Audra McDonald's 'BATB' Journey Is Inspiring

As the world gets ready for the release of Beauty And The Beast, the cast of Disney's most magical musical has begun sharing their personal anecdotes about the movie. Broadway legend Audra McDonald, who plays Madame de Garderobe in the live-action version, spoke to Elle.com about her journey to starring in Beauty And The Beast, and she actually encountered a major rejection along the way. McDonald's talents as a performer are undeniable, but even the six-time Tony Award winner gets turned down from time to time. Which is exactly why McDonald's Beauty And The Beast journey proves you should never stop trying to achieve your dreams.

McDonald plays the cursed wardrobe in 2017's Beauty And The Beast, but she auditioned for a different role when the musical was first on Broadway. Discussing her history with the material, McDonald told Elle.com,

"I did not get cast. I had auditioned to be in the ensemble and I didn't make the cut... I told Alan Menken that the night before we started shooting. We were all out to dinner in London and I said, 'Hey Alan, I auditioned for this musical on Broadway.' And he went, 'I know! I know! I know! Does this help? Does this make up for it?' I said, 'Heck yeah.'"

Menken is a famed composer, responsible for the music in classic movies like Disney's The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, Aladdin, and Tangled. Basically, his work is legendary, but it still wasn't lost on him that a talent like McDonald previously auditioned for one of his shows and was rejected. It happens to everyone.

McDonald's story should serve as inspiration for anybody that's following their creative dream, but keeps receiving knock-backs or rejections. While it's par for the course to be rejected as an artist, singer, writer, or performer, it's not always easy dealing with the rejections. But if even an incredible singer like McDonald can get rejected from a role that she's clearly perfect for, it's just further proof that perseverance is the only answer.

Beauty And The Beast comes out on March 17, and looks every bit as magical as the Disney animation it's based on. Plus, it's exciting to find out that the movie helped McDonald achieve her dream of performing in the musical version of Beauty And The Beast. If you never stop trying, good things can happen.