The ones I can remember are;
Beyond My Wildest Dreams – I’m not sure if they’ve replaced a verse or added a new verse, but there were defiantly new lyrics on Saturday including the line “I’d scream if I only could”. It was quite early in the song, before the maids and Carlotta’s verse (I think, I can never quite remember everything perfectly unless I’ve seen or heard it a lot).
Finale – the “wedding vow” type verses were cut on Saturday (where he says he’ll be her land and she says she’ll be his tide), it still had the verse about looking to a new horizon before going into the main finale, but I really missed those verses as they were so beautifully written and sung.
There were probably others but those were the most noticeable. I really hope the extra finale verses are put back in, it’s still a beautiful ending but I really missed those extra verses having seen them on opening night.
I didn’t get chance to see Cody (he came out with J. J. on Saturday as well). I’m guessing they alternate nights so Cody would have done the Friday performance.
Meeting Alan was the highlight of my holiday (well joint with seeing TLM). He was a very nice guy. I had to catch him whilst he was on the phone or else he would have walked off, but he waited whilst he finished his call then spoke with me for a few minutes even though it was raining and all he probably wanted to do was get back to his hotel. He was a really nice guy and very open about the show. I told him I loved it and he said that it was terrible as bits of set were missing and the ending wasn’t finished. I guess he knows what it’s meant to be like and comparing it with that whilst we just watched it without that knowledge and thinking it was fantastic. He was very happy that we liked and said we should go back in about two months when it would be more polished. He even signed my Aladdin cassette (my first ever Disney soundtrack) for me so that really made my night (I’ll have to dig out my old scanner and attach it to this computer so I can show you that, but that really is a job for tomorrow).
Don’t worry about the silver one, thanks so much for lending me one! Thursday night was fantastic, best atmosphere I’ve ever known at a show, and the cast door was a great experience as all of the cast were so friendly! I actually bought a Sharpy and went to the cast door again on Saturday to get Eddie’s (Scuttle) autograph as I didn’t see him on Saturday. I also got another poster and got that signed just by Sierra which looks really nice. The cast door on Saturday was the complete opposite of Thursday; we didn’t stay long as I only wanted to meet Eddie, thank Norm and get one more autograph from Sierra, but there was hardly anyone there compared to the mad rush on Thursday. Norm was a really nice guy; a friend of his had come to see the show, so when he came out he gave the guy’s daughter an applause signed by everyone! Norm also said we should come and see the show on Broadway when I thanked him for letting me know to come on Friday to meet Alan. I’m thinking when Alan Menken and Norm Lewis tell me to do something I should do it (now I just need to find the money…) Sierra was really nice, she actually recognised Jane and I and thanked us for coming again!
Ok, I tried sleeping but I can’t so I’m going to try some type of review/summary now. Major spoilers will follow but most of you probably don’t care about that anyway
;Overture
The opening overture is very nice. I was surprised that they included music from Act 2 in the opening overture. A very nice piece of music, but given it’s by Alan Menken that’s not really a surprise (ok I’ll admit I’m biased and Menken is my favorite Disney composer and his films are my favorite Disney films).
The show opens with a brief underwater scene, where we quickly see Flounder (J. J. Singleton/Cody Hanford) and some other fish. The water effects are done extremely well. A shadow passes overhead, the fish swim away, and Eric’s ship comes down from above stage! I can’t explain just how fantastic this set was, it perfectly conveyed when you were above and below water, and the ship coming down was an amazing sight.
Fathoms Below/Where I Belong
When this wasn’t leaked with the rest of the demos I thought it would have some of the extended lyrics from the music behind the magic demo. What we actually get is much nicer, and finally Eric (Sean Palmer) sings! Yes, Sean has a wonderful voice (more on that later), but what I really liked about this song is that straight away it set Eric up as a deeper character than he was in the movie. In this one song we learn that he doesn’t want to marry a fancy Princess but wants someone that will be his equal at sea. Sure the married by your next birthday plot may be swiped straight from Aladdin, but it works for the story. The lead singer for Fathoms Below has a much deeper voice than the original movie version (or so it seemed to me). There’s also some great horseplay between Eric and Grimsby (Jonathon Freeman) whilst the others are singing if you watch closely.
