The costume is hairy, hot and heavy, but transforming into a beast each night is worth it for Sam Hartley.
The baritone from Nebraska will take the Walton Arts Center stage tonight as Beast in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," presented by NETworks.
FAQ
‘Beauty and the Beast’
WHEN — 7:30 p.m. today; 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
WHERE — Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville
COST — $30-$84
INFO — 443-5600
Male lead roles are typically written for and performed by tenors, Hartley says, so auditioning for the show -- with two baritone leads -- was a no-brainer.
"Here in front of me is one of the best baritone songs written for contemporary musical theater, 'If I Can't Love Her,'" he says. "The song comes from the music heard [previously in the production] in themes. It's so easy to fall in love with. It's an incredible opportunity for someone with my voice tone and quality to get to play."
While Beast's singing voice is Hartley's, his speaking voice is a creation of Hartley's. And it took some trial and error to get it just right.
"The first week of rehearsals, I lost my voice," Hartley says.
A combination of trying new things and testing the limits of his range, volume and power took its toll, he says.
"I really wanted to sound like I was roaring. Trying to find his intensity is what stole my voice," he says.
He found Beast's intensity exists in volume -- both loud and soft.
"There's something scary about a giant figure on stage with this quiet intensity. It's almost more frightening than when he's yelling," Hartley says.
The 30-pound Beast costume adds four inches to Hartley's frame, making him stand about 6 foot, 7 inches. Even with all that extra -- weight, height, hair -- he has full mobility and flexibility.
"It's pretty incredible. You will see these costumes come to life."
-- Kelly Barnett
kbarnett@nwadg.com
NAN What's Up on 05/06/2016