Charleston, South Carolina — In a well-loved classic, a Charleston native is starring.
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” national tour opens in the Lowcountry on Tuesday. Lena Matthews, a member of the musical’s cast, used to roam the halls of a nearby school.
Matthews remarked, “I am so excited to share this with my family.” It’s a lovely show, and this [is] a lovely love tale. I can’t wait for everyone to see it.”
It was in Charleston that Matthews first fell in love with the arts. She claims that the stage at Charleston County School of the Arts, where she attended middle school, swiftly became her second home.
Before I enrolled at the School of the Arts, I was only a dancer. Additionally, I was encouraged to pursue additional singing instruction after realizing how difficult it is to make a living as a dancer. And it’s fantastic news if I can sing too,” Matthews remarked.
Matthews attributes the beginning of her repertoire development to the School of the Arts. “I think the well-roundedness that School of the Arts brought with the vocal skills really helped me,” she said. “I then went to New York and trained even more proficiently in acting and dance.”
Years later, Matthews is traveling the nation and living her dream. She is returning the magic to the starting point this week. Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is making its first national tour in 25 years. Matthews claims that this stop is especially memorable for her because she is performing in front of her hometown audience.
Since it is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of theater, I adore taking part in it. We’ve got crazy dancing and tapping. “We have mugs clinking,” she remarked.
According to Matthews, even adults may learn a valuable lesson from Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”
“The main takeaway is that open minds lead to open hearts. It is impossible to judge a book by its cover. Matthews remarked, “I think it’s just a beautiful story that can affect people of all ages.”
Matthews’ advice to Charleston children is straightforward: never lose faith in the potential of your goals.
“It is quite feasible. It’s so accessible. It need not be a large, frightening dream. Simply pursue it and enter the chamber. Before I realized what it was like, I was really afraid,” she remarked.
The North Charleston Coliseum will host Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” through Sunday, providing Charleston audiences with the opportunity to witness Matthews’ brilliance in a tale that has captivated audiences for years. You can still purchase tickets online.