Back under the sea we get our introduction to Triton (Norm Lewis) and Sebastian (Tituss Burgess). This is very similar to the original movie version except there is more exposition, linking the characters closer together. We learn that the celebration is for Triton’s victory over his sister Ursula (Sherie Rene Scott). We are also told that Ariel has the gift of her mother’s voice (and her mother here is clearly stated to have passed away).
Daughters of Triton
Exactly the same as the demo (which was slightly longer than the original film version) expect the sisters repeat “sister Ariel” at the end. It’s a great little introduction to the sisters (who will play a slightly larger role later) and Sebastian’s line at the end, “not again child, I was counting on you the most,” was so well delivered that you feel sorry for him!
This is also the first time you get a real look at the mermaid costumes. The actors and actresses were a kind of skirt to cover their legs and hide the heelies that allow them to glide along as if they’re swimming. The tail comes off just below the waist and the effect is far better than it sounds on paper, especially when combined with the set which sometimes hides the skirt and you only see the tails.
The World Above
Moving back to the surface (I really can’t put into words just how amazing the set and water effects were) we are introduced to Ariel (Sierra Boggess) with this new song. As an introduction to Ariel this works extremely well. It doesn’t showcase Sierra’s voice as much as the later numbers, but she still sounds beautiful. If you had any doubts about her being right for the part this song would put you at ease, the first time you see her she just looks and sounds the part so completely it is like the cartoon Ariel has come to life before your eyes. She is absolutely gorgeous and sings like an angel.
After the song Flounder comes up to Ariel and she teases him about being a guppy before showing him the fork she found. There’s no mention of the shark or the ship wreck, instead she says she found it in the wake of a giant ship. This leads straight to Scuttle (Eddie Korbich) and the Gulls. Scuttle’s introduction is exactly like the film, staring at Ariel through the wrong end of the telescope, and it still makes me laugh even 15 years later!
Human Stuff
Very similar to the demo version (the only difference I noticed is the line about the necklace “missing several carrots, but how about that smell” has been dropped and replaced with a line about hats). I loved this song in the demos and I loved it in the show. Eddie and the guys who play the other Gulls (I feel bad not knowing their names) are extremely good comic actors and it really works for this song.
This song is followed by one very similar to the film, Ariel realises she’s missed the concert and swims home. Even the dialogue is very similar to the film as Sebastian takes over the scolding of Ariel! This was a fantastic little scene, Norm was fantastic as the overprotective father, especially after he decided he was too hard on her as soon as she’d left. Tituss was equally great, you really get a Sebastian vibe from him. I loved his reaction to being told he had to watch Ariel (“but she’s a mermaid and I’m just a little crustacean, surely you want some one a bit higher up the evolutionary chain!”) and how he just ignored this order straight away when a pretty fish came along (“work now, baby-sit later)
I Want the Good Times Back
Now we come to the introduction of Flotsam (Tyler Maynard) and Jetsam (Derrick Baskin) and more importantly the introduction of Ursula. Before the song we get further back story that has been added for the musical; Triton and Ursula are the children of Poseidon and when he died he left half of the sea to Triton and half to Ursula. Triton also got the Trident and Ursula got the Shell (much bigger than the simple necklace of the film).
I actually like the song. Especially the opening of it where she sings about how she maimed and tortured “just a tad”. I think seeing it a second night helped. It took a while for “Wasting Away” to grow on me and this song was the same. Also nearly every song in the first half was sung better on Saturday (the second half was about equal bar a technical hitch in the final battle on Saturday) so that may be why I liked this more than Little Merboy. I also liked Ursula’s “sing or I’ll turn you into handbags” to Flotsam and Jetsam.
