Disney’s Beauty and The Beast || Emily Corkeron

The Fame Reporter interviewed incredible Queensland theatre performer Emily Corkeron, she is currently starring as a talented swing in the new smash-hit Australian Tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Musical, playing at QPAC’s Lyric Theatre from 15 February.

We sat down with Emily and talked about her love for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, juggling her role as a Swing and an Understudy, how excited she is to perform in her hometown with a familiar face and more.

Welcome to The Fame Reporter Emily, what sparked your interest in performing initially?
Growing up I was surrounded by music, which sparked an interest in the arts from quite an early age.

What drew you to be involved in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast the Musical?
I knew it would be a magical production to be a part of because the story and the music is so infectious! The magic on stage is incredible also – Disney uses cutting edge technology and illusions.

I love the many little details like the fact that Lumiere’s flames are real, and Mrs Potts has two spouts – one that smokes and one that doesn’t.

What is your favourite scene or number in the show choreography-wise?
‘Be Our Guest’ would absolutely have to be my favourite, there’s really nothing like it! For the first time ever in the show’s history, it includes a new spectacular tap finale featuring Lumiere, Belle, and all of the enchanted objects of the castle so that’s very cool for us to perform.

This production features new dance arrangements by David Chase which have allowed Matt West (who was the original choreographer and now is back as director and choreographer) to re-visit his work.

Matt will actually be with us in Brisbane for two weeks, so the cast is very excited to have him out from New York again.

What is the most rewarding and challenging part of this show?
Again, I’d have to say, ‘Be Our Guest’. The dancing is challenging but worth every bead of sweat. There are so many interesting little details in this number also, like the fact that there are 60 magnets in each ‘Be Our Guest’ wig, which help to secure our hats during the tap number as it’s so high intensity.

There is food on stage, an unbelievable illusion with Chip, microphones in our tap shoes, popping champagne bottles, amazing video projection and much more… but you’ll have to come see it for yourself.

As an audience member it all looks so beautiful and easy – you would never know all the tips and tricks that happens behind the scenes to achieve that effortless effect.

What is your favourite takeaway magic lesson from Beauty and the Beast and what is one of your favourite Disney films or TV shows in the last 100 years of The Walt Disney Company?
I loved the Little Mermaid when I was little, and I also loved the recent live action movie starring Halle Bailey as well!

I think the loveliest lesson in this show is not to judge a book by its cover. It feels particularly relevant in this day and age with social media so prevalent.

What did you love about the merging of the ballet and musical theatre worlds when you performed in ‘An American in Paris’?
I loved that it was more seamless and beautiful than I thought it would be. The way that the choreography was an integral part of the storytelling was something that I enjoyed most about performing the show.

Why do you think dance is important and how do you think it contributes to staying healthy, active and igniting creativity?
So many people grow to love dancing… usually starting out as a hobby as a child. Some take it further and make a career out of it, but I also see a lot of people return to dance as adults, and not always having done it as a child.

Whether you’re starting out as an adult, or you’re returning to it after dancing in your childhood, dance provides so much joy to those who participate. You can be any age, any skill level and try any style… all will bring joy, help you stay active and absolutely encourage creativity.

What 3 performers dead or alive would you love to have a dinner party with?
I think I would be inviting Robyn Hurder, Amber Ardolino and Ariana DeBose and there would definitely be cocktails!

What is it like juggling being a swing whilst understudying Mrs Potts and Madame and what does being a swing or cover mean to you?
It’s the best job ever! I’ve always loved being able to utilise every tool in my tool belt, and the role that I play in this production as a swing and understudy is that in a nutshell.

It means a lot to me that my personal strength for adapting and thinking on my feet is what contributes to making the show run smoothly.

What makes the stage version of Beauty and the Beast unique in comparison to watching the film?
In the musical, you really see the humanity of the enchanted objects characters. We get to see what these characters (that we know and love from the original movie) are really going through, up close and in detail as living, breathing “people” on the stage.

We actually had the original writer, Linda Woolverton, with us in Sydney during rehearsals and she was tweaking the script as she considered the characters and their responses in a modern 2023 setting.

Linda also wrote the original movie screenplay – at the time she was a young TV writer, completely new to the world of musicals – and she worked closely with the legendary lyricist Howard Ashman. They connected because they had a shared vision of a Disney heroine who was a reader and a thinker.

They wanted to create a young woman who was not longing for a prince. Our Belle, played by the fabulous Shubshri Kandiah, is an avid reader who wears glasses in this new production.

What has been your favourite moment being a swing and understudying lead characters?
I loved getting to play Mrs. Potts for the Relaxed Performance we did in Sydney.

Disney partnered with Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) to create a unique tailored performance which encouraged everyone to be themselves: to make sounds, move around, fidget or use noise cancelling headphones.

Getting to sing to an audience where I could see everyone’s faces because the auditorium lights were only partially dimmed was incredible.

It felt like the best bedtime story I’ve ever told, and a moment where I truly understood just how powerful this art form can be.

How excited are you to have your mum in the orchestra when you are here for the Brisbane season?
I am very excited to be performing with my mum, Karen, again in Brisbane! It feels like a full circle moment, being at QPAC especially, where both my parents have worked for my entire life with many different productions.

Why should Brisbane audiences come and see Beauty and the Beast on its Australian tour?
Brisbane audiences are going to love this production of Beauty and the Beast.