A veteran of the New York stage, Paige made her Broadway debut playing Ellie May Chipley in the 1983 Broadway revival of Showboat starring Donald O'Connor. She was also featured as Ellie in the Houston Grand Opera's 1989 production allowing her to make her international debut when the production opened the Cairo Opera House in Egypt. In 1989, Ms. O'Hara went on to sing the role of Ellie on what has come to be considered the definitive Grammy-nominated recording of the musical with Jerry Hadley, Frederica Von Stade and Teresa Stratus, conducted by John McGlinn on the Angel EMI label.
Ms. O'Hara starred as Fantine in the award-winning Les Miserables on Broadway, and performed the title role in the The Mystery of Edwin Drood both on Broadway and in the national tour with the late George Rose, Clive Revill and Jean Stapleton. Also on national tour, she co-starred as Ado Annie in the classic Oklahoma! directed by William Hammerstein.
On the International front she has travelled to Australia to star as Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and most recently toured Japan as Special Guest with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. In London she has starred as Venus in the BBC's recorded broadcast of the live presentation of Kurt Weill's One Touch of Venus and is featured prominently on the recordings of Mack and Mabel in Concert, also recorded live in London with an all-star cast including Tommy Tune, Georgia Brown and George Hearn. Paige costarred with Maureen McGovern in Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing / Let 'Em Eat Cake, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, which was also Grammy nominated. Her recording of Jerome Kern's Sitting Pretty was released on the New World label, and a new and complete version of South Pacific opposite Justino Diaz was released in 1997.
Still in the recording world, Ms. O'Hara saw her debut solo recording released just a few years ago in Europe and the U.S. Entitled Loving You: Paige O'Hara Sings Jerry Herman the CD features such classic Herman tunes as "La Cage Aux Folles", "Loving You" from the film Mame (a duet with husband Michael Piontek) and "It Only Takes A Moment" from Hello Dolly. Paige's latest solo recording, a collection of lullabies entitled Dream With Me includes her singing the title song from "Beauty and the Beast" for the first time, and a duet of "When You Wish Upon A Star" with Jodi Benson best know as Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
On the American stage Ms. O'Hara has also starred in the concert stagings of Sitting Pretty, The Cat and the Fiddle, Oh Boy, and Oh Lady! Lady!, all at Carnegie Hall as well as One Touch of Venus at Town Hall. She is a veteran of regional theater including the title role in Evita, starring in Paint Your Wagon opposite Jose Ferrer and achieved great critical acclaim as murderess Winnie Ruth Judd in the drama Tiger Lady.
Stories
Paige O'Hara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I get to know him
And find more things to say
One day I will reach him
There has to be a way
Everyone needs someone
When I get to know him better
Here's what I will do
I'll read him stories
From picture books
All filled with wonder
Magic worlds where the impossible
Becomes the everyday
We'll find a mountain-top
And some moon-beams to sit under
I'll lead, because I know the way!
So much to discover
I do it all the time
I could live inside bright pages
Where the words all rhyme
We will slay the dragons
I'll still follow him around
And he'll smile
Yes, he'll smile
As his dreams leave the ground!
Stories and stories
About mermaids, kings and sunken treasure
Magic worlds where the impossible
Becomes the everyday
I know a tiny place
Just a dot,
Too small to measure
I'll lead him there, I know the way!
Stories about heroes
Who overcame
Their deepest sorrows
They'll put hope into his heart again
To cherish everyday
He'll find a better world
And the strength to face tomorrow
I'm sure that when he knows the way
He'll want to stay...
The lyrics to Paige O'Hara's song "Stories" from the movie "Beauty and the Beast" are filled with hope and optimism, as Belle sings about her intentions to get to know the Beast and find a way to break the curse that has transformed him into a monster. She believes that everyone needs someone in their life, and is determined to be that person for the Beast, even though he seems to be unreachable at first. Belle's plan is to read him stories from picture books, all filled with wonder and magic worlds that will transport him from his bleak reality to a place where anything is possible. She is confident that she'll be able to find a way to reach him, and that once he feels comforted and understood, he'll be able to smile again.
The song is an important moment in the movie, as it highlights Belle's empathy and kindness towards a character that everyone else perceives as a threat. It also shows her love for storytelling and the power that words have to create new worlds and inspire hope. The lyrics are written in a playful and imaginative tone, making it easy to picture Belle and the Beast sitting under moonbeams and slaying dragons together.
Overall, "Stories" is a heartwarming song about the power of love and imagination to transform even the most unlikely of situations.
Line by Line Meaning
When I get to know him
Belle wants to know the person she’s singing about better.
And find more things to say
She wants to be able to have deeper conversations with him.
One day I will reach him
Belle hopes to make a deeper connection with him.
There has to be a way
Belle believes that it's possible to reach him.
Everyone needs someone
Belle believes that everyone needs someone to lean on.
He must need someone, too!
She believes that the person she's singing about needs someone in his life.
When I get to know him better
Belle hopes to get to know this person in a better way.
Here's what I will do
Belle has a plan in mind.
I'll read him stories
Belle wants to entertain this person with stories.
From picture books
She plans to use picture books to show him the stories.
All filled with wonder
The stories will be filled with magical wonder.
Magic worlds where the impossible
The stories will take them to magical worlds.
Becomes the everyday
The impossible becomes ordinary in these magical worlds.
We'll find a mountain-top
Belle wants to take him on a journey to a mountain top.
And some moon-beams to sit under
They will sit under the moon-beams and enjoy the stories.
I'll lead, because I know the way!
Belle is confident in her ability to lead him on this journey.
So much to discover
There's so much to explore in these magical worlds.
I do it all the time
Belle loves exploring the stories and the worlds in them.
I could live inside bright pages
Belle finds comfort in books and loves living in the stories.
Where the words all rhyme
She enjoys the rhythm and rhyme of the words in these stories.
We will slay the dragons
Belle and this person will take on the challenges in the stories together.
I'll still follow him around
Belle will stay with him and support him.
And he'll smile
They will enjoy their time together.
Yes, he'll smile
She's sure he'll enjoy the journey too.
As his dreams leave the ground!
They will both soar up from the ground towards their dreams.
Stories and stories
Belle has so many stories to share.
About mermaids, kings and sunken treasure
The stories are about all sorts of magical things and places.
I know a tiny place
There's a special place that Belle wants to share with him.
Just a dot,
It’s a very small place.
Too small to measure
It's so small that it can’t be measured.
I'll lead him there, I know the way!
She’s eager to show him this special place.
Stories about heroes
The stories are about people who have overcome their struggles.
Who overcame
These people have faced their fears and won.
Their deepest sorrows
The stories are about people who have experienced deep sadness.
They'll put hope into his heart again
These stories will give him hope and strength.
To cherish every day
He will gain a deeper appreciation for life.
He'll find a better world
He’ll see the world in a better light.
And the strength to face tomorrow
The stories will give him the courage to face the future.
I'm sure that when he knows the way
Belle is confident that he will love the stories and the journey.
He'll want to stay...
He’ll want to stay to enjoy the magic and wonder of the stories and their journey together.
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.