On Thursday, December 15, 2022, there will be a very special live performance of Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. This will have H.E.R. playing the role of Belle. At the D23 Expo last weekend, it was announced that there are more stars heading to the production that has Jon M. Chu set to executive produce the special, and Hamish Hamilton set to direct.
Tony®-, Emmy®– and GRAMMY®-nominated artist Josh Groban will be taking on the role of the Beast. He has previously recorded a song for the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast. Tony- and GRAMMY-nominated acclaimed Broadway star Joshua Henry will be stepping into the role of Gaston. EGOT winner and legend Rita Moreno will be the narrator for the night’s tale.
The special will be presented by The Wonderful World of Disney. The two-hour reimagining of this tale as old as time will be taped in front of a live audience at Disney Studios and will air on Thursday, December 15 at 8:00 EST on ABC and then will arrive on Disney+ the following day. This presentation of Beauty and the Beast will be a blend of animation and live-action storytelling.
2022 marks 30 years since Beauty and the Beast was the very first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Award. The movie went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The theme sone Beauty and the Beast also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1992.
Josh Groban Bio
Tony, EMMY, and four-time GRAMMY Award-nominated singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist Josh Groban possesses one of the most outstanding and instantly recognizable voices in music. Moreover, he continues to captivate fans everywhere as both a powerhouse vocalist and dynamic renaissance man. He has sold over 35 million albums worldwide, headlined legendary venues on multiple continents, and entertained audiences with acclaimed film and television appearances. His catalog spans a series of chart-topping blockbuster albums, including “Josh Groban” (five-time platinum), “Closer” (six-time platinum), “Noël” (six-time platinum), “Awake” (two-time platinum), “Illumination,” “All That Echoes” (gold), “Stages” (gold), his first UK No. 1 album, “Bridges,” and his most recent release, “Harmony.”
Extending his repertoire, Groban made his Broadway debut in 2016 with a starring role in “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.” He garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Lead Actor In A Musical. He has expanded his presence with appearances on “Glee,” “The Simpsons,” “The Office,” “CSI: NY,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “The Crazy Ones” as well as in the feature films “Coffee Town,” “Muppets Most Wanted” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” In addition, he starred in the NETFLIX series “The Good Cop” in 2018. In spring 2023, Groban will once again grace the stages of Broadway in the revival of “Sweeney Todd,” playing the title role. He remains an active arts education philanthropist and advocate, and his Find Your Light Foundation helps enrich the lives of young people through arts, education and cultural awareness.
Joshua Henry Bio
Joshua Henry is a GRAMMY-nominated performer and recording artist best known for his Tony-nominated leading roles in “Carousel,” “The Scottsboro Boys” and “Violet,” as well as for his show- stopping performance as Aaron Burr in the cultural phenomenon “Hamilton” (Chicago/San Francisco/Los Angeles). A BMG recording artist, Henry’s debut album, “Grow,” is available worldwide on all streaming platforms. On screen, he starred as Roger Bart in the Academy Award-nominated film “Tick, Tick, Boom,” directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. He also starred as Jerlamarel opposite Jason Momoa in two seasons of Apple TV+’s show “See.” Other Broadway shows include “In the Heights,” “Shuffle Along,” “American Idiot,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Bring It On: The Musical,” “Off-Broadway: In the Heights” and “The Wrong Man.” Henry can currently be seen starring on Broadway in “Into The Woods.”
Rita Morena Bio
Rita Moreno has won all four of the most prestigious awards in show business: two Emmys, a GRAMMY, an Oscar and a Tony. Her countless credits span more than seven decades, beginning with her Broadway debut at age 13. Moreno has starred on Broadway and London’s West End, appeared in more than 40 feature films and countless television shows, and has performed in numerous regional theaters including her one-woman show, “Life Without Makeup,” at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.
Just recently, Moreno wrapped production on two films: “Eighty for Brady,” starring opposite Sally Field, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin; and “Fast X,” where she plays Vin Diesel’s grandmother. Last year, she co-starred and served as an executive producer on Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” For four seasons, Moreno co-starred in the critically acclaimed Latinx reimagining of Norman Lear’s classic TV sitcom, “One Day At A Time.” Moreno has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush and the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama.
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