Belle, the Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and the rest of the enchanted objects and villagers will bring the story to life Nov. 19 – Nov. 30.
SAN ANTONIO — If you want adventure in the great wide somewhere… Disney classic Beauty and the Beast is coming back to the Majestic stage right here in San Antonio.
Belle, the Beast, Gaston, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and the rest of the enchanted objects and villagers will bring the story to life Nov. 19 – Nov. 30.
This production will feature a Texas State University graduate who is returning to Central and South Texas very soon after her graduation. Cameron Monroe Thomas, class of 2025, landed the role of Babette before she finished her last semester.
“I auditioned for the role of Belle and, you know, didn’t hear back. And so I’m continuing on with school, you know, senior year is so crazy busy,” Monroe Thomas said. “I honestly forgot about the audition, just focusing on school and I randomly got an email saying I had an appointment for Babette in New York like three days later. And I was like, “What?!’
Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, she started dancing at the age of three, then attended a performing arts middle school and high school That led her to the prestigious Texas State University musical theater program. She received her BFA in musical theater and choreography.
Playing Babette has been a unique experience, she says. The iconic character, beloved from the animated Disney movie, gets a more prominent role among the enchanted objects in the Broadway musical version.
“Babette’s presence is more known in the castle. She is known for keeping things like tidy, and she also helps, you know, bring us objects closer together,” Monroe Thomas said. “And she really is part of the group now. And I and other enchanted objects in the castle. You know, we have been under the spell for so long that we really had to cling on to each other and become close with each other and be each other’s family.”
She especially likes showcasing the relationship between Babette and Lumiere.
“She has this very, I would say, sweet and spicy relationship with Lumiere where they really just like to play at each other and get on each other’s nerves for kicks. And, you know, and to make each other jealous for kicks. But it is all done out of love.”
After spending several months on the road, Monroe Thomas says she is excited to be back in the San Antonio and Hill Country areas she once called home.
“I will be eating a lot of Mexican food while I am in Texas. We did like the Midwest and then like a stint in the South. And I love the South. I’m from the South, but Texas is superior when it comes to Mexican food,” Monroe Thomas said.