It’s a tale not quite literally as old as time, but one could ask just about anyone about Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and get a reminiscent smile in return.
The traditional fairytale from the pen of French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont may be better known these days for its 1991 cartoon adaptation, but noone could dispute the fact that it’s a story deeply ingrained in the hearts of a generation.
With this in mind, it came as no surprise that Manila instantly began buzzing when news broke that Ovation Productions would be bringing the stage adaptation of the classic to the Cultural Center of the Philippines. On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, Philippine Concerts got to sit down with some of the play’s principal cast for a chat with Hilary Maiberger (Belle), Darick Pead (Beast), James May (Cogsworth), Hassan Nazari-Robati (Lumiere), Adam Dietlein (Gaston), and Jordan Aragon (Lefou).
PHILIPPINE CONCERTS: We’re so excited to have you here in Manila! You must be a long way from home. How are you liking your visit so far?
HILARY:
We’re like a 16 hour flight away from home. It’s crazy but it’s exciting.
DARICK:
We’re basically from the opposite side of the world which is awesome, I love it. We saw the Pope pass by and we -well, I- experienced my first earthquake here!
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