame de la Comode), Victoria Kanatkina , Elena Balykova, Andrey Borisov, Galina Nikitina, Yulia Timoshenko, Alexander Bocharov. On February 12, Natalia Bystrova joined the cast, playing the role main character staged in 2008. The performance ran in Moscow until May 31, 2015.
The musical "Beauty and the Beast" became the eighth longest running musical in Broadway history. Creating the theatrical version of the cartoon "Beauty and the Beast", the authors very closely followed the original. Only once did they consider it possible to deviate from the script - when they transferred the story of the bewitched servants of the Beast to the stage. Instead of turning them into furniture immediately, as in the movie, the show's creators made them turn into furniture gradually as the enchanted rose withered.
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The play Beauty and the Beast is a famous fairy tale in a new format. But what is she talking about? Can a beauty fall in love with a beast? And how important is external beauty? All those who wish to order tickets to the theater will receive answers to all these questions.
It is easy to understand that the musical Beauty and the Beast was based on the famous fairy tale. It has existed since ancient times among a number of European peoples. Also, this work has been processed more than once by numerous professional writers. Over time, it has received many interesting and original interpretations in the cinema and on the theatrical drama stage. And in the twentieth century, the legendary magical story gained fame in this style. The musical production has been on Broadway for many years with resounding success. It has also been staged by many other theaters around the world. This creation attracts the attention of the public with the modernity of sound and the eternity of the subject. As we all know, this story is not just a fairy tale, but also a real anthem of love. She encourages kids to love each other not for external beauty but only for internal qualities. After all, sometimes the most beautiful person may turn out to be a terrible freak inside. And someone who can hardly be called attractive can have a clean and kind heart. This is something that should not be forgotten even for a minute.
The famous musical performance has also been successfully staged on the Russian stage for a long time. It enjoys stable popularity in our country, both among young and adult audiences. And this production is notable for the fact that, along with experienced professional actors, young students also take part in it. theater studio. She became a member of the famous festival and was awarded important professional awards.
At MDM, there is again a queue for the metal detector. Instead of the musical Mamma Mia!, closed in the spring, the Russian record holder in terms of popularity and profits, another blockbuster came out here - Beauty and the Beast. The first Disney musical produced after the resounding success of the 1991 cartoon of the same name. In turn, the first and only cartoon nominated for an Oscar in the main category " Best Picture” and recognized in America as a national treasure. The plot of "Beauty and the Beast" most people know just from this cartoon - Linda Woolverton wrote his script based on an old French fairy tale. Everyone else knows the plot from The Scarlet Flower - about how one girl, helping out her father, ended up in the monster's palace, Sergei Aksakov was told by the housekeeper in childhood. The difference is that from the very beginning our monster was a thin, vulnerable creature, under the mask of which a sensitive girl considered the prince. And the American monster is an animal, a real creature that managed to re-educate thanks to the efforts of a girl named Belle (she is played in turn by the star of Mamma Mia! Natalia Bystrova and the star of Nord-Ost Ekaterina Guseva). There is no more love here than pragmatism: the monster (played by Igor Ivanov in line with Dmitry Yankovsky) has no choice but to improve - a little more, and the monster will say goodbye to the hope of regaining his human appearance. And with him, the former servants of the prince will freeze in the images of household utensils. Therefore, they - a courtly candelabrum, a pedantic watch, a lady-teapot and a lady-chest of drawers - are in a hurry to bring the girl together with a boorish horned faun and soon become one team with her. With their help, Belle teaches the monster how to use a fork and knife, opens the world of books to the prince, whom they didn’t bother to teach to read, constantly demands that he stop being rude, and how a cheerleader rejoices at the victory of his team when the monster says “please” for the first time. Meanwhile, the village playboy plays with biceps and fake rolls, promising that Belle will be his at all costs.
