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00:00:08
Speaker 1: I'm so excited to add another Disney villain to my Behind the Magic podcast. Joining me, of course, via Zoom from the Beauty and the Beast tour is Stephen Mark Lucas, who plays Gaston. You may have seen Stephen on Broadway. He was in Funny Girl, or maybe you saw him in the Book of Mormon. But I am so excited to have you with me to celebrate our Disney villains.
00:00:32
Speaker 2: Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. You know, Disney villains are the best. It's so much fun to play one. I feel like that's what I've been, you know, wanting to do my whole life. So it's really, it's really a blast.
00:00:45
Speaker 1: I'm so excited that you guys are finally getting like a Disney villains land in Walt Disney World. Like finally, my Maleficent is finally being heard. Yes.
00:00:55
Speaker 2: Yeah. No, I know. It's amazing. It looks incredible too. I saw the stuff at D23. It looked, it looked amazing. So. Justice for the villains.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: Exactly. I feel like all the Disney villains are just misunderstood. I mean, cause they're not really evil. They're just misunderstood. Yeah.
00:01:11
Speaker 2: Yeah, exactly. Especially Gaston. I think, I think he gets a, he gets a bad rap, but.
00:01:17
Speaker 1: He does. Is it true though that Beauty and the Beast was actually the first Broadway show that you ever saw and the first movie that you ever saw in theaters? Yes.
00:01:26
Speaker 2: So when I was, Oh God, three or four years old, my parents took me to the drive-in movie theater. in the town we grew up in, and we saw Beauty and the Beast on the big screen. It was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. And then, you know, my parents started taking us to New York, maybe three or four years later, every year to see Broadway shows. And one of the first Broadway shows I saw was Beauty and the Beast at the Palace Theater. And so it's always been a story that was a part of kind of the DNA of how I got into this business. And, and You know, just falling in love with movies and falling in love with musicals and falling in love with Disney. You know, it really was sort of the beginning. So to get to do the show now at this point in my life is such an incredible, just such an incredible honor.
00:02:15
Speaker 1: Do you actually remember the moment where you said, you know what, this is what I want to do with my life?
00:02:21
Speaker 2: That kind of came later. That kind of came when I was in high school. Because, you know, I remember being a kid and seeing these great big Broadway shows, Beauty and the Beast. I saw Showboat that same trip. It was 1995, I think, the Hal Prince revival of Showboat. And I remember thinking like, oh, this is a world that I could live in, you know, but as a consumer. and being an actor to me, it was like, you might as well say like be an astronaut or something. Like, it just felt like this thing that was like so far away. It was, you know, a kid growing up in Maine. Um, it just felt like this thing that just felt so far away. And then when I got into high school and started taking voice lessons and started doing theater, um, I, that was the point where I was like, Oh, I think I could do this. Like, I think I could go to college for this and learn how to do it and, and really get into it. Um, But yeah, but there comes a point where you're like, oh, it's a job and you have to train for it and you have to prepare for it. And you sort of learn everything that goes into it and it becomes a profession instead of just this thing that you love to do.
00:03:27
Speaker 1: And this isn't actually your first time playing Gaston. You were in a different version of Beauty and the Beast, right? And this is a little bit different because this Gaston is a little more reimagined. So tell me about that.
00:03:39
Speaker 2: Well, one of the goals of this production really was to take the original, honor it, do the show that everybody knows and loves, but also find kind of a deeper way into these characters. and surprise audiences, too, by making it sort of fresh and a little bit more contemporary. And so, yeah, Gaston in this version is the same character we all know and love. But, you know, Linda Wolverton, who's our incredible book writer and wrote the original animated feature as well, has found little moments to sort of expand the world of these characters and And kind of deepen the relationships. You know, there's a new scene that is brand new in this production for me and LeFou before I proposed to Belle in the song Me. And so that's been really fun. And for me, it's like it's like a little slice of life between the two of them. And you sort of get a window into like how every day goes for these two characters, which is like Gaston has this plan and then LeFou kind of. messes it up and then he has to yell at him and then they, they, they sort of freak out together and then, you know, have to sort of improv a way out of it. And, and, um, I know that scene for me is like, it's, it's like taking the, the original, uh, film and then just sort of like getting a deeper window into these characters. So that's really fun. Also the number Gaston, the, uh, the great big dance number we have in our show, uh, Which is much expanded from the original Broadway version, if you've seen that.
