Fergie L. Philippe on Bringing the Beast to Life in Musical
Fergie L. Philippe on Playing The Beast At DPAC
Fergie L. Philippe, starring as the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, recently joined Karen Clark on Foxy 107.1/104.3 to discuss the iconic role and the magic of the reimagined North American tour.
This production marks Disney’s first tour of the beloved musical in over 25 years, brought to audiences by the producers of Aladdin, The Lion King, and Frozen.
Philippe, a New York City-based actor with Broadway credits including Hamilton and Camelot, shared how returning to the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) as the Beast was a full-circle moment.
“To be able to come back to DPAC with this show specifically is very emotional for me,” he reflected. “I remember when I saw that show the first time here being like, wow, what a range that this actor has to go through … I’d be lucky if I could even do something like that.” Now, standing center stage in the iconic role, he feels “lucky every day.”
This tour reunites original Broadway creative talents, from composer Alan Menken and book writer Linda Woolverton to Tony-winning costume designer Ann Hould-Ward.
Philippe noted the new production’s expanded storytelling: “You’re going to get every single thing you love about that movie, and then … you get more than that.”
Belle and the Beast are given greater emotional depth, with new songs and scenes.
Speaking about his character, Philippe said, “He’s got this sense about him that, you know, when he got cursed, he was 16 or 17, and that never really changed. He physically changed, but emotionally, he stayed in that place. … I think everyone relates to that so deeply—and it’s what makes him so relatable, and … so human.”
Philippe also commented on the unique generational connection the show inspires: “What I love about Disney is that these stories are not only so universal, but they’re so generational. We can share them, we can pass them down.”
He described the joy of performing for multi-generational audiences and hearing children engage during the show, sharing, “It’s a conversation that I’m having now in a way that I had never experienced in other shows before. … When I get to hear how the kids are vocally responding in the house, it almost adjusts the way that I’m able to move through the show.”
As the show continues at DPAC through September 14th, Philippe and the cast invite fans old and new to experience a spectacular, heartfelt, and truly enchanting adventure.
