BWW Interviews: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on Tour - Ryan Everett Wood

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is one of Disney's beloved tales of destiny and love. Ryan Everett Wood plays the role of The Beast in this newly reimagined tour and Broadway World recently caught up with him as he was busy rehearsing in preparation for the tour to begin. He shared some of his feelings about the show and what audiences can expect in this new touring production.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started.

I am originally from Texas. I grew up in the Houston area. Went to high school in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. So I'm I Texan southern boy. Grew up playing sports and doing anything that wasn't theater and then finally I couldn't really find what that niche was for me and then my sister got into theater and she did a lot of technical side of things. And I was like, "that's kinda of cool. She gets to hang out after school and build sets with her friends" and I started getting into that and then I actually auditioned for my first musical which was Carousel and I got to do Carousel and it was a life changing moment for me because it was the first time I stepped out on a stage and I'll never forget that feeling that I had when I first came out and the lights hit me and the audience was there. It was so thrilling and exciting and they actually enjoyed what I was doing. And I was like, "This is awesome." I did that in high school and then I went to school for it and thereafter moved to New York and went on my first national tour which was Shrek The Musical. That was my first touring experience and now this is my second tour and I'm very excited to be a part of it.

How did you get the part of The Beast in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST?

The show's been on the road for a while now. A couple of years ago I went in for a different part actually; an ensemble role and didn't end up getting it then but then I went on to do Shrek. It was fine but I came back to it this past year and worked really hard and wanted to get as far as I could this time. This time I was up for the Beast and it was something that seemed so tangible and something that was a life changing experience for me. I worked very hard and fortunately it paid off. Sam Stone, the director, was there at all my auditions and he was working with me very closely and we got a very good rapport together. I think he saw something in me and believed in me. I went in about four or five times in New York City and finally on my last audition, I actually got laryngitis and lost my voice. And then I immediately had to go start another show. So the creative team didn't get to see me sing until they called me and said, "Hey, we really like you. Is it possible for you to come back in?" So I took a chance on it. This summer when I was down in Kansas doing a show, I took a chance and flew up to New York to sing for them and fortunately I did because that's what got me the job. And we are still in rehearsals and we are slowly going through the show. Since San Antonio is our second stop, it will be a brand new exciting fresh out of the box show. It's been a show that's been on the road it's even come to San Antonio before. But, it's re-envisioned. You'll get a lot of the same show that you saw if you had come to see it in San Antonio but with our production they have remounted it to fit the new cast so a lot of things that maybe didn't work in the old show or tried with us and it just didn't seem to fit, it's been wonderful having a show designed around what you're presenting as well. It's not just a cookie cutter Disney show. It's got a lot of new heart and a lot of new soul to it. Matt West, the original Broadway choreographer came in while we were rehearing in New York. It was a chance for him to reenact. So he recorded whole numbers and all kinds of new stuff in it.

Tell us about the cast for this production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

We just got on the road and it's always that strange unknown feeling of "I've got these 50 people I'm constantly around. I wonder how it's gonna go for a year in a hotel and on a bus together." It's a lot of people's first time touring and everyone is very eager and very excited about the production that we're doing and I think we all have that in common. We all just want to put on the best show possible. Everyone is working incredibly hard and we work so well together and Jillian Butterfield is playing Belle and I had not met her except for the first day of rehearsals. Then you have to fall in love with someone every night and you just met them and you have to kiss them. It's a little weird. I have to be like, "Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm gonna kiss your face now." But she is such a great partner and so wonderful to work with and it makes it very easy. It makes my job a lot easier when everyone is very kind and very open and willing to go to that place. But also a fun little fact is that the guy that's playing Lumiere, his name is Patrick Pevehouse. He and I grew up in Texas together just down the road from each other. Never met. Never knew each other existed. Even went to college, he went to OC, Oklahoma City University and I went to the University of Oklahoma which is 30 minutes south. All for musical theater. Worked in the same musical theaters and never somehow met each other and then we did Toy Story The Musical on Disney Cruise Lines this past year and he was Woody and I played Buzz. We became instant best friends and have been very close and then it started happening to where we both started going in for the show and we looked at each other at the final callbacks and thought I may go on tour with my best friend. And then it worked out. Very exciting.

If you hadn't gotten into theater, what do you think you would have done?

They always say if you can imagine yourself doing something, do it when it comes to being an actor. But, I always had trouble with that because everything that I could see myself doing was like the life of an artist not making very much money. I don't do this for the money, I do it because it's the only thing I love to do so that's why I have to do it. For a while there I started when I was in college, I was auditioning for universities to go to for musical theater and in the middle of it got overwhelmed, felt very exposed. I'd never done anything that big before, that huge of a step in my life and I was thinking I made the wrong choice. I'd only done a few musicals and can you do this as a career and so my next thing was, "I guess I better start applying for culinary school. " I decided I was going to go to culinary school and then I got a phone call from the University of Oklahoma and I decided to go there. But I was very close to becoming a chef which also is another artist career.

What advice do you have for others who are thinking of getting into theater?

Follow your heart. I grew up, fortunately, I have very supportive parents who were willing to help me on that journey of where I fit in and seeing what made me happy as a human and even as a kid. I didn't let myself listen to all of the people around me saying that maybe this isn't a real career path or this is fun for now but I'm gonna go get a real job. I wanted to prove to myself that I could make this into a life and that I can actually have a home and have a family and have everything that everyone else has but also perform and be onstage and love what I do every day. And I get to do that. So, I'm very happy with this decision that I made to continue and to follow my heart and to follow my dreams and pursue them as hard as I could.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST plays at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas from September 30-October 5, 2014. Ticket can be purchased by going to The Majestic Theatre's website. Don't miss this tale as old as time.

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