Prepare to “Be Our Guest” when the hit Broadway musical, Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” comes to Segerstrom Center September 22 through October 11. It’s the first North American touring production of the musical presented by Disney in over 25 years.
The musical is based on the popular 1991 Disney animated film, which earned critical acclaim and commercial success. It was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
“Beauty and the Beast” premiered on Broadway in 1994 and still ranks as one of the longest-running shows in the industry’s history. Nominated for nine Tony Awards, the show remains one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time. The musical tells the story of an unkind prince who has been magically transformed into an unsightly creature as punishment for his selfish ways. To revert to his true human form, the Beast must learn to love a bright, beautiful young lady, named Belle, whom he has imprisoned in his enchanted castle and earn her love in return before it is too late.
Orange County native Susan Egan, a graduate of Orange County’s School of the Arts and recently named a Disney Legend at the D23 convention, originated the role of Belle on Broadway and in the subsequent Los Angeles production.
In “Beauty and the Beast,” several servants of the beast are transforming into various objects. Lumière, a maître d’ is turned into a candelabra, while Cogsworth, the head of the household, is turned into a clock.
Javier Ignacio plays Cogsworth in the Segerstrom Center production. He has been with the tour since it launched a year ago and will continue with it as it travels to additional cities in 2027.
“This is the first Disney-produced ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in 25 years,” stated Ignacio. “Disney really takes beautiful care of this material, which has been a part of the American culture. I saw the film version in 1991 as a kid with my grandma in Venezuela, in Spanish. I then moved to the United States. I grew up in Wichita, Kansas, and when I was in high school, I saw a touring production of the show come through, and I fell in love with the magic of it all, the spectacle of it all. I was just starting to realize that this was a possibility for a life in theater, a future career choice. I feel so incredibly blessed to get to take that around the country now and share it with people who may become future theatergoers or performers. It’s really exciting.”
Ignacio noted that there is a generation of people his age that grew up with the film and that are now getting to share it with their young ones, and they revisit it with their parents and grandparents.
“It’s beautiful to see this sort of multi-generational element come into play—it’s something that can really only be done in live theater,” he said. “It’s a shared experience between the actors on stage and the audience getting to experience this with a live orchestra in front of you, with all of the bells and whistles that come with a Disney production. And I think people need an escape. I think people want to laugh and fall in love and be reminded of the beautiful themes that come with this production: not judging a book by its cover, and getting through something together despite our differences, which resonates because the house staff are all incredibly different characters, and they’re dealing with something so unimaginable—this crazy curse that’s been placed upon the castle, and somehow they’re able to come together and get through it and support each other through the hard times.”
As Cogsworth, Ignacio wears an ornate, bulky costume that adds to the challenges of performing live theater. The costume is restricting, he said, but it’s not as bad as it might seem.
“I feel very fortunate because this version of the show is different from what you saw in 1994. They have learned a lot in the many years of doing this show, and they try to protect their actors. The costume is made out of thick foam, but it’s not heavy. Wearing it for long periods of time inhibits my ability to relax my back or sit backstage. I have to have people get me out of the costume it in order to find moments to sit down.”
Ignacio’s costume is more manageable than that of actor Danny Gardner, who plays Lumière. According to Ignacio, Gardner has what is described as handle sticks that he’s holding that light up with real fire, and each of those weighs about eight pounds.
“He is carrying those weights for the majority of the show, and then having to tap dance and all of that, so I can’t complain too much about Cogsworth. But how lucky are we that we get to live in these incredibly written characters that are so loved and so iconic and celebrated? I always remember that this is something I only dreamed of doing as a kid, and now I’m actually getting to do it.”
Another reason Ignacio feels grateful for his role in” Beauty and the Beast” is when he meets audience members at the stage door after a show.
“It’s beautiful to see the young faces who maybe have not ever been to a stage door before. Either the kids will say this is my first show, or the parents will say this is their first time at the theater, which is beautiful to think about. This is the future, our future theatergoers and theater makers. Parents tell me ‘I did not expect to have such a great time. I did not expect to laugh and cry as much as I did’ because the show is so funny. This show is an experience for everyone. That’s what Disney does best. It’s an experience that’s enjoyable for the entire family.”
For more information on “Beauty and the Beast,” visit beautyandthebeastthemusical.com.
For tickets to “Beauty and the Beast” at Segerstrom Center, visit www.SCFTA.org.
