Town Theatre invites you to be their guest at ‘Beauty and the Beast’

After an almost 10-year absence, Town Theatre brings this “tale as old as time” back to the stage through July 29.

“Beauty and the Beast” staring Emily Moore and Courtney Reasoner as Belle and Josh Finch and Jeremy Reasoner as the Beast, is a heartwarming tale wrapped in melodious tunes and spectacle.

We sat down with Reasoner recently and talked with him about his beastly role in the show.

Q. Did you have a favorite Disney movie growing up?

A.I don’t think I can say I had a favorite Disney movie growing up, cause I just truly enjoyed them all — especially considering that Disney has always encompassed a wide variety of films from live action to animated. And I definitely went through phases where different movies were my favorite. Probably the earliest I remember might have been The Great Mouse Detective. I remember really liking that movie in my early years. If I were to answer right now, my favorite animated Disney film would be The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Q. How many times did you have to watch “Beauty and the Beast” to feel like you’d nailed the part of Beast?

A.I honestly am a little bit embarrassed to admit that I have not gone back and watched the film since being cast as the Beast. I feel like I had a pretty good grasp on the character from the film just because it was such an important part of my childhood, so I remember a lot. I also wanted my performance to be true to myself as an actor so I didn’t want to have too much outside influence. It’s definitely the same character from the film, but my Beast is going to be slightly different from both the animated film, the live action film, and even different from other actors playing the role in the stage adaptation. That’s one of the joys of live theatre.

Q. What is your favorite attribute of the Beast?

A. Beast is pretty complex as characters go. He’s living with the consequences of his actions as a young prince, so that really plays into how he views his surroundings. Needless to say his world is shattered when Belle offers herself as a prisoner to release her father. Never has he seen such a selfless act and it really has an affect on him. And once Belle is in his life you start to see her affect on him. Even though Belle is the main character in this story, his character arc and story of redemption is one of my favorite parts of this story.

Q. What is the hardest part about playing Beast?

A. The physicality of a role is always a difficult aspect of portraying a character. I’ve done roles in the past that were physically demanding, but this one has definitely had its difficulties. Trying to find a posture that is both imposing and animalistic at the same time. Hunching and crouching work well for being beastly (which is often a challenge when you’re 6’ 1’’), but he also has to have a towering presence. It’s taken lots of work. The gruffness of his voice has also been a challenge. Finding something, again that sounds imposing and animalistic, while still protecting the voice for singing. Again, not an easy task.

Q. What is your favorite scene in the show?

A. There’s a moment in Act II, during the song “Something There” where Beast experiences kindness for the first time. It’s his first moment of hope. It’s the moment where his focus shifts from himself to her, and that’s a huge step for him.

Q. How does the transformation scene work in this show?

A. You know, I’m gonna have to leave that as a surprise. Consider incentive to come see our production. All I’ll say is that it involves lights, flight, and seven to eight backflips.

Q. How to do they make the characters such as Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, and Cogsworth come to life on the stage?

A.There is nothing like pretty costumes, strong acting, and good old fashioned imagination. Everyone has put a lot of thought into how their character is perceived through accents and body language.

Q. Who has a hand in making your hair and makeup look so ... beastly?

A. I actually do my own makeup for the show. Which has been a big challenge because my artistic and creative nature does not encompass visual art. But it’s been a learning experience and I’m pretty proud of how it’s turned out. As far as the look itself, you’ll have to see it for yourself.

McKayla Jacobs, Special to GoColumbia