Kyra Belle Johnson, is the real life Belle! She is starring in the new Broadway revival of Disney's classic "Beauty and the Beast" at the Orpheum Theatre.
Yes - her middle name is Belle. Same name as that iconic Disney character that charmed audiences during the original run of the musical which appeared on the Minneapolis stage after the Broadway show launched a national tour in 1995.
It's back, reimagined and all new. That original show became a worldwide phenomenon, seen by over 30 million people. The new show launched on Tuesday night in downtown Minneapolis and runs through Aug. 17.
The production is nothing short of staggering, with incredible costuming, magical transformations, and lighting and sets that will transport you to this - originally - animated story. Musical numbers, such as Gaston's tavern set piece, and the ultimate Disney fan favorite, "Be My Guest," drew roars of approval from the crowd the first two nights.
Johnson, who spoke to the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar, talked about how to make such an iconic role her own and much more.
Sawkar: Belle, you have got to be kidding me. It's like you're destined to do this role, I guess?
Johnson: Isn't that funny? I guess, I don't know. That was just a name that has always been my name. My legal middle name is different, but when I was about two weeks old, my mom found out and my dad found out that we were related to Alexander Graham Bell on my dad's side. And my mom was like, well, Belle is so beautiful, I want that to be her middle name. But we just never went into court to like change it all because that takes forever. But my whole life I have been Kyra Belle Johnson, so that's me.
Sawkar: What is it like for you to play a role that we know so well, that kids know so well and identify with? And here you are on stage bringing it to life?
Johnson: It's really amazing. I mean, I identified with her as a kid. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite animated films growing up. It's so good. The music is so beautiful. The characters, I always forget how funny this story is. I go back and watch the animated film and I'm like cackling. It's hysterical, but also so endearing and so warm and lovely.
So it's quite surreal - every night I just breathe and kind of pinch myself that I'm on stage and getting to sing these songs that I've listened to my whole life. And play these scenes that are still written by Linda Wolverton who did the animated film and did the Broadway musical. So we're doing these iconic scenes and iconic songs and I'm just having so much fun every single time.
Sawkar: I can tell by the look on your face that you are just loving playing this, and the listeners have been texting me already saying how much they loved it. Tell me about this specific production because people have seen it on stage, in other theaters, what are you all doing that's really making it stand out at the Orpheum?
Johnson: Yeah, so like I said, Linda Wolverton has been a part of this production as well as Matt West and a lot of the original creators of the animated film and the original Broadway musical. And they've come together to do some rewrites on the show, so there's some new little scenes in there. And they've changed some of the names around and some of the storylines just to condense and really streamline the story.
But also the costumes are all new. The sets are all new.
Sawkar: Wait, we still have the yellow dress, right?
Johnson: We still have the yellow dress.
Sawkar: Please never change that. That has to still be there.
Johnson: Just like the design has just been kind of, like saturated and brought forward and modernized, so it's very clean. It's very pristine, it's very beautiful, the sets are incredible, the lighting, oh my goodness, the sound design, we just have a great technical background that brings this story that everybody loves and knows to life. It really felt like when we got into tech and got to put on the costumes and stand next to each other and look at everything together, I like to say that there was always like an outline and we were in the outline and then getting into tech like filled it all the way to the edges. And it just brought that Disney magic all the way forward and helped us tell this tale as old as time. It's so grand and like ethereal and large and I think all of the tech elements really helped bring that forward.
Sawkar: Is it challenging for you, as someone who is playing this role that everybody knows, to bring your own element to it? Or do you sort of mimic what you've seen or how do you balance that?
Johnson: It's a good question. There's definitely, I think there could be pressure. I choose to not focus on it because that's not helpful to me. I honestly just really identify with her and I respect and love this character. There's so many aspects about her that I hope to be like. She's so kind, she's so forgiving and really looks past the first glance of somebody, and gives them a second chance. Because she - with the Beast specifically - sees that he's hurting and wants to keep that door open for him, and give kindness. So I admire that about her and just want to emulate that. And I find that to be close to me as a human as well, so I don't feel a pressure about it. I just try to be real. I try to be a human being and breathe and look people in the eyes and interact because Belle is a real person.
That's what I love about this story too is I think the reason why everybody loves this story so much is because we all have a Cogsworth in our life and we all have a Mrs. Potts, we all have a Gaston. So there's somebody that we see in the story that we have in our own life and we love and that's why everybody keeps coming back to it 30 years later.
"Beauty and the Beast" - now through August 17
Showtimes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 9th and Hennepin, downtown Minneapolis.
Tickets: $51-$268 and are available here.