Beauty and The Beast Logo
Starting January 7th, 2014 you can see Kristin Stewart in San Diego in the role of Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast.
Kristin Stweart as Mrs. Potts and Jack Mullen as Chip
Kristin Stewart with an i at the end (not Kristen Stewart with an e at the end, or Bella Swan in the Twilight films), is an accomplished singer and actress on the stage. Kristin is currently on tour playing the beloved Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Academy Award-winning theater production of Beauty and the Beast.
While she was performing in San Francisco, I had the chance to talk over the phone with Stewart about her upcoming performance in San Diego.
I asked Kristin what it’s like for such a young and energetic girl to play an older, motherly and nurturing figure.
“It’s an absolute joy to play her every night! I love playing her because Mrs. Potts is the only one who is doing what she’s doing for someone else. Not to say that the other characters are selfish, but she has an objective that is very clear to know what she’s fighting for because she has a son. Mrs. Potts wants to see her son run through the halls again and that’s what she’s fighting for.”
(Ah, yes. Sacrifice is at the very core of motherhood.)
Kristin discovered her love of musical theater at the tender age of 8. A self-described Iowa farm girl, Stewart got her Bachelors of Fine Arts at Illinois Wesleyan University and immediately started working in New York City.
“I was fortunate to get work right out of college. I got the first one, then the next one, and the next one. I’ve really kind of had a fortunate experience in that I’ve worked a lot on the road and I’ve really grown to love that.”
Being part of a national tour entails quite a bit of travel. How do you cope with that?
“A lot of people think it’s kind of crazy to live out of a suitcase, but that’s become a bit of a comfort to me.”
You have one of the most famous songs in this play, Beauty and the Beast. What is that like?
“We call it the 11 o’clock number. What I love about it is that it’s not about me belting out a song, but about Belle and the Beast. When the audience hears those first notes (“Tale as old as time”) I hear them sigh. It’s what they’ve been waiting for. I really like being part of this story that is so universally loved across generations, it is something that can touch a wide demographic.”
How long have you been in this role?
I’ve been playing Mrs. Potts since August and we have about 6 more months left on the tour.
Is there a special moment during the play that you especially love?
Towards the end, I have an incredibly touching scene with the Beast that’s so real and honest. When he looks into my eyes I still tear up! These are the moments I love, where there’s real energy and I get to perform with my fellow actors who are incredibly easy, and comfortable and wonderful to work with.
The teapot costume. Are you aware that you’re wearing that cumbersome costume?
Yes! Every theater is different, and sometimes I have to be aware that I am a little wide and when I’m passing people by I have to turn sideways a bit. Sometimes I forget and walk by a table and knock things off! It’s hard to forget you’re in costume like this one, but you do, and that’s part of the magic that Disney brings to the stage.
Stewart has graced the San Diego stage before. In 2007, she played the villainess Mrs. Von Tussle in Hairspray and she hasn’t been back since then.
Belle and the Beast have been singing and dancing their way into children and adult’s hearts for a long time.
Don’t miss the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast when it hits the Civic Theater in San Diego January 7th – 12th, 2014.
Show times are:
Tuesday 7 pm
Wednesday 7 pm
Thursday 7:30 pm
Friday 7:30 pm
Saturday 2 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday 1 pm – 6:30 pm
For more information and to purchase tickets please visit Broadway SD.com
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