Kyra Belle Johnson and Fergie L. Phillipe star in a touring production of “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s at the Benedum Center through Sunday.
One thing the Pittsburgh area continues to produce in abundance is theatrical talent-and Grace Marie Rusnica is a prime example.
From Irwin, Rusnica has been touring the country with the newly reimagined 30th anniversary tour of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” which is at the Benedum Center through Sunday. For the actress, the engagement is a homecoming of sorts that began with a dream and continues with a career.
Becoming Belle
Rusnica began honing her craft at the age of 2 at the Extreme Dance Center, now located in Greensburg. By the time she was 6, she was performing onstage at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale. She later trained at Stage Right! School for Performing Arts and Professional Theater Company and is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s prestigious College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
You could say that Rusnica’s career has come full circle since attending her first musical, “Annie” at the Benedum Center as a child. According to Rusnica, that performance was a turning point in her life.
“My mom remembers asking me after the show if it was something I’d like to do someday,” she said. “That’s how everything got started. Getting to travel the country now and coming back to this stage feels incredible.”
Rusnica performs in the ensemble and serves as an understudy for Belle, a role she has had the opportunity to play 15 times so far.
“I get to experience the best of both worlds and meeting everyone afterwards as Belle is so special,” she said, mentioning the joy of seeing so many young children dressed up as princesses.
Rusnica is able to bring part of her personality to the portrayal of Belle.
“I identify with her because she is so grounded, independent and curious. She holds her own with Gaston, the town flirt. With the Beast she is able to open his heart and mind in a way,” said Rusnica.
When the director saw her play Belle for the first time, he said, “That was so you.”
“I bring a bit of quirkiness to the role, adding the occasional comic or silly moment,” said Rusnica, adding that it’s important to add dimension to the character.
Rusnica has also earned praise from critics. BroadwayWorld reviewer Jeffrey Kare said, “Rusnica delivers quite a strong performance overall. Her standout moments are especially her two big solo numbers written specifically for the stage, ‘Home’ and ‘A Change in Me.’ She’s also well-matched by Fergie L. Philippe, who’s very good as The Beast.”
An area rich with opportunity
For Rusnica, growing up in Westmoreland County provided a strong foundation for honing her skills in the arts.
“Lots of people assume I trained primarily in Pittsburgh, but there were many places to train in Greensburg and the smaller surrounding communities,” she said.
She credits Claudia Bernack, who is on the musical theater faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, for helping her pursue the profession and fine-tune her skills.
“This role is vocally demanding and there are so many little things that go into being able to do something like this. I credit everyone who helped shape me into a well-rounded person and performer,” she said.
The takeaway
Rusnica hopes young audience members, especially those from small towns, will derive inspiration from her Belle character.
As for advice, Rusnica said it’s important to put yourself out there.
“Go to see more shows. Take a dance class, or two,” she said. “The theater community is incredibly welcoming. If you walk into a room full of theater or art people, you’ll meet some of the most charismatic individuals imaginable. Step outside your comfort zone and it will pay off in more ways than you can imagine.”
