Beauty and the Beast
The two lead roles for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast have just been announced and Box Hill resident Brendan Xavier will star alongside Shubshri Kandiah within the iconic production which may have its Australian premiere at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre next 12 months.
Brendan, a former pupil at Marian College Kenthurst, is presently performing in Frozen the Musical. Brisbane-based Shubshri is greatest known for her role as Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and is currently enjoying the title position in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.
It’s the first main role for Brendan who mentioned: “I came upon that I gained the position on my method to work and I had to just stop strolling. My agent just mentioned you have booked the Beast …. It was in all probability one of the best moments of my life.”
Brendan graduated from Marian College in 2014 and was on the Board of Studies NSW Distinguished Achievers List due to his music results.
After college he studied a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Musical Theatre on the Australian Institute of Music. During his time there Brendan appeared in quite a few musicals, most notably enjoying Jack in Into the Woods directed by Tyran Parke.
Beauty And The Beast Brendan Xavier And Shubshri Kandiah Beauty And The BeastHis earlier theatre credit embody The Original Grease (Squabbalogic) as Danny Zuko and within the sixtieth Anniversary concert of the Australian musical Lola Montez.
He has been performing in Disney’s Frozen for the past two years and is currently in Perth.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is being staged by the producers of Frozen, Aladdin, The Lion King and Mary Poppins and makes its Australian premiere at the Capitol Theatre in June 2023.
Directed and choreographed by Olivier Award nominee Matt West, the reimagined stage show will characteristic an all-star team that features unique composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, e-book writer Linda Woolverton, scenic designer Stan Meyer, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward and lighting designer Natasha Katz. The staff collectively received five Tony® nominations and a win for Hould-Ward’s costume design, when Disney first debuted Beauty and the Beast on Broadway 28 years ago.
Director and choreographer Matt West stated: “The pleasure we felt within the audition room when Brendan and Shubshri performed for us was electrical. These two extraordinary younger performers deliver fresh life to these iconic roles, and we are thrilled that a complete new generation of Australian audiences may have the pleasure of witnessing their interpretation on this new production.”
Some of Australia’s most outstanding musical theatre performers and exciting recent faces have also been assembled and might be announced at a later date including the roles of Lumiere, Gaston, Cogsworth, Mrs Potts, Le Fou, Maurice, Babette and Madame.
General public tickets went on sale this week (Thursday third November 2022) through www.beautyandthebeastmusical.com.au.
The Australian premiere of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major occasions company Destination NSW.