00:05:08
Speaker 1: Yes.
00:05:08
Speaker 2: All the mug clinking and everything like that. But we've added all these tricks. They call them the feats of wonder. So I'm shooting arrows and shooting bottles and doing cartwheels off of the bar. And it has become this, I think the whole sequence is like 11 minutes between the number and the reprise. So you really get to see. a lot more of that world. And I think it's just really fun for people, you know, to see something they already know and already love and then get sort of a little bit of a deeper window into it.
00:05:39
Speaker 1: And there's a lot of humor in that musical number, Gaston, right? So how long does it take? Like you
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said, it's like 11 minutes or whatever. How long does it take to rehearse a number like that and get it perfect, get it right?
00:05:52
Speaker 2: Gaston. So the number Gaston, we started, we had four weeks in the studio, I think in New York before we left to tech the show. And one of those weeks was doing Gaston from 10 AM to 6 PM for a good like four or five days, we were just doing Gaston. And then we actually took a break and then we didn't put the mugs in because we have these heavy pewter drinking mugs that we have to clink each other with and everything. And we actually didn't put those in until the next week. So it was like, Overall, a good solid week of eight-hour days just to put that number up. And the same with Be Our Guest. Be Our Guest, of course, is the other humongous production number in Act One. And that number, too, took a long time. So it takes a long time to get these numbers up and to get them right. But it's so worth it. The payoff every night from doing that number is just... It's amazing. I love doing it. It's one of those things where, as a theater kid, we all got into this because... you get on stage and you feel that other thing take over where you're like, Oh, this isn't me. This is just like, this is, you know, I love to do this so much that this other thing kind of takes over. And, um, and that's, yeah, that's how it is doing that number every night. And, and, you know, hopefully the audience loves it. And, um, yeah, it's just a blast.
00:07:10
Speaker 1: And LeFou is your sidekick. You know, we all know that. How cool is it having a little sidekick?
00:07:15
Speaker 2: Oh, I love it.
00:07:17
Speaker 1: I love it.
00:07:17
Speaker 2: Whenever I drop a prop, you know, so much of my show is like all these little props. And if I drop something, I don't even have to worry about it because he'll like scurry around and pick it up for me. No, it's great. And Harry Francis plays LeFou. He's absolutely brilliant in the role. I think he's done something really special with it. He's an incredible West End actor. And he he just his physical comedy is so specific and so on point. And it's just it's so much fun to do it with him. We have a really good time.
00:07:50
Speaker 1: Yeah. I would think at this point, like you guys can like finish each other's sentences. Totally. Right. Like and just know like. if something happens, something goes wrong, you got each other's backs and you can just help each other out.
00:08:04
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And we, you know, we, there's a lot of trust in that relationship because our show is, our show is kind of, we're kind of in our own show. You know, the enchanted objects in the castle have their own sort of play going on. And then we have another thing going on in the village and, And it's really just us and then Bell for a little bit. And then we have our number and then we go away for an hour and then we come back for the mob song and then everything kind of comes together at the end. But for most of the show, it's he and I on stage. And also our show, because of the nature of the characters, was built very much outside in. So it's a lot of movement and it's a lot of physical comedy. And it's a lot of, like I said, you know, certain props have to go in certain places and And as Gaston, like the minute you fumble for something, you're not really in the character anymore. Like everything has to be like really clean and crisp and confident. And what's hard about playing a part like this is you have to kind of be confident before you, before you're able to, like before you really get in your body and rehearsals, like you still have to like play that confidence that I know what I'm doing. So having him there to just sort of every step of the way, like we've just been a team and it's, it's been really, really it's been great.
