October 10, 2019
There’s crazy excitement for the casting announcement of Paramount’s Beauty and the Beast, this season’s family holiday extravaganza! Here’s the scoop!
The ensemble playing everything from townspeople to wolves to enchanted shape-shifting singing and dancing triple threats are: Brian Bandura, Danielle Davila, Billy Dawson, Evan C. Dolan, Timothy P. Foszcz, Chrisopher John Kelley, Taylor Lane, Ashley Lanyon, Bernell Lassai III, Ivory Leonard IV, Jenna Napolitano, Nich O’Neill, Sara Reinecke, Elizabeth Romero, Aalon Smith, Darian Tene, Katherine Viviano, and Charles Emery Ward.
Mrs. Potts (The Teapot) is played by Jennie Sophia and her little one, Chip, are young actors Aaliyah Montana and Izzie Rose doubling in the role of the little teacup.
Others in the palace household under the magic spell are: Katherine Lee Bourné as Babette (the saucy and playful feather-duster), Jackson Evans as Lumiere (the debonair and steadfast candlestick) George Keating as Cogsworth (the tightly-wound mantle clock) and Becca McCoy as Madame de la Grande Bouche (opera diva turned wardrobe)!
there’s crazy excitement for the casting announcement of Paramount’s Beauty and the Beast, this season’s family holiday extravaganza!
The vain, macho manipulator, Gaston, is baritone Emmett O’Hanlon and Nick Druzbanski is his sidekick, Lefou. The great Ron E. Rains (our Herr Schultz in Cabaret and Franz Liebkind in The Producers) returns as Maurice, the loving, eccentric inventor and father to Belle, the Beauty of our story.
Which brings us to our stunningly gifted leading lady, Beth Stafford Laird as Belle. Making her Paramount debut, Beth has graced the stages of theaters nationwide in tours of Anastasia, Newsies, and Ghost and internationally in Beauty and the Beast. Her co-star as the Beast is Paramount favorite, Paul-Jordan Jansen, who won hearts as the Cowardly Lion in last season’s The Wizard of Oz and wowed audiences with his Jeff Award winning portrayal of the title role in Paramount’s Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Busy day ahead! Onward!
Love & thanks,
Jim
