There’s just no faking ‘Belle’

US stage actress Hilary Maiberger plays the lead role in the Broadway hit musical that starts its Manila run tomorrow at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

“To successfully tell this story, one should be honest and grounded and not fake her way through it,” said US stage actress Hilary Maiberger, who has played the role of Belle in over 500 shows of the Broadway hit musical “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” in the last two years.

Hilary will be in the show’s Manila run, tomorrow till Jan. 25, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Also part of the all-American cast are Darick Pead as Beast; Hassan Nazari-Robati as Lumiere; Adam Dietlein as Gaston; and Charlie Jones and William Poon, who alternate as Chip.

New each time

To make sure she turns out a fresh performance every night, Hilary said, “[I] try to discover new things each time. Maybe the audience is seeing a Broadway show for the first time that night—an actor has to remember that.”

Different audiences bring out different reactions in actors. “[But] you can [always] feel the energy and that’s amazing. [The audience, as] our fourth actor, is very involved in our process on stage,” Hilary told the Philippine Daily Inquirer shortly before her first show at Zorlu Center PSM in Istanbul, Turkey, one of the world’s largest performing arts venues.

Unique performance

“That’s what’s great about live theater,” she said. “The audience is part of the journey. When you see a movie, it’s kind of set in stone. [Here] the audience sees a unique performance each time, something no one has seen before.”

Hilary has performed on stage since age 9, including turns as Princess Jasmine in “Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular,” Jo March in “Little Women,” Cindy Lou in “The Marvelous Wonderettes” and the heroine in “Cinderella.” She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music degree at San Diego State University and her Master’s degree in Music Vocal Performance at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Asked if she thought studying acting was important for one to become a successful actor, Hilary said, “I didn’t take too many acting classes. I focused on the voice, since I wanted to be a voice teacher. I think all the things I learned in school were valuable.”

However, she said she has heard of “people out of high school who just jumped in and became Broadway stars. It’s different for everyone. Me, I needed the education, the guidance.”

Still learning

The 28-year-old added: “I still take voice lessons; I continue to grow vocally, as a teacher and as a performer. For me, personally, it’s a process that never really ends.”

Hilary still hopes to become a professional vocal coach. Meanwhile, she said, it’s good to do what she does now and enjoy it. “I will always find opportunities to teach; I’m actually [giving lessons to] some of the ensemble members.”

Total immersion

She is convinced that she landed the role of Belle because, as many people say, she looks a lot like this Disney character, with her brown eyes and hair. “We also have the same personality,” she said. “I’d like to think I’m strong and independent, like she is. I wish I were [as selfless and accepting]. Being in this industry, you tend to forget—you can become very impatient and forget to get perspective. I’m still working on that. Belle reminds me to stay grounded. I don’t think we’re that different. I also think we’re both loving and caring, witty and fun.”

She would often “get lost in the role,” Hilary said. “Being Belle is like I’m just being me on stage, like she’s just a heightened part of myself. They say the more one plays a specific character, the more one becomes the character—I don’t know if that’s true. When I take off the wig and costume, I make sure I’m back to being Hilary.”

Shopping ‘problem’

When not working, Hilary loves to “walk around and explore.” She also loves to shop. “It’s actually a problem,” the actress said. “And I’ve enjoyed playing golf since high school.”

The best thing about touring for “Beauty and the Beast,” for her, is “going to places I never thought I’d see. This (Istanbul) is my first time outside of the United States. It doesn’t get any better than this—to play my dream role while traveling.”

For the production, Manila is the first stop on an Asian tour. From here, it goes to Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Macau and Taiwan, among other cities in the region.

However, Hilary said, “Being away from home is hard. You miss some things—my little sister is seven months pregnant and I’m going to miss it when she gives birth. Also for me, packing has got to be the worst thing. I wish I could just take my entire closet with me.”

Travel tips

She shared these pointers with those who are always on the road: “Drink lots of water, exercise, travel in groups. I don’t go out much myself, and don’t like to drink [alcohol]. I make sure to take care of my health because I have to do eight shows a week.”

As for this, her first visit to the Philippines, the actress can’t wait “to try all the food, walk around and maybe get lost. I hear that the beaches are unbelievable. We’ll be in Manila for six weeks. I’m very excited to learn as much as I can about the country.”

“Beauty and the Beast” is directed by Rob Roth, with Michael Kosarin as musical supervisor and arranger, and Matt West as choreographer. To bring the Broadway hit musical to the Philippines, Ovation Productions tied up with foreign companies Broadway Entertainment Group and NETworks Presentations.

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