00:09:20
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:09:20
Speaker 2: He's amazing.
00:09:21
Speaker 1: Now, how do you make Gaston funny without losing that Gaston edge? Yeah.
00:09:27
Speaker 2: Yeah. That's a good question because it's always kind of treading that line right between like being like a total goofball and being absurd and really being menacing and realizing there is danger to this person. And I think it's kind of flip sides of the same coin in a way, which is that what makes him funny, I think the comedy doesn't come, he's not like a comedian in that sense, but what makes him funny is his unearned confidence, right? That he is, you know, I always think comedy is always opposites, right? Like you're, you're a big person, but you have no power or you're, you know, like Will Ferrell and Elf or something where you're like, you know, you're like too big for your surroundings. And so for Gaston, it's the fact that he has this huge ego, but he's not very bright. So it's that kind of, you know what I mean? It's, it's, it's, it's like the unearned confidence of, um, having this huge ego and being totally confident in everything you do. And then also not really understanding what's going on some of the time. Um, And, and just being, having his ego be so big that, that he's sort of unable to see like Bell doesn't really want to marry him. Um, but it's also, you know, so I think it's, it's the unearned confidence of the character is what makes him funny. And it's also, it makes him sort of dangerous at the end, right? That he, that his ego is so massive that when he's rejected by Bell, he becomes quite dangerous. So I think, you know, we've found Matt West, who's our director, who's our incredible director. and knows the show so well, he choreographed the original Broadway production, you know, has really helped me find moments of where we see the mask kind of slip, you know, where he's putting on this sort of charming air that everybody in town knows and has fallen in love with him because of his external, you know, how he's able to present. But underneath there really is that, that menace. And so it's fun. It's fun to
find little moments for that to kind of creep through, you know, while he's projecting this big, confident, you know, charming air.
00:11:25
Speaker 1: And he's so larger than life, like this character. So is it hard to do that every night or every day just to get that out there and be that over the top? Yeah.
00:11:35
Speaker 2: I mean, I don't, I try not to think of it as over the top. I try to think of it, you know, what's so great about this role is the way that it's written. I mean, you know, Howard Ashman and Linda Wolverton wrote this character and it's all kind of there in the songs and in the text and And, you know, like he has a bad day because Belle rejects him. And then the whole town has to come together to do an 11 minute dance number to prop him up. You know what I mean? So it's like there's so much in the writing that is kind of big and broad and over the top. And there's also a lot of specificity, too. So as an actor, I kind of have to just trust that, you know, if I play the moments honestly and if I'm really if I really want what he says he wants, you know, and if I really, you you know, follow the motivations that are there in this hex that it'll kind of get me to the right place. Um, and it's, I mean, you said, is it, is it hard? I mean, it is a lot of energy. I'm not going to lie.
00:12:34
Speaker 1: And especially on a two show day, I can't even imagine. Yeah.
00:12:37
Speaker 2: I mean, it's, it's, but again, it's thrilling, right. To be able to really show up and, There's kind of nowhere to hide with this character because of who he is. I have to show up and really challenge myself to commit 110% every night. And if I can do that, it comes off really well. And just because of who he is, it's just he absolutely enjoys everything he does. you know, as, as a character. And so for me to get to sort of step into that every night, you know, if I'm tired or I'm having a bad night or I'm having a bad day, you know, to just sort of step into that level of commitment, um, just that always gets me where I need to go, you know?
00:13:19
Speaker 1: And do you actually have a favorite moment in the show that you love? I.
