Cast of “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration”
When singer-songwriter H.E.R. won Song of the Year (for “I Can’t Breathe”) over Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa at the Grammys last year, her fans knew only too well it was no fluke. The said award is just one of the singer’s five Grammys so far.
Also last year, the 25-year-old Fil-Am performer, born Gabriella “Gabi” Sarmiento Wilson to a Filipino American mother and an African American father, won the coveted Oscar award for best song, for “Fight for You” (from the movie “Judas and the Black Messiah”).
If you think H.E.R. has reached her peak, you’ve got another think coming. This month, the R&B songstress, who’s even lovelier in person, is expected to set the stage and screen ablaze when she dons the Disney princess garb as Belle opposite Josh Groban (as the Beast) in “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” which will stream on Disney+ this month.
Needless to say, Gabi is breaking new ground for being cast as the first Black and first Filipino American Belle in the musical, whose star-studded cast also includes Rita Moreno (as the Narrator), Shania Twain (Mrs. Potts), Martin Short (Lumiere), David Alan Grier (Cogsworth), Joshua Henry (Gaston), Rizwan Manji (LeFou) and homegrown thespian Jon Jon Briones as Belle’s inventor father Maurice.
In one of the new production’s first publicity photos that quickly trended on Twitter, H.E.R. is seen honoring her Filipino roots by having Belle wear a dress with her name written in Baybayin. You can’t be any more proudly Pinoy than that!
Belle’s ambition
H.E.R. as Belle —PHOTOS COURTESY OF DISNEY+
We met the Oscar- and Grammy-winning singer-actress in the flesh for a quick chat at the Mixer Event hosted by ABS-CBN Global and MYX, in collaboration with Disney Philippines and their partners, at Sheraton Manila Hotel last Tuesday to discuss her Filipino heritage, “Beauty and the Beast” and her other upcoming projects. She was with her family to celebrate the holidays here.
We asked Gabi in what way the role of Belle—and the musical itself—resonated with her as a woman, a woman of color, and as a Filipino American.
She asserted, “You know, I think I brought that [to the role] because we don’t see Disney princesses with my skin tone or my mixed race, being Black and Filipino. But what I really loved about being in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and that particular story is Belle’s ambition.
“I think a lot of times in my life and in the past, or however many hundreds of years ago, women are being seen as less than who we really are. We’ve been underestimated [in a lot of ways].
“But, regardless of what anybody says, Belle sees more of herself, and I think everybody should live that way. People should see more within themselves and nurture that ambition, as well as that sense of wonder and hope that anything is possible.
“You can be anything you want to be … and Belle has that quality! So, I wanted to bring that out in my own Black and Filipino way … like the Baybayin in my costume. I put my own twist to the character through that, but I also brought her bravery and strength to the fore.
“When that photo with me in costume was posted on TikTok and people began spreading it, there were people who aren’t Filipino who began saying, ‘What does that mean? And what does it mean to be Filipino?’
“Being Filipino is such a big part of who I am. You know, I grew up in the Bay Area, which has a big Filipino population. But I notice that when I leave the place, a lot of people don’t really know much about the Philippines or who we are.
“They ask me questions like, ‘Do you eat with chopsticks?’ I want people to ‘see’ us and understand how important community is for us. So I’m very happy to be able to represent our culture in that way and introduce it to others.”
Intense preparations
The singer-actress admitted to us how intense the experience and preparations were for her in the musical, given the stellar wattage and level of experience of her coactors, a good number of them seasoned performers and veterans on the Broadway and West End stages.
“Oh my gosh, it was very intense—like, I had to learn the moves and songs really well” she quipped. “I knew the songs already, so that part of it wasn’t too hard. But really, I just tried to channel my inner Disney princess and my inner child … to evoke her ambition and sense of wonder.
“I was focused on the movement, but more so, how it felt to be a Disney princess and really owning that. I learned so much from all the members of the cast at rehearsals. As you aptly noted, it’s a terrific cast.”
Asked what it was like to work with Josh Groban, Gabi exclaimed, “Josh is awesome! He’s super kind, super sweet and so talented. He’s very easy to work with.”
H.E.R.’s exciting surprises for her fans and followers don’t stop there, however.
“I’m working on an album, so there’ll be new music coming out soon,” she disclosed, beaming. “I’m excited about this particular recording because I’m doing a lot of collaborations with many amazing female artists. Women are killing it, as this project will demonstrate. I’m really focused on making new music.
“Then, oh my gosh, I’m going to make sure I have a show in the Philippines in 2023! It’s been a long time coming.
“There will also be more movies along the way (like the latest incarnation of ‘The Color Purple,’ where she will reportedly costar with the fabulous likes of Grier, Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Louis Gossett Jr., Ciara, Aunjanue Ellis, etc.), so you’ll see more of me on the big screen.” INQ