Theatre Under the Stars presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and West Side Story, July 6 to Aug. 20 at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Tickets: $30-$45 at tuts.ca or 1-877-840-0457.
Lauren Gula was frozen on stage.
It was 2011, she was performing in the Theatre Under the Stars production of Bye Bye Birdie at the Malkin Bowl, and the direction called for her to remain perfectly still for an extended period. It wasn’t an ideal time for unwelcome distractions.
“I remember being attacked by a gigantic moth,” says the North Vancouver resident, who, as it so happens, is not a fan of bugs. “It was kind of difficult to stay frozen when there was a huge moth flapping around.”
Meddlesome moths, pesky mosquitoes, sudden downpours and wandering raccoons are all hazards that come with hosting a show on at the outdoor Malkin Bowl stage at Stanley Park. Fortunately, with two prior TUTS productions under her belt (she also did Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2009), Gula is ready to handle any weather or wildlife challenges that may come her way when she appears in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast this summer.
“I know you have to be prepared for anything weather-wise, that’s for sure. Rain or shine we perform,” she says, but adds that she doesn’t mind a few sprinkles. The crowd might be smaller on wet nights, she admits, but their spirits are always high. “I actually really like it when it rains because the audience is just really happy to be there, they’re all wearing their ponchos, they’re having a great time.”
For the 2016 TUTS season, Gula is playing Babette, a French maid who has been turned into a feather duster under the same spell that transformed the young prince at the heart of the fairy tale into the titular Beast. Babette is the love interest of Lumiere, the maître d’-turned-candelabra.
“She’s just a really fun character, she’s very sassy and feisty and lots of fun to play.”
Gula was still being fitted for her costume this week, but says her getup will likely consist of a corset, skirt, high heels, and plenty of feathers that will accentuate the flirtatious bounce in her step.
“The physical aspect of it has been lots of fun,” she says.
This production stays true to the 1991 Disney film, though the stage version includes some new musical numbers on top of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s songs from the movie.
“It’s just kind of filled out a little bit for the musical version,” Gula says. “It definitely tells the same story, it’s got all the songs that everyone loves to hear, that everyone knows.”
Those include “Tale as Old as Time,” “Gaston,” and “Be Our Guest” – the latter being Gula’s favourite number to perform.
“I love ‘Be Our Guest.’ It’s lots of fun, it’s a huge dance number, lots of costumes, lots of magical elements to it.”
Gula grew up in West Vancouver, graduated from West Vancouver secondary and studied musical theatre at Capilano University (then College) from 2005 to 2008. Though she since went back to school to pursue a career in early childhood education, she still finds time to perform on stage and counts Disney’s Beauty and the Beast among her favourite gigs to date.
“It’s just such a classic story and I think that the production we have is extremely strong. We have amazing people in our cast, we have an amazing directing team, the set is awesome, there’s some really cool magical elements that I think the audience is going to love. It’s just a super fun show and it’s great for families,” she says.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast runs in repertory with West Side Story, a reimagining of the Romeo and Juliet story set in 1950s New York where two rival street gangs are embroiled in a turf war and a pair of young lovers are caught in the middle. North Vancouver resident and recent Capilano University grad Jennifer Lynch will make her TUTS debut in the role of Velma.
