Susan Egan: The Stage and Screen Disney Princess
Susan Egan is a Broadway, television, and film actress who is best known for portraying two Disney princesses. She originated the role of Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway in 1993 (earning her a Tony Award Nomination) and she voiced Meg in the movie Hercules (1997). In addition to these two roles, she provided the voice of Lin in Disney’s Spirited Away (2001), starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Gotta Kick it Up! (2002), and provided the singing voice (not the speaking voice) of Angel in the direct-to-video sequel, Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure (2001). She reprised her role as Meg in Disney’s Video Game Kingdom Hearts 2 (2005).
Egan’s career has had many “star turns.” After portraying Belle on Broadway for one year, she replaced Natasha Richardson as Sally Bowles in Cabaret in 1999. She recreated the role of Belle for the Los Angeles production of Beauty and the Beast in 1995, along with many of the other Broadway cast members. She portrayed Maria in The Sound of Music in 1996 at the Sacramento Music Circus and as Molly Brown in The Unsinkable Molly Brown in 2002. On television, she portrayed Nikki Cox’s best friend, Mary in Nikki (2000-2002). She also acted in the romantic comedy, 13 Going on 30 (2004).
I had the rare privilege of getting to meet Ms. Egan recently (more on that later). I took a cruise aboard the ship known as the Disney Wonder of the Disney Cruise Line where she was giving a concert. She began by introducing herself and singing “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog (2009). She also sang a medley of Judy Garland songs (i.e “Over the Rainbow,” “The Trolley Song”), and a medley of Disney princess songs (“Colors of the Wind,” “God Help the Outcasts,” and “Let it Go”), and also a medley of “Beauty/Beast” songs (“Belle,” “Be Our Guest,” “Beauty and the Beast,”). All throughout her songs, she told stories about her career, many of which were quite humorous.
My personal favorite was the one about how fortunate she was to land the role of Meg in Hercules (1997). She had been auditioning for the female leading roles for every Disney Animated Feature since Beauty and the Beast (1991). Alan Menken, who had previously collaborated with Egan on the Broadway adaptation of “Beauty/Beast” (and who was to compose the music for Hercules (1997)) told her that she would not be right for the role of Meg, because the character was a wisecracking, sarcastic, smart aleck who was nothing at all like Belle. Susan Egan, actually is a very sarcastic, wisecracker in real life, and so the role of Meg was very easy for her to identify with, and Menken ultimately revoked his previous opinion, bringing her into read for the part, and she was cast. Menken, along with David Zippel (lyricist of Mulan (1998)) initially wrote a ballad for Egan to sing as Meg entitled “I Can’t Believe My Heart,” which she was very thrilled about singing. However, Ken Duncan, who was the supervising animator for Meg noticed that the song was out of character for Meg, because it just didn’t fit her personality. Menken and Zippel then went on to compose the song “I Won’t Say I’m In Love,” which wound up being used in the movie. Ms. Egan sang the song at the concert I attended, and Disney was kind enough to donate the scene from the film to the ship for the concert, sans audio, for our viewing pleasure.
On the very last day of the cruise, I got the chance to meet her and tell her how much I loved her concert. I said to her that she gave the greatest concert I’ve ever been to in my life, and she replied “You are so kind,” thanked me immensely, and then wrote the words “Love to Aaron: Susan Egan, Broadway Belle and Meg.”
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