![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Danny-Gardner-as-Lumiere.-Disneys-Beauty-and-the-Beast.-Photo-by-Evan-Zimmerman-480x600.jpg\")
Danny Gardner as Lumi\u00e8re. Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.<\/p>\nDisney\u2019s\u00a0\u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d\u00a0National Tour\u00a0will\u00a0make\u00a0its way to El Paso\u2019s Plaza Theatre June 10 to June 14, bringing iconic characters, elaborate\u00a0costumes\u00a0and a live theatrical experience\u00a0for\u00a0audiences of all ages.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Among those helping bring the story to life is Danny Gardner, who plays Lumi\u00e8re, the candelabra known for\u00a0leading the number \u201cBe Our Guest.\u201d\u00a0Gardner has already had an extensive musical theater career, making his\u00a0Broadway debut as Lucky in \u201cDames\u00a0at\u00a0Sea\u201d in 2015\u00a0and having roles in \u201cFlying Over Sunset\u201d at Lincoln Center and \u201cA Christmas Carole\u201d on Broadway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Gardner, stepping into the role has been years in the making.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLike a lot of people my age, I grew up with the animated feature in the early 90s, and I loved it, but I specifically loved the character Lumiere and \u201cBe Our Guest,\u201d\u00a0Gardner said. \u201cIt was kind of a show-stopping\u00a0number,\u00a0and\u00a0I think ever since then I\u2019ve\u00a0kind of had\u00a0this affinity for the character.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gardner said the role had long been on his list of dream characters to\u00a0play, and\u00a0was excited when the opportunity arose to audition for the touring production.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reason I love Lumi\u00e8re is because he\u00a0inevitably gives\u00a0up hope, but he also has so much love and enthusiasm,\u00a0and for\u00a0a\u00a0lack of a better word, light that he brings into the world,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cAnd\u00a0so,\u00a0to step into that each night in front of audiences is really just wonderful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before rehearsals began, Gardner\u00a0did his\u00a0research\u00a0on the character by\u00a0revisiting the animated film, watching the live-action\u00a0adaptation,\u00a0and studying\u00a0previous\u00a0productions\u00a0from\u00a0around the world. Still, he wanted his performance to feel authentic rather than\u00a0an imitation\u00a0of the character.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really just doing the research, and then kind of having the research, but not being tied to the research,\u00a0trying to make it my own,\u00a0and\u00a0alive\u00a0and interesting\u00a0each night,\u201d\u00a0Gardner\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tour has also given Gardner opportunities beyond traditional theater stages, including\u00a0performing as\u00a0Lumi\u00e8re during Disney Night on \u201cDancing with the Stars.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDancing with the\u00a0Stars\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0even on my bucket list, only because I just never thought that would be something that could happen,\u201d Gardner said.\u00a0\u201cTo\u00a0have\u00a0these characters in these new experiences is really\u00a0very exciting, not just for me, but for the audiences too.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the production travels across the country, Gardner has seen how the show introduces new audiences to live theater.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Danny Gardner as Lumi\u00e8re. Disney\u2019s Beauty and the Beast. Photo by Evan Zimmerman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have audience members that are very young that come in costume and are excited to be there at first live theatrical experience, but then we have older people who haven\u2019t ever been to a show,\u201d\u00a0Gardner\u00a0said. \u201cI really think they\u2019re blown away by the amount of spectacle that Disney brings, but also the art form itself\u00a0and how it can move people and bring people together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gardner believes that communal experience is one of the biggest differences between watching the story on screen and seeing it\u00a0performed\u00a0live.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think seeing\u00a0live\u00a0[shows], real people in these extraordinary costumes, and doing these extraordinary dance moves\u00a0and singing these beautiful songs, there\u2019s something different about that live experience than you get from a movie,\u201d\u00a0Gardner\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He added that theater continues a tradition of storytelling that stretches back centuries while delivering themes that\u00a0remain\u00a0relevant today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a story about not judging a book by its cover,\u00a0but\u00a0trusting that people can change, and learning about people before we dismiss them,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cI think that in itself is an important story to tell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Offstage, Gardner is sharing the experience with his family. His wife, Emily Larger, is part of the touring company, serving in the ensemble, as associate dance captain and as an understudy for Mrs. Potts and Madame de la Grande Bouche. The couple is also traveling with their\u00a0infant son and\u00a0their\u00a0dog.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While balancing family life and a demanding touring schedule can be challenging, Gardner said it is something he would not trade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel very lucky and blessed that I get to tell this story all across the\u00a0country,\u00a0getting\u00a0to do what I love,\u201d\u00a0Gardner\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d prepares to take the stage in El Paso, Gardner hopes audiences leave with more than memories of the film they grew up watching. Through live music,\u00a0grand\u00a0performances and a story centered on empathy and transformation, the production offers a chance to experience the Disney classic in a new way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the curtain rises at the Plaza Theatre, El Paso audiences will have the opportunity to see the tale\u00a0as old as time\u00a0brought to life by the national touring company. One\u00a0that,\u00a0according to\u00a0Gardner,\u00a0continues to bring people together night after night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ximena Cordero is the\u202feditor-in-chief for The Prospector and may be reached at\u202f[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>\u00a0and on\u202fLinkedIn\u202f@ximenacordero<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Disney\u2019s\u00a0\u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d\u00a0National Tour\u00a0will\u00a0make\u00a0its way to El Paso\u2019s Plaza Theatre June 10 to June 14, bringing iconic…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331340,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139],"class_list":["post-331339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}