The beloved musical plays the National Theatre through April 5
Matthew Murphy. (c) Disney
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will be delighting audiences at the National Theatre through April 5, as the lavish production features spectacular new sets, dazzling costumes and the beloved songs that have made the musical a classic for generations.
For Northern Virginia native Ellen Roberts, the production represents something even more meaningful: a dream opportunity just beginning to unfold.
Roberts, who grew up in Alexandria, is part of the company as a swing—a demanding role that requires her to cover multiple ensemble parts and be ready to step on stage at a moment’s notice. The job calls for intense preparation and adaptability, but it is exactly the kind of challenge she relishes as she launches her professional career.
Ted Elly
The path that led Roberts to a national tour began early. She started dancing when she was just 3 years old, and by 6, she was studying at the Washington Ballet. From the beginning, performance felt like a natural fit.
“It was always my passion,” she said. “It was always just the thing that made the most sense to me.”
While ballet dominated much of her training, musical theater entered her life through a family connection. Her mother ran a summer theater program for children at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, giving Roberts her first exposure to musicals.
“I did a lot of community theater in Alexandria,” she recalled. “Although I did lots and lots of ballet, I feel like my heart was always really in the community theater that I did. It was like my favorite thing ever.”
Her training eventually took her to the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C., where she attended boarding school for ballet. Later, she returned to Northern Virginia and completed high school at the Metropolitan School of the Arts. From there, she continued pursuing musical theater, eventually graduating from the Boston Conservatory in 2025.
Remarkably, Roberts began the “Beauty and the Beast” tour almost immediately after finishing college.
“I started this tour two days after I graduated from the Boston Conservatory,” she said. “So that was really just a dream come true.”
Her position as a swing makes her one of the most versatile performers in the company. In musical theater, a swing learns multiple ensemble roles and must be prepared to step into any of them, sometimes with little notice.
Roberts currently covers six different ensemble tracks, each with its own choreography, staging and costume changes. Because the musical features large, dance-heavy numbers such as “Be Our Guest,” the workload is especially demanding.
“At any given point, I could be on for any of them,” she explained. “So it’s a lot of dancing, very, very heavy dancing. I have to know everybody’s track at all times.”
Keeping all of those roles organized requires discipline and creativity. Early in rehearsals, Roberts created a detailed digital document mapping out each performer’s movements and responsibilities. That eventually turned into a binder, and later she condensed the information into index cards for quick reference backstage.
She also relies heavily on spatial awareness. Like many Broadway-scale productions, the show uses numbered stage positions invisible to the audience.
“As long as I’m on my number, I know that I’m in the right spot,” she said. “Eventually, you just memorize those numbers, and it becomes muscle memory.”
Despite the pressure of being ready to jump into any role, Roberts describes the job as exhilarating. “It’s a crazy job, but I love it so much,” she said.
Touring life has also been an adventure. As the company travels across the country performing eight shows a week, Roberts has created a personal tradition that helps her explore each new city: visiting at least one local coffee shop. “That’s kind of how I keep track of this tour,” she said. “I try to find one local coffee shop in every city.”
Life on the road also fosters strong bonds among cast members. The swings in particular have developed a close-knit group, united by the unique demands of their role. “We have a certain bond because we’re doing this crazy job all together,” Roberts said. “We even had a swing dinner recently. Everyone in the cast is just wonderful.”
Performing in “Beauty and the Beast” carries special meaning for Roberts because she grew up loving the story. Like many fans of the Disney classic, she remembers watching the animated film as a child and even wearing a Belle costume during a family trip to Disney World.
Now she gets to help bring the tale to life on stage every night. “It’s just a dream come true,” she said.
Looking ahead, Roberts hopes to continue building her career in musical theater. Appearing on Broadway is a long-term goal, and she would love to work on more Disney productions. Eventually, she also hopes to share her knowledge as a dance teacher.
For now, however, she is focused on making the most of the tour — performing for audiences across the country and returning home to Northern Virginia with a production that celebrates one of musical theater’s most beloved stories.
When “Beauty and the Beast” arrives at the National Theatre, Roberts will be ready — whether she’s backstage preparing or stepping into one of the show’s dazzling ensemble numbers.
“It’s just magical,” she said. “Getting to do this every night is incredible.”