I really like the costume as well, it was much better than I thought they would be able to do on stage. Sure she’s not a huge as she was in the film, but the look she has works really well.
Like the demo of “Wasting Away”, this song if where she decided to get at Triton via Ariel.
Part of Your World
AMAZING! You can see with this song that Sierra has made the role her own. It’s not operatic like that brief clip on the official site (that really needs to be changed asap). I had shivers down my spine both nights listening to her sing this, it was fantastic. No changes in the lyrics, exactly like it was in the film.
Following this Sebastian comes to see Ariel and starts to lecture her about singing more when a shadow passes overhead and we go back to the surface with Eric’s ship. He’s still chasing Ariel’s voice (which he heard in the opening and refused to return to land until he’d found the source). This plays very like the film, with Ariel, Flounder and Scuttle looking up at Eric from the water, Scuttle making a great comment about how he’s never seen a human so close up before and how ugly Eric was with his chiselled jaw, square jaw and “two eyes the self same color”.
Storm at Sea
Musically I think this is very similar to the film score. The storm effect for the ship is very well done, as is Eric drowning and Ariel saving him (pushing him back up above the stage), then the set moves in a way that feels like you’re racing to the surface and suddenly Eric is lying on the beach with Ariel looking over him and Scuttle checking for a pulse in his foot (Eddie really is fantastic as Scuttle).
Part of Your World (Reprise)
Just like the film, Ariel sings the start to Eric, then hides on the rocks as Grimsby arrives. Eric tells him of this girl who saved him and her amazing voice and Grimsby dismisses it as a memory of his mother, when Eric says she’s real Grimsby replies “Of course she is my boy. As real as a siren. As real as a mermaid on the rocks.” Which leads into Ariel’s final verse (Sierra again absolutely amazing here). And if you watch closely Flotsam and Jetsam are watching from the back of the stage.
She’s in Love
Fantastic new song for Ariel’s sisters and Flounder. It really reminded me of some of the music from Hercules (especially the muses and “I Won’t Say I’m in Love”). I can’t comment on Cody as both performances I saw had J. J. as Flounder but that boy can sing. It’s just a really great cheesy number as the sisters try to figure out why Ariel’s acting so strange (“she’s even got new shells”)
I really loved Flounder as Triton quizzed him about Ariel; “I didn’t know she was in love until the second chorus”. And his quick exit when Sebastian mentions Eric.
Her Voice
There’s very little difference between this and the demo (it’s now “dawn steals by” rather than “slips by” and there’s some dialogue added between verses). It’s a fantastic song and Sean’s voice is incredible. The way he ends the song is great, just like in the demo he starts quiet and the power in his voice just grows with the music. It’s during this song that Grimsby proposes the idea of a singing contest to find who owns the voice.
The World Above (Reprise)
Back under the sea in Ariel’s grotto Ariel is looking at Eric’s telescope (and sounding scarily like Jodie Benson). As in the film Triton comes in and destroys the grotto. The song is very similar to the one in the demos (which I guess means the reprise may have been written before the main song). Norm is fantastic in this scene, I love the way he practically spits out the words “this filth you bring here” as he throws the telescope to the floor and breaks it. The song ends on the destruction of the grotto, Triton leaves and Ariel tells Sebastian that she hates her father.
