Chapter 41

She also ran her fingers through my hair and said, “You are Gaston – you can have any woman you want, but you want her – don’t you? Yeah – take that attitude and show us something.” I chuckled at the reversal. A couple of makeup ladies did their thing on me.

Ralph, the Video Group leader, came up to me asking for a sound check, and I sang scales, “Me, me, me, me, me, me, me. me. me!”

“Maurice, are you ready with ‘Me?’ I want your 200 please?”

“Yessir,” Maurice said, turning on his after-amp synthesizer.

Due to the work, I had done with Maurice, the song went quite well, with Carol beautifully underselling her response lines. When finished we got a nice applause, with Jeff stoking the audience a bit. Speaking up, “Now witness the transformation in just a few moments ... whoops, just a minute?”

“Everybody within the sound of my voice. Stand up and raise your right hand.”

I watched Jeff from the doorway of the dressing room as he did all this.

There was a lot of questioning going on, especially with the ‘Brides’ cast.

Jeff started back up, “There is a secret many of you know, but I must say the following, ‘If you know you can’t keep a secret from your friends and family, leave now – I mean it!’”

Of course, nobody left, due to the dramatic nature of what Jeff was saying.

“OK, everybody – Randall is playing Gaston ... the Beast, and the Prince. I’ve done some checking, and no University or Community Theatre group; much less on Broadway has ever attempted this before. We need to keep this secret – All of us, raise your right hand and say with me, “I promise.”

It sounded like they all did and Jeff told them to sit back down. Sandy got my mask on, slapped me on the butt and I walked out on stage to a massive amount of ooohs and aahhs. Maurice gave me the high sign and I spoke, “You heard the man, no telling!”

There was a single gasp from all of these people as the voice of the Beast came out from all of the speakers in the place.

“Belle – please come out, my dear?” I said.

She did as Jeff handed Phyllis a microphone off stage. Belle and I sat down in front of the AV green screen. Jeff motioned Maurice to start the music, as Belle and I did what we had rehearsed, just touching each other as the Phyllis started the eponymous piece of music...

MRS. POTTS Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

(If I hadn’t known better, Angela Lansbury herself was offstage singing!)

Ever just the same
Ever a surprise
Ever as before
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise

Tale as old as time
Tune as old as song
Bitter sweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong

Certain as the sun
Rising in the East
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the Beast

Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast

During this, she had played with her hair, being coy and touched my cheek as I waited a moment until I took a lock of her hair and put it behind her upstage ear. The gloves were a little bulky, but I was able to do what I wanted as the song concluded.

Everybody was clapping and crying as I got Phyllis to join us and we all bowed to them. Lastly, would be the scene just after Maurice, Belles father, is allowed to leave the castle. I went over to my orchestra and asked if he could embellish my yelling into a roar, like the Beast would make.

Maurice nodded and I went back out. Carol knew the scene I wanted, but I told her to be ready for anything I do.

We got back in front of the green screen, with Ralph ready for us.

I let out quite the roar, turning towards the camera.

BELLE “You didn’t let me say good-bye.”
BEAST “What?”
BELLE “I’ll never see him again ... and I didn’t even get to say good-bye.”
BEAST “I’ll ... show you to your room.”
BELLE “My room? But I thought...”
BEAST “Do you want to stay in that dungeon?”
BELLE “No!”
BEAST “Then follow – You follow me.”

We were done, Sandy came out and got me out of my mask in front of everyone, showing them all, I was indeed playing both parts. Very kindly, the two casts rose and applauded Carol and me. We may just be able to pull this thing off.

While everyone else was leaving, my A5 group came up and Phyllis and Karol both gave me a big hug while George, Michael and little Evan all hugged Carol.

Evan walked up to me and said, “Don’t worry Mr. Knight – I won’t tell any of my friends – they’ll have to come and buy a ticket!”

I had to pick this young man up and said to him, “Thank you, Evan,” as Phyllis got him from me, putting him down, stepping towards us and saying, “You both are so good together. I’ve been involved in community theatre down in Albuquerque most of my life and I’ve never seen a couple enjoy each other so much, it showed in Seven Brides as well. Maybe all brothers should fall in love with their sisters,” she said.