The “Beauty and the Beast” theme song seems to follow folks from childhood right the way through into adulthood. This Disney hit is a staple of every Western childhood, but when the star of the film’s live-action remake, Luke Evans, invited “the beauty to his beast” on stage to sing the theme song with him, no one could have expected Pussycat Dolls legend Nicole Scherzinger to step out for one of the best duets in the song’s history.
Luke (aged 43 at the time) introduces his film character Gaston on stage at his 2022 BBC special, “Luke Evans: Showtime!” flicking shots of the film on the screen behind and revealing, “We’re going to bring a bit of that movie magic to the stage tonight.” While Gaston, the villain, didn’t take on the film’s theme in the official movie, Luke Evans decided to break all the rules at his BBC special and claim his chance to sing the “big number.”
His revelation stirred some nervous laughter amongst his theatre audience. But he carried on, “[This song] has been recorded many, many times, by the way, as a duet. The Beauty to my beast tonight is one of the most accomplished singers I have ever come across […] Please welcome to the stage, Nicole Scherzinger.”
Nicole dazzles the room as soon as she steps out on stage; her silver glitterball dress cut at the waist and paired with crystal waterfall earrings. From her first tender notes, Music Man viewers will know they’re in for a treat, as she masters the song like it’s her own. This video has already amassed over 1.2M views in under two years, and it’s no wonder why!
Nicole (then aged 44) completely upstages the movie’s actual star, trying to stay on his level, but the power underlying Nicole’s vocals is just too spectacular for Luke’s solo lines to compete with. Luke Evans’ traditional voice is a flawless match for Disney musicals, however, and together, their harmonies are steeped in spellbinding bliss as Nicole’s tones cross from R&B to soul-infused gospel.
After the set, the duet settled into a short interview. Nicole flew from LA to the UK especially for this one-song gig, calling the UK her “second home” and revealing her obsession with the Welsh accent, “It’s very sing song. I feel like you guys would make a killing in voiceover work,” to which Luke joked, “I haven’t yet.”
Filmed at the ICC Wales, in Luke’s home country, Luke Evans: Showtime also featured the special guests: pop star Olly Murs; soul singer/actress Beverley Knight; and US singer/actress LeAnn Rimes.