James Corden enlistedDan Stevens, Josh Gad and Luke Evans to join his ragtag Crosswalk theater companys production of Beauty and the Beast on the street outside CBS on The Late Late Show Wednesday.
The three actors reprised their roles as the Beast, LeFou and Gaston from Disneys upcoming live-action reboot, while Corden was not only the companys overzealous director, but also the lead, Belle. Daniel Day Lewis played Abraham Lincoln, Meryl Streep played Margaret Thatcher, James Corden played Belle, the host cracked. I think in many ways those three will always be regarded as similar if not the same.
After a frantic parking lot rehearsal, the show got underway with Corden leading a spirited performance of Belle the opener from the 1991 animated musical on the crosswalk before the lights changed. The company tore through similarly dangerous performances of Gaston and Be Our Guest, with car horns serving as applause.
For the finale, Corden arrived in Belles flowing golden gown. With a nervous Stevens, the pair danced to the films famous ballad, Beauty and the Beast. After the performance, a breathless Stevens raved: Across that road and on the other side was everything I love about theater and a gas station.
The former Broadway star is reimagining the reach of late-night TV one car ride at a time.