Interview: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST National Tour's Samuel Shurtleff as Cogsworth

For the second time in the past few years, the Disney favorite BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is in New Orleans. If you caught the show a couple of seasons ago (read my review here), you know that this is one of the most magical productions currently running! It's a classic story with a great message about seeing beyond a person's exterior and trying to get to know them for the person they are inside. Belle certainly sees beyond the Beast's exterior, and through her passionate care, helps the residents of his castle to reclaim their humanity.

One of my favorite characters last time this show was in town was Cogsworth, the slightly uptight but incredibly caring human-turning-clock that helps keeps tabs on Belle during her stay. Playing Cogsworth for the second year in a row in Samuel Shurtleff who took some time out of his day to speak with me about his career, his character, and his experience with Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST:

It looks like you're fairly new to the world of professional acting, but you've got a lot of regional theatre under your belt. How did you first become involved with the theatre community?

I started acting when I was in junior high school, and I just loved it immediately. I loved being on stage, and I loved the audience reaction. All through my life I would always look for opportunities to do theatre or regional theatre when I got the chance to do some of the professional shows that were still very part time, but were at least professional work when I was in Texas. I just decided in 2012 that I really needed to chase the dream and do it full time, so I moved to New York City and made it happen.

How did it feel to make your New York acting debut, and to make that transition from acting part time to making it your full time career?

It was pretty crazy. I had a very wonderful fiancé named Terri, and she was very encouraging. When I said, "I want to go to New York," I was actually just saying I wanted to, I didn't say I would do it. I was just saying, "Boy, I wish I would do that." And she said, "Do it. You need to do it. You must do it, and you will go and succeed and be wonderful." So I did. I went, and then she was actually there in New York with me when I made my official stage debut as Bottom the Weaver in a Shakespeare Festival. It was a huge thrill. It was really beyond belief and I just kept on going from there.

You have a pretty good mix of classics and newer theatre pieces, musicals, plays, television on your resume. Is there a certain kind of production that you like working with the most?

Well I certainly love doing musical theatre like this. Cogsworth is such a wonderful character to play, and so much fun. If not musical theatre, then it would definitely be Shakespeare. I just love doing Shakespeare on stage as well. I love the classics, but I love a lot of the modern plays too. I definitely enjoy stage work much more than the film and TV stuff, but that's good too occasionally.

I hear that a lot from actors... that they enjoy both, but they prefer to be on stage. Why do you think that is?

It's the instant gratification. You've got a live audience, and they like you or they don't, but you don't have to wait to find out. And, the thrill of doing it live is... you know, you're going to mess up occasionally. It's live theatre so things are going to go wrong, and when you're filming something, whatever mistake is made they back up and do it over again. It's just a whole different type of thing.

Is BEAUTY AND THE BEAST the first Disney show that you've worked on?

It is, yes.

What's it like working on a show of this magnitude? It's a pretty big production.

It really is. It was new for me. This is by far the biggest show I've been a part of, but it's very exciting. The amount of work that goes into it, the amount of investment that is made by the producers to make a great show... I remember walking in the very first rehearsal day and they had a model built of the stage and all of the set pieces, and it was amazing that they would take the time and effort to hand make all of these little things to show you in this acting studio when you start rehearsing what the actual stage was going to look like and what the set pieces would look like so you could have a vision of it from the beginning. That's a lot of detail, a lot of expense to go to. It just was amazing to me from the very first day, and it's a great experience.

How long have you been with this production?

This is my second year to tour. I did the 2014-2015 tour, and now this 2015-2016 tour.

Are you working with a lot of the same cast members, or does the cast switch up often?

It's mostly new. I think there are six of us who returned from a cast of thirty. Six of us returned from last year, and all the rest are brand new. Well... at this point not brand new because we've been at it a little while. But, new for this season.

What is it that you like the most about your role?

What I like most about it is just how funny Cogsworth is without ever meaning to be funny, and the one time he wants to be funny he's not. I just love that, you know? And, the fact that the character is someone with a real... he has his own real dream. The objects in the show have a real dream of being human again, and not being objects. He has a spirit of I'm not going to give up, and I'm going to believe in this dream. He's far from perfect, but his heart's in the right place. He cares. He and Lumiere like to argue and bicker and even try to irritate each other, but they really deeply care about each other, and I think that is shown. Both Lumiere and Cogsworth get to show each other that they are truly there for each other in the midst of all the heartaches. It's a scary curse they're living under.