What is really fabulous about this musical is the scope and richness in its design. Painted village views and mobile, mysteriously illuminated designs of palace interiors replace each other with fabulous speed. Costumes, makeup, wigs, Belle's vaunted dress for the finale (weighing sixteen kilos). Fireworks, silver rain showering stalls in the finale, cutlery cabaret. A live orchestra playing the music of Alan Menken, excellent sound - all this is incredibly sound by theatrical standards. Although the musical, strictly speaking, is not a theater at all. But even by the standards of a Broadway musical, which Moscow at the very least knows about, Beauty and the Beast looks fabulously expensive. Only the plot itself is not a romantic love story, as the producers position the musical, attracting an adult audience to it, and not fairy tale as we understand it. This is a morality set on a grand scale for children and unmarried girls - about the educational, civilizational role of a woman.
Since October 18, magic has returned to Moscow on a regular basis. The world-famous musical "Beauty and the Beast" will open the doors of the theater "Russia" to everyone. This year is the jubilee for the performance, the brainchild of the composer Alan Menken is already 20 years old. the site went backstage, plunged into the fabulous atmosphere of the show and found out why Lumiere has such pumped up arms, how Gaston conquers the audience and who this time is hiding under the mask of the Beast.
Disney's immortal masterpieces are associated with scale, beauty, style, taste, humor and, of course, good mood. Animation businessmen know how to make viewers happy to spend money. Whether it's the premiere of a new cartoon or a musical based on an absolute hit. Beauty and the Beast is a time-tested brand that never ceases to win new fans. This musical performance was created based on the 1991 cartoon of the same name. The plot is naive, but the charm is just in its simplicity.
Dreamy beauty Belle, who many consider strange because of her love of books, while trying to find her father, ends up in a huge and beautiful castle. The only inhabitants are a talking chandelier, a teapot, a clock, plates, a cupboard and other home stuff. Their master - a terrible Beast - is actually an enchanted Prince, punished by a sorceress for his arrogance. If the young girl can fall in love with the beast before the last petal falls from the magical rose, the spell will break. If not, then all the inhabitants of the castle will disappear forever...
The musical premiered on Broadway on April 18, 1994. There it was given for 13 years and was nominated 9 times for the prestigious Tony Award. Music familiar to everyone since childhood was written by an 8-time Oscar winner American composer Alan Menken, music composer animated films"The Little Mermaid", "Pocahontas", "Aladdin", "Rapunzel", etc. For the first time in Russian, the musical sounded in 2008 on the stage of the Moscow Palace of Youth. For 2 seasons, over 600 performances were played, they were watched by more than 700 thousand people.
“During the first release of Beauty and the Beast in 2008, we regularly received letters of rave reviews from viewers and their sincere gratitude. But we could not even imagine how upset they would be when they learned about the end of the performances in the summer of 2010! All these years, the audience persistently asked to return the musical, and we decided to make a gift to those who love this beautiful production, and those who are not yet familiar with it, on the anniversary year for Beauty and the Beast, ”Dmitry Bogachev, producer, shared with the site. musical and head of Stage Entertainment.
This year, the musical not only moved to another stage - to the Rossiya Theater, the directors and almost the entire cast changed. In past seasons, Ekaterina Guseva, Viktor Dobronravov, Philip Kirkorov as a guest star and Natalia Bystrova shone in the main roles. By the way, Natalia is one of the few who will soon return to the musical. On October 7 this year, the actress gave birth to a son, Elisha. Of the "veterans" in the project, two actors remained in their places. Andrey Birin was remembered by the audience in the role of the charming candelabra Lumiere. Having learned about the return of the musical, the actor did not doubt for a second and with great joy agreed to re-play one of his favorite roles.
“This performance is the best that took place on the Moscow stage. "Beauty and the Beast" is a wonderful, sincere, honest, beautiful and magical musical, I just couldn't refuse! And most importantly, I did not want to give my Lumiere to anyone! Who knows better than me what to do and how to do it! Moreover, it is very interesting to approach the musical after 6 years - I have changed during this time, matured, there is already less valiant dope in my head. Together with me, my character has changed: Lumiere is no longer so frivolous, he takes everything that happens in the castle more seriously, ”Andrei Birin told the site.
