Liam’s (L) voice was so low I had to leaned forward while we were in a brief interview. He is now living the dream of million other children at his age: on a Disney tour around the planet. Fascinating indeed, and exhausting at the very same time. As I interviewed him, Liam was on “Beauty and the Beast World Tour.” Here’s the excerpt of our conversation.
AP: Since what age have you started to perform on stage?
L: Maybe 3 or 5 years old and now I’m 10.
AP: How do you feel to be on Disney’s Musical?
L: I haven’t done a show for a while. I should do this and the experience is amazing and I have no regrets saying yes.
AP: How about the jetlag?
L: Quite a bit sometimes. From New York to Bangkok, because our first stop is Bangkok, it was 24 hours and I was definitely sleeping in the day and waking up at night.
AP: How about your school?
L: That’s a bit of a problem but that’s okay. They know that I am working on a tour because this is my job. This is what I have to do. So it’s really hard to leave home, and my friends, family and my pets.
AP: You have pets? What are they?
L: I have two pets. A rabbit and two cats.
AP: What lesson do you want Indonesian kids learn from Ms. Potts? E: Stay positive! Things are gonna work out. She tries to keep the innocent Chip, who is turned into a cup, optimistic. For kids and all audience, I think : stay curious and stay positive, and to look beyond the exterior of somebody. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
AP: What’s your most challenging scene in the show?
L: It’s actually when I say:”Mama mama, you’re not gonna believe what I saw!” l Because it’s really long and I have to say it fast. And the other is when I am asking if it’s possible for me to be human again.
E: I think the hardest part of me is when there’s a moment in the show when things don’t seem to work out for Belle and the Beast. And I am the one that kind of have to tell the Beast that because he doesn’t quite realize that things are not gonna work out. And that’s really hard because Ms. Potts has become so optimistic about the whole thing, she always is holding up hope. And there is a moment where it looks like hope is not there anymore. And to tell somebody else that is so heartbreaking.
A: What’s the hardest part of the show?
E: I’d say the biggest difficulty for me is keeping it fresh every night because we have done lots of shows and travel a lot. We experience jetlag, different cultures, different time zones, etc. Having to leave all of that, we must put on the costumes and be like the very first time we’re stepping on stage. That’s the challenge of an actor, the hardest and also the most rewarding.
L: When I have to change my tone of voice. Because my voice is low. When I’m getting into the scene, it’s also easy for me to think I am in the movie and I am Chip.
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