You mentioned the idea of not giving up in pursuing your dreams, and that seems to be a theme that runs through for all of the characters. Can you tell me a little about how that theme works itself out in the story?

Well the entire idea that these characters are becoming objects is a little bit different in the movie. In the movie they're already objects. They're still able to move about, but they're objects. In the play they are becoming objects. There's even a very important scene where a key, a winding key, suddenly appears on Cogsworth's back and he's terrified once they point it out to him that it's there. It's a very scary moment, because that's one step closer to becoming an object only and totally losing his humanity. And, of course, that's the whole concept. The Beast is actually a human. On the other side of that is a very human Gaston who in Act I is very funny and kind of loveable, but he's moving towards being a much darker character person while the Beast is moving back towards trying to be a human. So that idea in the show of looking past what we see on the exterior and what an important message that is in today's world... Not being so caught up in first impressions. Unfortunately we go by that in our society so often. It's such a mistake. That idea is such a prevalent message in the show, and it's a powerful message. The true person that you should care about is probably very different from that very first thing you see. In the Beast's case claws, tusks, and lots of fur don't really capture who he is. For Cogsworth, clock hands on his face, and a key that grew on his back, and getting stiffer and less able to move about does not really capture who he is at heart.

Going with the idea that Cogsworth has a key appear on his back, is the characters' change from being human and moving towards becoming objects reflected in their costumes?

That's more difficult. With the Broadway version, they did have actual costume changes. The characters added things on. With our tour it's not really feasible to add on as many things, and so the main thing that happens is Cogsworth getting that key and then they talk about it. Mrs. Potts says, "I can hardly bend over anymore." Lumiere has a speech where he talks about turning completely into a candle... about being able to do anything else at some point. Towards the end, Belle has a solo that is not in the movie "A Change in Me." It's a beautiful song that's now of course in the musical as well.

What is Cogsworth's relationship with Belle like?

As soon as Belle is in the castle, Cogsworth and Lumiere believe this is their chance for the spell to be broken. He's very hopeful and he wants a relationship to develop between the Beast and Belle, but he also wants her to behave herself and she's a little bit independent for a young lady. There's a very funny moment when she's hungry, but the Beast has already said, "If you're not going to eat with me, then you're not going to get anything to eat." The Beast said it, so Cogsworth's going along with what the Beast said. That's what has to be done. And of course, Mrs. Potts and Lumiere are going to feed her dinner so it's a funny scene. Even though he thinks he's the boss, he doesn't get his way pretty much all of the time. But, it always works out in the end. So he thinks he's the boss, but Mrs. Potts really runs the household it's pretty obvious.

Are there any other characters in the show that you would want to switch with?

Well I would love to have a turn to play Gaston. But, unfortunately, I'm 5'6" and not exactly looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, so I don't think I'm going to get a turn at Gaston. But, what a fun character! His song when he's singing about you know, "I'm the greatest thing on Earth, you're going to want me," to Belle it's such a fun song. And then he gets to be the villain in the end, and nobody ever lets me play the villain ever. I'm always the nice guy, and I just think it would be a blast to play Gaston. I love to stand in the wings and watch the "Gaston" dance. It's so incredible to see those kids... I call them kids... but, they're such talented young people up there and doing stuff I could never do to save my life.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Just emphasizing the message about the theme of the show of seeing the real part of a person. It's such an important message, and it's such an honor to be in a show that actually has, at its root, an important, timely message like that.

We're just all super excited to be in New Orleans. New Orleans is absolutely my favorite place to go visit. My fiancé and I go there... in fact I asked her to marry me in New Orleans. We've been there many times. In fact, I saw at the Saenger, I saw THE PRODUCERS several years ago pre-Katrina, and that was... what a great show! At the time, I remember dreaming to be on a stage like that, and here I am. I'm just so excited to actually be back in New Orleans and to be performing there.

Well, we're certainly excited to have you here, Samuel, along with the rest of the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST cast!

The enchanted Disney favorite opens at the Saenger tonight, and runs through Sunday, January 3rd. Check out http://www.saengernola.com/ for tickets and more information.

ARTICLE MAY ALSO BE VIEWED HERE: http://www.nolabackstage.com/single-post/2015/12/29/BWW-Interview-BEAUTY-AND-THE-BEAST-National-Tours-Samuel-Shurtleff-as-Cogsworth

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