A Cog In The Works OF Walt
Cogsworth and Me On The Road
Well, this month marks the 21st anniversary of the end of a wonderful run I had playing Cogsworth in the original cast of Disney’s highly successful BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 2000 National Tour and I thought I’d take the time to share some sweet memories with you. Several significant changes were made to the production prior to having its premiere at the TPAC in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and we were scheduled to play in several historical theaters—you know—the old, intimate houses of yore that held no more than 2,000 patrons—unlike the theatrical arenas that seat almost twice as many today. The enormity of the Broadway production limited the musical’s ability to travel its original scenic design as these theaters were unable to accommodate that production’s size and scope. So, the musical was re-designed—and at least in my opinion—much to its benefit. My memory of the Broadway production was being a bit distracted by its ornamentation. Producer Anthony McLean wisely planned for the new tour design to focus less on the enormity of the castle and more appropriately on the musical’s exquisite costumes. So, The BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 2000 TOUR was re-designed with a new castle and a series of exquisite forced perspective backdrops by scenic designer, Stanley A. Meyer—stunningly lit by Natasha Katz. At last, Ann Hould-Ward’s Tony Award winning costumes were brought squarely into focus and the humanity and heart resting underneath all of the frippery became beautifully apparent as we witnessed time and again by the loving receptions we received all throughout the country.
There was indeed power in the Magic of Disney’s spell. Through that first year we played several glibly sophisticated cities cross country. But, the experience of playing those vaudeville houses in the country’s hungry for theatre heartland still moves me to this day.
Our wonderful cast was a well seasoned one. I, on the other hand, was as fresh as a Pollyanna. I’m a nut for theatre history and treading the boards once trodden by the likes of Harry Houdini and Sarah Bernhardt—performing on the same stages that housed so many significant out of town tryouts...well, I’ll just say that lots of people in lots of theaters had lots of tales to tell. I lent my eager ear to every one of them—apocryphal or not.
I ended up pinching myself in disbelief all year long and I wore my bruises with pride. The whole experience was culture shock to an extreme. The musical opens with a narrative prologue recorded by David Ogden Stiers. So, imagine the rush of adrenaline that comes with speaking the first ‘live’ line to a house of two thousand patrons. Up until then the largest house I’d performed in regionally was about five hundred. Add to that the rigorous schedule that comes with a National Tour and it’s no wonder my equilibrium was challenged.
And speaking of balance challenges...Let me share my glorious costume with you…Next time in Chapter two of this post.
