The soundtrack for Sarah Litzsinger’s life is a Broadway melody.
It revolves around a love affair between a little girl from Carmel, Indiana who was captivated by the lights, music and magic of the stage. She made it to the Great White Way, starring as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” and toured with Donny Osmond in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
“You have to love this business to be an actor,” said Litzsinger, 44, who started performing on Broadway at 11. “You constantly have to prove yourself and you’re constantly being rejected. It gets harder as you get older.
“You must have the joy and passion for theater to put up with the struggle. You keep hearing ‘no’ at auditions but you always hope for that one ‘yes.’ When you get that ‘yes,’ it’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
Sarah’s passion for theater started when she was 6 and her mother — Villager Julie Litzsinger — took her to see “Annie” back in Indiana.
“I was mesmerized,” Sarah said during a recent visit to The Villages. “I was only 6 but that night I knew what I wanted to do – be on stage.”
Five years later, Litzsinger, 11, found herself on Broadway, in the play, “Marilyn: An American Fable.”
The stage version of Marilyn Monroe’s story, “was a big flop,” Litzsinger said during a recent visit to The Villages. “But I was hooked on Broadway. I just had to go back to New York.”
Julie Litzsinger went to New York to be with her young daughter.
“This was her dream,” the Duval resident said. “We were going to do whatever we could, to make it happen.”
Sarah never forgot her mother’s loyalty.
“My mother has been incredibly supportive,” she said. “She always told me I could do anything and to go for my dreams. She never doubted me.”
A year after “Marilyn,” Sarah landed the role of Bet, in the Broadway revival of “Oliver,” starring Patti LuPone and Ron Moody.
Sarah then returned to Indiana to finish high school, but soon after, it was back to New York.
She landed a spot in “Les Miserables” on Broadway, and then toured with Donny Osmond in “Joseph…” In 2000, Sarah took over the role of Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” She played the role for nearly two years, and a few years later would return to Broadway for another shot at Belle.
Litzsinger “holds the distinction of being Broadway’s longest running Belle,” stated Playbill magazine.
“I loved being Belle,” Litzsinger said. “When I saw the movie, the music was so moving. It was a joy to work with and sing the music of (composer) Alan Menken.”
Outside, the temperature was in the 90s and for Sarah, it had been a long, hot day in The Villages.
“I love this place, there’s so much to do,” she said, wearing a gray sweatshirt, white jacket and sneakers.
Litzsinger is the ideal Belle. She’s pert, friendly, and bubbles with an aura of sweetness to go with reddish-brown hair and an infectious smile.
“I’ve been running around all day,” Sarah said. “This place reminds me of Disneyland. I wouldn’t mind living here when I retire. It’s a perfect transition for anyone.”
It’s also an exciting time for her family.
Julie Litzsinger, her mother, will soon marry another Villager, Carmen DeWitt.
“My mother is so happy here,” Sarah said.
“It’s great to have Sarah here with us,” Julie said.
Sarah Litzsinger talked about some of the famous people she has worked with in theater. One is Burke Moses – her boyfriend – who happened to play Gaston in the original Broadway production of “Beauty and the Beast.”
“I wasn’t in that show,” Sarah said. “We met later on.”
One of her close friends is actress Kate Reinders, who played Glinda in the Broadway production of “Wicked.”
Sarah and Reinders are currently writing a musical.
Litzsinger appeared in the short-lived Broadway musical, “Amour.” She has also met and worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, who wrote such classics as “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Litzsinger starred as Eva Peron in the national tour of “Evita.” She also auditioned for Webber in London for a show called ‘The Beautiful Game,’ she said. “He was very nice.”
Donny Osmond was more fun.
“He’s a class guy and a lot of fun,” said Sarah, who played ‘The Narrator’ in “Joseph…”
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Donny Osmond,” she added. “The first time we rehearsed, I was so nervous, I forgot my lines. Donny just smiled and said not to worry. He was great.”
So was Ron Moody, who played Fagin in “Oliver!”
“He was such a sweet guy, and very genuine,” she said.
The same adjectives apply for Sarah Litzsinger. That name could have been a problem early in her career.
“Somebody wanted me to change it to Sarah Singer but I wouldn’t,” she said. “It just wasn’t me.”