SUSAN EGAN (Meg) lends her exquisite singing voice and versatile acting talent to the voice of this Grecian beauty with a tough exterior and a heart of gold.
"I've auditioned for every animated feature since 'Beauty and the Beast,'" says Egan, "and getting a role in a Disney film has always been one of my biggest dreams. At first, they weren't even going to let me audition for this role because I was already playing Belle on Broadway and they must have thought I was like Belle. But I finally got a chance to try out and show them that I could do something completely opposite. They described Meg as sort of a sexy Barbara Stanwyck type and I'm a sucker for those old screwball comedies."
Describing her character, Egan says, "Meg is definitely sarcastic and a little jaded. She can just look at a guy who's as innocent as Hercules and push all his buttons. She knows how to make him as uncomfortable as possible and that's very funny. John and Ron are tremendous and really helped me through my first voiceover assignment. They're so articulate with the things they want conveyed in your delivery. They're also very funny and always throwing new jokes at you. They delight in something well done and you feel really good when you've done something that pleases them or makes them laugh."
She originated the role of Belle in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway (Tony and Drama Desk nominations) and Los Angeles (Drama-Logue Award). After two-and-a-half years and over 700 performances, she finally hung up her yellow ball gown last March. Following her stint as Belle, she went on to star on Broadway as Margy in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "State Fair," a role she originated in the play's 1992 production. She has toured the country as Kim MacAfee in the national tour revival of "Bye, Bye Birdie" with Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking. Her regional credits include the leading roles in "The Sound of Music," "Singin' in the Rain," "No, No Nanette," "Baby," "South Pacific," "Sunday in the Park With George," "My One and Only" and "42nd Street." On television, she has appeared on "Party of Five," "Almost Perfect," "Partners," "The Best Years," "All My Children," "Loving" and movies of the week for ABC, CBS and the Disney Channel. She is recording two albums for the Varese-Sarabande label: a collection of "Peter Pan" and the musical "Drat the Cat." In addition to performing, Egan produces off-Broadway theater and tours with her partner Michael Rafael, and has founded Favored Nations, a performance group of Broadway actors dedicated to the nurturing of new theatrical works.