00:13:23
Speaker 2: It changes. It changes. I love the moment. There's a great moment, um, in act two where the beast lets Belle go and Fergie sings this beautiful little reprise of If I Can't Love Her. And, you know, Fergie is amazing. And it's always just so honest and so heartfelt. And you just feel the whole audience sort of like take this collective sigh of heartbreak. I love that moment. I mean, I'm not in it, you know, obviously, but I get to watch it from backstage. And that's one of my favorite moments. In terms of my show, you know, the the reprise of Gaston. So we've just done this amazing, you know, giant musical number. And then Harry and I sing our little reprise of Gaston, which is really, we talk about Disney villain, like that is like the moment he sort of tips over into becoming a Disney villain. And
they're sort of plotting and planning what they're going to do to Maurice. And that's really fun. I mean, it's just like, it doesn't get better than that. You know, the lyrics are so great. There's such cleverer Lyrics by Howard Ashman. It's just, you know, that's the moment for me where I'm like, oh, I get to really like become a Disney villain. And that's really, really fun.
00:14:32
Speaker 1: Yeah. What do you think it is like about Disney villains that make people love them so much?
00:14:37
Speaker 2: You know, that's a great question. I think it's kind of it's a level of enjoyment that they take in it. Right. Like there's a relish. There's like a glee there. that they have that's written into all of these characters, right? Where we're not just watching them be evil, we're watching them hatch these plans and also like really enjoy it. And I think that's what sort of sets a Disney villain apart. And I also think like they're all different and they all kind of have different motivations. And I think, you know, for Gaston, I think it's the fact that he is not necessarily evil, right? He is a guy, he's a narcissist. we've all met people like him, unfortunately. And, you know, and Linda Wolverton actually, you know, said to me early on in the rehearsal process that she based him on a real boyfriend that she had once.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, I didn't realize that. Yeah, yeah.
00:15:32
Speaker 2: And all of, I mean, all of these characters really are based on real people that she knew. And so, you know, there is a level of, I think, reality to him Yes, he's big and brash and a little bit over the top, but we see people like that all the time. You know what I mean? So there is like a level of reality to him that then when we watch him get rejected by Belle and that tips over into real menace and real danger, I think is really, really thrilling to watch. So yeah, yeah, it's a lot of fun.
00:16:06
Speaker 1: And other than Gaston, who, if you had to pick a favorite Disney villain, who would it be?
00:16:11
Speaker 2: Oh gosh. I gotta go with my girl Maleficent. Me too.
00:16:16
Speaker 1: She's my favorite. I love her.
00:16:17
Speaker 2: Yeah. I mean, talk about like, right. Like really enjoying being evil. Like she's just, she's the queen. Yes.
00:16:23
Speaker 1: She is the mistress of all evil, isn't she?
00:16:26
Speaker 2: Yes. Yeah.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: Yeah.
00:16:27
Speaker 2: I don't think you can do better than, than Maleficent. No.
00:16:30
Speaker 1: Now would you rather play the good guy or the villain?
00:16:34
Speaker 2: Early on in my career, I was taking a, uh, class with a casting director and I was auditioning for like all the young romantic leads at that time I was you know I was think I was like 23 or 24 she was like I don't think you're gonna play these parts I think you're gonna play villains I think you're gonna be like Javert and like all you know all these like villain roles and I was like that's like a really weird thing
to say and honestly I You know, I before doing Be the Beast, I was doing Funny Girl for a long time on Broadway and on tour. And Nick Arnstein is not really a villain, I don't think. But but a lot of people perceive him that way. You know, so so it's I think it's it's something I like to do for whatever reason. And and it's yeah, I mean, it's I think it's more fun to be the villain, honestly.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: I agree. Why do you think that people love to hate Gaston?
00:17:24
Speaker 2: I think it's the level of identification. I mean, I think it's like he's such a specific kind of guy and he's such a specific trope that we have in society. And again, like everybody has met a guest on Um, and it's really, yeah, it's really fun to watch him scheme and plan and also not be really bright enough to pull it off. I think that's one of the reasons, but I also think it's just, it's, it's, it's kind of cathartic because everybody has met somebody like this and, and, um, you know, he's also, he's also has good.
00:17:59
Speaker 1: Qualities, right?
00:18:00
Speaker 2: He's charming and he, you know what I mean? Like he, he, um, you know, everybody in the town loves him. And so I think it's that blend of like, you know, like, like real, like that ego. And then also like the menace that is just really, it's really fun for people, people, people to watch and participate in that.
