Zooey Deschanel Cast as Belle in Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Live Concert
If you didn't care for Emma Watson in the role of Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast live-action film, maybe you'll like the casting choice for the upcoming live-concert better. Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer, New Girl) will take on the role of Belle, and in my opinion, she is a perfect choice! I'm a big fan of Deschanel and I think she has a lovely singing voice. She'll do a much better job singing those classic songs than Watson. Don't get me wrong, Watson did a fine job acting in the role, but her singing ability just wasn't the greatest.
Deschanel joins an all-star cast that also includes Taye Diggs as Gaston, Rebel Wilson is playing a gender-swapped version of Lefou, Kelsey Grammer will play Lumiere, Jane Krakowski is Mrs. Potts, and Anthony Evans will take on the role of the Beast. It's an interesting cast and I think everyone will be great!
The director of the event, Richard Kraft, says the Beauty and the Beast live concert will be a mix of "film, live music, singers, dancers, digital projections, effects, and special guest artists to create an event that pays homage to the original movie but also delivers something that can only be experienced live."
There have been live concert experiences previously for The Nightmare Before Christmas and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which I've heard were both a lot of fun. The Beauty and the Beast live concert will take place on May 25th and May 26th this year at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Tickets go on sale starting Friday, March 16 at 10am PT.