Beauty And The Beast

HER Was A Guitar-Shredding, Enchanting Belle In Disney’s ‘Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration’

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Grammy award-winning artist HER is always making history. The latest of her achievements is her role as Belle in Disney’s 30th celebration televised special of Beauty And The Beast. She is the first Black and Filipina woman to play that role, and she was nothing short of amazing when it took place last night (December 15).

Not only was her singing crystal clear and enchanting, but she even shredded on an electric guitar, making it seem effortless, donning the character’s iconic yellow princess gown and her own signature shades while descending the stairs. The event was definitely one of the most breathtaking performances to witness, which one can tell just from this short clip posted by ABC below.

When discussing her role on Good Morning America, Wilson said, “I never thought I could be a Disney princess.” She later added, “Of course, every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I’ve never seen one that looks like me — so I get to be that to little girls now.” She added about production, “That’s such a huge deal on top of being a producer on Beauty And The Beast, which is crazy. I got to do a lot of the new arrangements and work with Alan Menken, the original arranger and producer. It’s been an amazing experience just learning so much about myself, and it’s been a lot of fun, honestly.”

HER Played An Impromptu Ukulele Cover Of ‘Beauty And The Beast’ On ‘Fallon’

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Soulful R&B star HER is all set to make history as the first Filipina to portray Disney princess Belle in ABC’s television special adaptation of Disney’s animated classic Beauty And The Beast. The 30th-anniversary celebration is set to air on Thursday, December 15 at 8 pm ET and stream the next day on Disney+. HER will make her appearance credited under her real name, Gabriella Wilson. Last night, she appeared on The Tonight Show to talk about making her childhood dream come true and wound up playing an impromptu ukulele cover of the film’s Grammy-winning title track.

HER knows a thing or two about winning Grammys. She’s already got some hardware for her protest anthem, “I Can’t Breathe” (along with an Oscar for the Judas And The Black Messiah track “Fight For You”), but she’s also nominated this year after co-writing “Good Morning Gorgeous” with Mary J. Blige. During her interview last night, in lieu of showing a clip of the show — which will air live and so there wasn’t one available — Jimmy Fallon pulled the ukulele from behind his desk, handing it over, and letting Ms. Wilson shine. Jimmy joined in, harmonizing admirably with the veteran performer (he’s been doing this for some time, himself) and the audience was clearly delighted. Check it out above.

HER Is Pumped To Be Making History As The First Filipina Belle In The ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Anniversary Special

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R&B sensation HER (real name Gabriella Wilson) is making history again. As the singer prepares for her musical special debut as part of Disney’s 30th celebration televised special of Beauty And The Beast, Wilson becomes the first Black and Filipina woman to play the role of Belle.

For clarity, singer Toni Braxton was the first Black woman to star as Belle on Broadway in 1998. But Wilson’s portrayal will mark the first time a woman of color has played the character on the small screen. During a stop at Good Morning America, the “Back Of My Mind” singer shared with host Michael Strahan what this opportunity means to her.

Wilson confessed, “I never thought I could be a Disney princess.” She later added, “Of course, every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but I’ve never seen one that looks like me — so I get to be that to little girls now.”

When asked about her experience as Belle, Wilson replied, “Being a Disney princess is fun!”

Striving for the coveted EGOT status, Wilson could very well earn an Emmy as she also serves as a producer of the special. Wilson discussed the production side of the special, stating, “that’s such a huge deal on top of being a producer on Beauty And The Beast, which is crazy. I got to do a lot of the new arrangements and work with Alan Menken, the original arranger and producer. It’s been an amazing experience just learning so much about myself, and it’s been a lot of fun, honestly.”

Without giving too much away vocally, Wilson sang a teaser of the production’s opening number, “Belle,” and let’s say viewers are in for a treat.

@gma

@herofficial singing ‘Belle’ is the highlight of our week! 😍❤ #HER #Belle #BeautyAndTheBeast #Disney #Princess

♬ original sound – Good Morning America

Other notable names joining Wilson in the production include Shania Twain (in the role of Mrs. Potts), Josh Groban (in the role of Beast), Martin Short (in the role of candlestick Lumière), Joshua Henry (in the role of Gaston), and David Alan Grier (in the role of Cogsworth, the clock). Rita Moreno will narrate the special.

The Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration television event will air on ABC on December 15 and on Disney+ the next day.

Watch the full interview above.