I originated the role of Gaston in the first ever stage adaptation of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. The half-hour live stage show opened at Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) on November 22, 1991, the same day as the movie, and it's still playing there today. Interestingly, after running successfully for many years, Disney overhauled the show and greatly improved it by making the story clearer.
While most of the show is pre-recorded with the original voices from the movie, Belle and Gaston speak and sing live. Like most theme park shows, this one was double cast from the outset, to cover the 35 weekly performances. Andrea Canny and Trudie Petersen (pictured above) were the Belles, and Greg Rolph was the other Gaston.
Below is the Beauty and the Beast segment from the 1991 Disney World Christmas Parade broadcast, featuring Trudie and me.
I also performed in "Beauty and the Beast — the Magic of the Music" at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. The cast, above from left: me, Darin DePaul, Paige O'Hara (voice of Belle), Jerry Orbach (voice of Lumiere), Lea Salonga, Paula Pell, and Andrea Canny. Click the player above to hear an excerpt.
Lea Salonga was there to preview "A Whole New World" from the then-upcoming Disney film "Aladdin." I sang the duet with her, with Peter Duchin accompanying. Click the player above to hear an excerpt.