Beauty and the Beast transformation

[Katie2]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 5:57pm

We are currently working on a production of Beauty and the Beast and we need help figuring out the transformation. We'd like to do it where the Beast and the Prince are the same person, so if anyone could give me some ideas, I would really appreciate it.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 8:07pm

Disney has not revealed their secret, but there have been a few theories on this board. The show probably used a double for the Beast towards the end of the second act, that way the guy who plays the Beast for the rest of the show has time to change into the Prince. As for the actual transformation, I am not sure how they actually pulled it off.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 9:04pm

The Broadway production's transformation was incredible and mind-boggling. I'm so curious about how they did that.

Sorry I don't have any suggestions on what to do, but I do have one on what NOT to do...
I saw a high school production of it and when the beast (a double) was "dying", Belle stood up and positioned herself to try to block the beast as he crawled behind a door/wall/set piece and the prince (the actor who actually was the beast the whole time) came out. It was hilarious to watch him crawling.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 9:05pm

Actually the transformation is common knowledge now.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 9:09pm

I PM'd the OP with the 411.

[TheatreFreak05]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 9:26pm

I've never actually seen the stage version of Beauty and the Beast. Could someone please explain what the transformation looks like?

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 5/26/09 at 9:30pm

The fight scene is done by the Beast undestudy. During which time the BEAST takes off his costume & replaces it with a simple "Pull off" costume. When Belle walks him through the arch way Beast & the understudy swap places & then he pulls of his costume while doing his whole "Cirque Du Soleil" spin show.

[Katie2]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 12:48am

Thanks for the ideas! I'm pretty sure we're going to use a stunt double during the fight scene like many people said. I just didn't know when the "Prince" could slip back into the scene and get ready to transform.

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 12:58am

Disney has not revealed their secret, but there have been a few theories on this board.

Ha ha! It ain't a grand magic act, love, it's the most simple stage trick.

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 2:12pm

My daughter's HS also had actors change places in full view of the audience - a travesty.

One thing about the B'way version was that during the floaty-spinning-transformation thing, the lighting went to strobes. On that part of the stage, the set had a deep-black (like velour) background, so the lights didn't reflect off the set at all.

This allowed the actor who was floating up (and, apparently, taking off his pull-away costume) to be the primary object illuminated -- paradoxically, it caused all eyes to be on him, and you were concentrating like mad to see how they were gonna do it, you know?

But you couldn't see enough to figure it out. It was brilliant.

I would definitely use that type of lighting plan if I were to produce this show in HS or community -- because anything you do to cover up your transformation will be partially hidden in the darkness between flashes.

(Thanks, defyinggravity07, for that pull-off detail.)

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/27/09 at 2:24pm

AMTSJ used tons of flashy lights and a giant cape as Brad Little lay on the ground, "wounded," while pulling his mask off. Ha.

[jagfkb]

Posted: 6/18/09 at 5:02pm

One idea which many theatre have been using is that the rose begins to shoot petals up into the air, followed by smoke. Suddenly, the entire chamber is filled with smoke, as Belle backs away. When the smoke clears, the prince is left.

For our production, we were thinking of having the beast double lay on the ground and perform the dying scene with the actual beast (then the prince) offstage speaking lines into the mike (The beast would have his head turned away). As soon as he dies, the enchantress reappears, as two people with a cloth run onto the stage, concealling a ladder, with the prince on it behind it. It conceals the beast double, as the enchantress cast spells. The enchantress and the two people with the cloth run off with the beast double, as we reveal the prince on the ladder, with the ladder spinning around very quickly while he's in a crusifix like pose atop. The lights come up, and the ladder stops, letting him get down and finish the scene. We want the rose effect with the smoke, but it might cost too much.