The second "long-liver" of the musical is actor Igor Portnoy. The artist also decided not to give his character Dindon's majordomo, who was turned into a watch by a sorceress, to anyone, and, having outperformed thousands of competitors at the casting, he again proved that he best performer this role.
New venue for the musical "Beauty and the Beast" - the theater "Russia" on Pushkin Square(The former Pushkinsky cinema, - note .. A more compact stage allows the actors to run less, which, given the by no means light costumes, simplifies life. Andrey Birin, for example, each candlestick with a built-in gas burner on only one arm weighs about 3, 5 kilos.
“I'm no stranger to it, it's not the first time I've played Lumiere. But this is probably the most difficult thing in my role - to show an incredibly light, charming, charming, optimistic and incendiary acting game, while performing arias and dancing. There are scenes where I have to stand long enough with my hands up. At such moments, one way helps me - I try to shift the load to other muscles. I slightly change the angle of inclination, I can lower one elbow, raise the other, while always making sure that the diagonal is even. Thus, I help the muscles work more or less in turn, and not constantly keep them in suspense, ”Andrei Birin revealed his secrets to the site.
The whole Lumiere costume weighs about 10 kilograms, only the famous golden dress Belle weighing 8 kilograms and Dindon's equally heavy outfit. And if the performers of the role of Beauty need to "live" on stage in this huge spectacular dress for about 15 minutes, then Igor Portnoy can get rid of Dindon's heavy costume only during the intermission. The rest of the time, the actor plays easily and provocatively, sings and dances on stage, or waits for his exit backstage with Anna Guchenkova, who plays the role of Mrs. Chayton. The artists even have their own seating area.
“Chairs have been prepared especially for us behind the scenes. Anya is always carefully put a chair under her immense dress, while I carefully climb onto mine next to her..
The star of the musicals "The Little Mermaid" and MAMMA MIA will play the main roles of Belle and the Beast in the new production! Anastasia Yatsenko and Chekhov Moscow Art Theater actor Pavel Levkin. Before starting rehearsals, the artists traveled to France. AT musical theater"Mogador" in Paris, at the final performance of the musical "Beauty and the Beast", the French colleagues passed on a kind of baton to our artists.
“At the end of the performance, we were called to the stage and presented with a rose, the symbol of the musical. The French performer of the role of the Beast, Yoni Amar, said that even though today is the final performance, the story of Beauty and the Beast does not end there, now the fairy tale of love will sound in Russian. The audience greeted our performance with a standing ovation - to be honest, it was all like a dream. This production has an incredibly positive energy. And, of course, we visited the famous castle of the Beast, walked with Nastya (Anastasia Yatsenko, - note .. The castle itself is like a time machine. Despite the fact that there are many tourists, you seem to be in another space, in another world " - recalls Pavel Levkin.
The prototype of the Beast's castle is the old French estate of Villandry in the Loire Valley. Disney artists have been looking for desired architecture where the plot of the story could be placed. Later, the masters of the European production of "Beauty and the Beast" were inspired by the interiors of the castle when working on the scenery. Anastasia Yatsenko quickly found Belle's bedroom, in the corner of which she discovered the same Madame de la Comode - the bewitched maid. In another part of the castle - a luxurious dining room.
Returning to Moscow, the actors began daily 8-hour rehearsals. The performer of the role of Belle has long been living in such a busy schedule - before that, the artist played Ariel in the musical "The Little Mermaid", where she had to sing the most difficult vocal parts and soar above the stage at a height of 9 meters at the same time.
“Here, although I walk on the ground, the material itself is vocally more difficult than in The Little Mermaid. Emotionally, the musical is very rich: it's not just a fairy tale, there is a place for real adult emotions and experiences. The love story of Belle and the Beast begins almost immediately: at first my heroine hates, despises, resents, then begins to recognize the owner of the castle from the other side and falls in love with her heart,” Anastasia Yatsenko told the site.