00:18:18
Speaker 1: He's doing something right. Every other girl in town wants him except for Bell.
00:18:22
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:18:22
Speaker 1: Right.
00:18:24
Speaker 2: I know. And I think it's also, you know, it's the, it's the, I think part of it too, is the way it's such a beautifully written story, right? The, the interplay between him and the beast is, And to watch him, you know, sort of as the show goes on, he becomes less successful and he loses confidence. And the Beast, you know, becomes more human. And Gaston becomes more of the Beast. And so I think that that interplay between the two characters is really cathartic for people to watch. And to kind of watch Gaston get what he deserves at the end, you know, spoiler alert. And to watch the Beast, you know, which is this other– the Beast is this other– you know, model of masculinity that is more refined and more polished and kinder and like he wins out at the end. And so I think there's something in that dynamic too where you see these two sort of flip sides of the coin of what a man is supposed to be. And I think that is really, you know, it's fun for people to go on that journey, I think.
00:19:24
Speaker 1: And I heard you say in an interview that this version of Beauty and the Beast is something that the world really needs right now. What did you mean by that?
00:19:34
Speaker 2: You know, I think that on two levels, one is just coming to see a Disney show that everybody, most people know the story, you know, and it it brings people together and it it people everybody can enjoy it um and it takes you out of your day
for two and a half hours you know you feel a little bit better you know when you leave than when you came in i mean it's it's just really it like this I've never done a show where, where that was so pronounced, right. Where you just feel the energy in the room shift and people walk out of the door with a smile. But I also think that on a story level, you know, it's a story about two people who are really lonely at the beginning of the show. You know, the beast and bell are both really alone and really lonely and both wondering if they're ever going to be able to find home really. And then to watch, um, to watch their story unfold and to watch them find understanding in each other, um, is really like, that's, that's the story that the world needs. I think, you know, just that message of, of, um, finding commonality, you know, and, and finding the person that, you know, maybe at first glance you, you weren't a match with, and then, um, really being able to, to find a deeper connection. I think that, that is the story that kind of brings everybody together.
00:20:57
Speaker 1: And the story's been around for so many years, right? The movie, 35 years. And what is it that you think that still connects with people, that still brings the people back to see it on Broadway or see it on tours or watch the movie over and over again?
00:21:14
Speaker 2: You know, I think this story of all the Disney, you know, films and certainly the Disney on Broadway canon, you know, just has a special kind of magic. I mean, it starts off and is kind of like Gothic and a little bit creepy. And you hear that amazing theme, you know, at the beginning and it's like, oh, what's going to happen? There's a mysteriousness to it. And, you know, there's like the Beast's Castle is very dark and mysterious. And there's just this level of kind of mystery to it that I think is really wonderful. And then, of course, you have all these bright, big, sunny production numbers that You have the romance aspect to it. The comedy in it is so well-written. I mean, the jokes in it are just so crisp and clean and, and, you know, just kind of rattle off. And, you know, we've got like something for everybody, really. I mean, it's like the dancing in this production is phenomenal. You know, the, the, the Disney magic, you know, is really spectacular in this production and, And, you know, the love story too is so honestly portrayed. I think of all the times I've seen this show, like this production is so, you know, it's so human. And I think that that, you know, that's what keeps people coming back for more, I think. You know, it's hard to resist.
00:22:34
Speaker 1: Well, if you want to see this irresistible guest on, Stephen Mark Lucas on tour with Beauty and the Beast, you need to go to beautyandthebeastthemusical.com, beautyandthebeastthemusical.com. You can find the tour there. where it is in your area, and you can see everything that he's talking about and see this fantastic villain take the stage and do what he does. That's right.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: Yes, come see us. We're having a great time, so we'd love to share it with you.
00:22:59
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for being here. It is Behind the Magic, the official Disney on Broadway podcast. Steve and Mark Lucas, you're amazing, and I can't wait to come and see the show.
00:23:09
Speaker 2: Yes, come see us. Thank you so much. Thank you so much.