Lauren Gula was frozen on stage.
It was 2011, she was performing in the Theatre Under the Stars production of Bye Bye Birdie at 聽Stanley Park鈥檚 Malkin Bowl, and the direction called for her to remain perfectly still for an extended period. It wasn鈥檛 an ideal time for unwelcome distractions.
鈥淚 remember being attacked by a gigantic moth,鈥� says Gula, who, as it so happens, is not a fan of bugs. 鈥淚t was kind of difficult to stay frozen when there was a huge moth flapping around.鈥�
Meddlesome moths, pesky mosquitoes, sudden downpours and wandering raccoons are all hazards that come with hosting a show at Malkin Bowl鈥檚 outdoor stage. Fortunately, with two prior TUTS productions under her belt (she also did Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2009), Gula is ready to handle any weather or wildlife challenges that may come her way when she appears in Disney鈥檚 Beauty and the Beast this summer.
鈥淚 know you have to be prepared for anything weather-wise, that鈥檚 for sure. Rain or shine we perform,鈥� she says, but adds that she doesn鈥檛 mind a few sprinkles. The crowd might be smaller on wet nights, she admits, but their spirits are always high. 鈥淚 actually really like it when it rains because the audience is just really happy to be there, they鈥檙e all wearing their ponchos, they鈥檙e having a great time.鈥�
For the 2016 TUTS season, Gula plays Babette, a French maid who has been turned into a feather duster under the same spell that transformed the young prince at the heart of the fairy tale into the titular Beast. Babette is the love interest of Lumiere, the ma卯tre d鈥�-turned-candelabra.
鈥淪he鈥檚 just a really fun character, she鈥檚 very sassy and feisty and lots of fun to play.鈥�
Gula says her getup will likely consist of a corset, skirt, high heels, and plenty of feathers that will accentuate the flirtatious bounce in her step.
鈥淭he physical aspect of it has been lots of fun,鈥� she says.
This production stays true to the 1991 Disney film, though the stage version includes some new musical numbers on top of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman鈥檚 songs from the movie.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just kind of filled out a little bit for the musical version,鈥� Gula says. 鈥淚t definitely tells the same story, it鈥檚 got all the songs that everyone loves to hear, that everyone knows.鈥�
Those include 鈥淭ale as Old as Time,鈥� 鈥淕aston鈥� and 鈥淏e Our Guest鈥� 鈥� the latter being Gula鈥檚 favourite number to perform.
鈥淚 love 鈥楤e Our Guest.鈥� It鈥檚 lots of fun, it鈥檚 a huge dance number, lots of costumes, lots of magical elements to it.鈥�
Gula grew up in West Vancouver, graduated from West 麻豆传媒映画secondary and studied musical theatre at Capilano University (then College) from 2005 to 2008. Though she since went back to school to pursue a career in early childhood education, she still finds time to perform on stage and counts Disney鈥檚 Beauty and the Beast among her favourite gigs to date.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just such a classic story and I think that the production we have is extremely strong. We have amazing people in our cast, we have an amazing directing team, the set is awesome, there鈥檚 some really cool magical elements that I think the audience is going to love. It鈥檚 just a super fun show and it鈥檚 great for families,鈥� she says.
Disney鈥檚 Beauty and the Beast runs in repertory with West Side Story, a reimagining of the Romeo and Juliet story set in 1950s New York where two rival street gangs are embroiled in a turf war and a pair of young lovers are caught in the middle.
Theatre Under the Stars presents Disney鈥檚 Beauty and the Beast and West Side Story, July 6 to Aug. 20 at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. Tickets: $30 to $45 at or 1-877-840-0457.
