NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� first saw the stage musical 鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� pretty late, as a freshman in college. got to know it much earlier 鈥� in sixth grade she played a sugar cube in a middle school production.
Years later, they've been picked to lead the first North American tour of the musical presented by Disney in over 25 years, which gets underway this summer.
Philippe, playing the Beast, and Johnson, portraying the young woman who transforms the morose creature with the power of her love, are looking forward to seeing audiences of kids about to have their first live theater experience and parents who remember their own 鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� memories.
鈥淒isney stories are all in our DNA, whether we know it or not. They are part of the American experience. And I think that one thing that鈥檚 going to be really exciting is the multigenerational experience of this,鈥� says Philippe.
The tour will launch in Schenectady, New York, in June with an official opening in Chicago in July. Philippe and Johnson have signed up for 13 months.
Based on the 1991 animated film, 鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� tells the story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell, who has to remain a Beast unless he can learn to love and be loved.
The show features catchy songs written by composer Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, including 鈥淏e Our Guest鈥� and 鈥淕aston.鈥� The witty dialogue is by Linda Woolverton. 鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� was the first animated movie to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture.
鈥淪omething that really stands out to me in this story that I think is timeless is the idea of walking into any room with preconceived notions based on the way someone looks,鈥� Johnson says.
鈥淎nd allowing yourself to be open, and learn new things, and forgive and give second chances and finding love in spaces that you maybe wouldn鈥檛 have expected to.鈥�
Johnson, born and raised in Los Angeles, was bitten early by the theater bug. 鈥淢y mom says that I was singing in the crib,鈥� she says. She was 7 when she saw a production of 鈥淥liver!鈥� and it changed her life.
鈥淭here were a bunch of kids on stage and I was like, 鈥業 can do that?鈥� And my mom was like, 鈥榊eah, if you want to.鈥� And I was like, 鈥業 want to,鈥欌�� she says. "It hit me hard and it never let go."
She soon took a flurry of classes, did shows in school and theater camp in summer. At just 18, she led the 2015 Broadway national tour of 鈥淢amma Mia!鈥� as Sophie and then earned a bachelor's degree in musical theater from Texas State University.
鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� was the third musical she ever did after 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a Good Man, Charlie Brown鈥� and 鈥淛oseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.鈥� She recalls being 11 and one of her roles required high kicks while in a box made to resemble a sugar cube during 鈥淏e Our Guest.鈥�
鈥淚 grew up watching this movie. Belle was always one of my favorites. She had the best songs. The men wanted her. The girls were jealous of her. Belle had it all," she says. "I love this show. I always have.鈥�
Philippe, a baritone born in New York and raised in Miami, came to musical theater from a love of puppetry, particularly and 鈥淪esame Street.鈥�
鈥淚 was amazed by the colors and the textures of the puppets. And when I was a kid, I was gutting stuffed animals and trying to turn them into puppets,鈥� he says laughing.
His fascination for how puppets were controlled led to an interest in the stage and he graduated with a BFA from Elon University. He played Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in both the Broadway and touring productions of "Hamilton."
Philippe and Johnson first met at the final callbacks for the 鈥淏eauty and the Beast.鈥� They were paired up among several other candidates for the two lead roles. She knew he would get it.
鈥淲e were sitting in the room, and you just brought the Beast to life," she tells him. "You had such a nuance and a playfulness, and I just knew. I was like, 鈥楾his man is booking this role. He鈥檚 incredible.鈥欌��
Philippe was equally impressed, especially when they were asked to do a scene with her holding a book. Johnson didn't mime it with her hands or use any old book. She pulled out a beautifully bound, illustrated Charles Dickens volume from 1957, the kind of book she believed Belle would own and cherish.
鈥淪he was like, 鈥楽orry, I just I need this for myself to be able to get into it,鈥�" Philippe says. 鈥滻 love when actors know that thing that鈥檚 going to help them dive in. I have such immense respect for that."
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
