For the first time, the pro tour of Disney’s smash-hit musical Beauty and the Beast is coming to Adelaide! This beloved movie-turned-musical will play at Festival Theatre from May 2025.
Beauty and the Beast is a classic that will fill the hearts of a new generation. Based on the 1991 animated film, the original production of Beauty and the Beast played for more than 13 years on Broadway, remaining to this day one of the top 10 longest running shows in Broadway history, and has toured to 37 countries worldwide. Next year, Adelaide audiences will rejoice in the nostalgic and spellbinding songs, including Beauty and the Beast, Belle, Gaston, Human Again and Be Our Guest.
With spectacular new sets, costume designs and state-of-the-art technology fused with this beloved story, the timeless romance of Belle and her Beast will be brought to life on stage by a stellar all-Australian cast, starring Shubshri Kandiah as Belle, Brendan Xavier as Beast and Rohan Browne in the role of Lumiere.
Shubshri Kandiah spoke to Glam Adelaide about the show, audiences reactions so far to the production and where her love of performing came from.
“I was on stage at quite a young age, mainly doing Indian arts, Indian dance, Indian music. I have always loved performing, but I didn’t really see it as a career. I think when you think about careers you think of a teacher or a doctor – that kind of thing. When I was leaving school I tried lots of things, but nothing really felt like it was going to fit. I loved performing at school – I was involved in like all the school choirs and school musicals and that kind of thing. A lot of my friends after school were auditioning for WAAPA or similar institutions and I just went along. I didn’t get in anywhere the first year but I did a certificate course in music theatre. Then in my second year out of school, I started doing a primary education degree. That was when I realized teaching really didn’t fit with who I am as a person or what I love doing. So I re-auditioned and got accepted into a musical theatre course and it’s just been the best.”
Beauty and the Beast is a much loved film and production. Shubshri shared what drew her to be part of this magical show.
“I think the music is just beautiful and really nostalgic – it was that that drew me to the show. I also really love seeing a love story develop, not from ‘I’ve just seen this person and I’ve fallen in love’, but when it’s starting off quite rocky and then a friendship develops from finding common interests and then that blossoming into something. I love the audience being part of that whole journey – it’s one of my favorite bits of doing the show.”
Prior to Beauty and the Beast, Shubshri toured Australia as Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin. There really isn’t anything quite like the magic of Disney.
“I think Disney has a really clever way of putting magic into their shows. With Beauty and the Beast, for example, I love leaving the theatre and listening to the number of people who go, ‘How did they get Chip in that cart?’ It’s also little things like when I’m standing at the top of the stairs and the light will come on and just hearing like the gasps in the audience just because that was just so unexpected. I don’t know how Disney does it but they really do magic like no other.”
We asked Shubshri how much creative license she was allowed in the rehearsal room when it came to bringing the iconic character Belle to life.
“There was very much a blueprint that needed to be followed because they do want to deliver the same production that you can see on the West End or Broadway. So there definitely was stuff that I needed to follow but then in their casting of me or whoever does the role I think there always is some element of that person that they then bring – you do need to make it your own somehow and I did that through my interpretation of Belle.”
So far, audiences around Australia have been falling in love with this spectacular production.
“It’s really been quite incredible. Just hearing the number of people who have come again and again to the show has been amazing. It’s one thing to come once, and we all know in this day and age how costly it is to have a night out, but it’s just so lovely that the show resonates so much with people that they want to come again and make it a special night in the theatre. I had a conversation with a woman at the stage door the other day who said that 30 years ago she brought her daughter to come and see Beauty and the Beast and now she’s back with her daughter and granddaughter – I just thought that that was amazing. It’s beautiful and really special for us to be part of things like that.”
In May 2025, it will be Adelaide’s turn to experience this spell-binding show.
“I think it’s exciting for people that have seen the original production to see this fresh new production, but I guess this is the first time it’s coming to Adelaide so I’m just really excited for a whole group of new audience members to see the show and fall in love with it as much as the rest of Australia has. it’s a beautiful show and it’s a wonderful escape for a couple of hours from the crazy world that we live in, which Disney had that power to do.”
Tickets are on sale now.
Beauty & the Beast
Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre
From 8 May, 2025
https://beautyandthebeastmusical.com.au/
Photo credit: Daniel Boud
More News
