“Beauty and the Beast” is getting ready to hit theaters next weekend, and one of the stars of the movie, Audra McDonald, was in South Florida on Thursday. Deco’s own beast, Chris Van Vliet caught up with her.
“Beauty and the Beast” is right up there as one of the best Disney movies of all time. And now, 26 years after the animated flick wowed us all — and had us singing along to those songs — it’s back as a live-action film.
Ewan McGregor (as Lumière): “Look at her. What if she is the one? The one to break the spell.”
Sure, it’s a tale as old as time, but you’ve never seen “Beauty and the Beast” like this.
Emma Watson (as Belle): “Come into the light.”
The animated Disney classic comes to life! Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald stars in the film as Madame Garderobe.
Audra McDonald (as Madame Garderobe): “I will find you something worthy of a princess.”
We caught up with Audra in Miami on Thursday, and since my French isn’t so great, I’ll let her tell you her character’s name.
Audra McDonald: “Madame de la Grande Bouche.”
Audra tells us why now is the right time for a new “Beauty and the Beast.”
Audra McDonald: “The 1991 is absolutely perfect and this is, now that there’s this technology, that you can actually make a live-action film [like this] whereas years ago you couldn’t.”
Audra spends most of the movie as the wardrobe, but at the start of the film, we see her in the flesh doing what she does best.
Audra McDonald (singing as Madame Garderobe): “Oh how divine, land of music and magic combine.”
Audra McDonald: “She’s someone who has worked and lived in the castle, and then the spell falls and now she’s a wardrobe, except she still maintains a bit of her character beforehand.”
Everything you love about the original film is here.
Luke Evans (as Gaston, looking into mirror): “You are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. Nobody deserves you.”
But there are some changes, including new songs and new characters.
Audra McDonald: “There’s a little more backstory with the characters. We learn a little bit more about Belle, why she and her dad left Paris.”
And, she tells us, the movie is an emotional experience. At least it was for her.
Audra McDonald: “I kind of broke down and cried the first time I saw it. I saw it a couple of weeks ago at the premiere in London, and I was so blown away.”
Ewan McGregor (as Lumière): “If she is the one to break the spell, you must finally learn to love.”
Presale tickets for “Beauty and the Beast” are in beast mode! Right now the movie is projected to make around $120 million next weekend, which would be the biggest opening of the year so far.
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