Under the Sea
Ariel says she’s going to go to Eric’s palace and sing for him, like in the film Sebastian tries to prevent that, cheer her up and prove that life is better under the sea. Like the Broadway versions of “Be Our Guest” and “Gaston” this is extended by a dance number in the middle. There’s no new lyrics but the end is repeated to give it extra length. Tituss is wonderful in this song, he just has so much energy and enthusiasm. If I was to pick one song that improved the most between Thursday and Saturday it would be this one as it had so much more energy. Sebastian seems to have developed an eye for the ladies as he’s again distracted by a female whilst Ariel and Flounder slip away. One touch I loved in this song was that Sebastian acted like he was conducting the main orchestra
Sweet Child
Ariel plans to run away and is waiting for Flounder when Flotsam and Jetsam appear and persuade her to go to the sea witch, or as Ariel calls her “Aunt Ursula”. I must admit I never really liked this song in the demos, but seeing Derrick and Tyler sing it on stage and the way it fits the plot, it has really grown on me. And it works; Ariel is mad at her father, wants to be with Eric and given how protective Triton is it’s not hard to imagine Ariel and her sisters don’t know the full extent of Ursula’s evil. The eels play on her desires and get her to Ursula, setting up “Poor Unfortunate Souls”
Poor Unfortunate Souls
Pretty much word for word from the films (I remember one line was changed on Saturday, I can’t remember which line but I remember thinking “why change that?”). Sherie sings it well, and the addition of the line “not just any ink darling, use mine” makes it a “blood” contract and that much creepier. It’s a powerful end number and Ariel’s change to human which ends Act 1 is extremely well done (like Eric’s drowning earlier in the show).
Entr’acte
Act 2 begins with a short instrumental entr’acte. It’s shorter than the overture but very well done.
Positoovity
The show starts again right where it left off. Ariel is now struggling to stand and Scuttle tries to encourage her. I loved Sebastian’s line “What would your father say? He’d say I’m gonna kill me a crab that’s what he’d say!” This song hasn’t really changed since the demos but it’s a superb song (and I can’t say enough how good Eddie is as Scuttle) and a good opening to Act 2 with plenty of dancing.
Eric comes in at the end and shoos the gulls away, as Ariel falls into his arms he takes her back to the palace to get cleaned up and have a hot meal.
Beyond My Wildest Dreams
One of the best new songs added for this show (my girlfriend likes this best, I prefer “If Only”). As I mentioned above there have been some lyric changes even since this started. The main addition since the demo is a verse by Carlotta and the maids, with the maids asking what Eric sees in her. It’s a wonderful song (if you’ve not heard the demo and can wait then do as Sierra sings it beautifully and the additional lyrics just make the song even better) that starts with Ariel in the bath and ends with her dressed and ready for dinner.
Les Poissons
This is almost identical to the film if not a little more over the top. It’s really well played using a table cloth to cover Tituss and he just moves his hat (with eyes) around to represent Sebastian as Chef Louis tries to catch him.
Les Poisson (Reprise)
Chef Louis presents dinner to Eric, Ariel and Grimsby (following a near exact recreation of Ariel combing her hair with a fork and blowing smoke at Grimsby). This basically replaces Sebastian running across the table to Ariel with a big chase between Louis and Sebastian that disrupts dinner. But it does serve one very important purpose, in all the excitement it shows Eric that Ariel is not prim and proper like the other girls he’s met and is “swinging from the chandeliers”
One Step Close
Another new song for Eric (and probably my favorite new song of those added that weren’t in the demos). This song has Eric teaching Ariel to dance and explaining that you can speak without saying a word. It’s the first real romantic moment between them (barring POYW reprise but Eric was out cold for most of that) and it is very well done, really adding depth to Eric and showing him falling for the girl as well as the voice (I know he does in the movie as well but it’s much deeper here). Sean does this song really well.
This is followed by Ariel getting into bed and talking with Sebastian who agrees to help her win Eric so she won’t be miserable the rest of her life.
I Want the Good Times Back (Reprise)
Ursula has watched this and is worried that Eric is getting too close to Ariel;
Ursula: The only thing more potent than my black magic
Flotsam/Jetsam: True love?
Ursula: Teenage hormones
She watches Triton ask Flounder where Ariel is (via the Shell) and she then sings a very short reprise about how the good times will be back in 2 days
Kiss the Girl
This has to be one of my favorite scenes in the show. The set for it is gorgeous. There is a nice line from Eric about how other girls wouldn’t even think about coming out in boat with him (again adding more to the relationship than her voice and linking back to his opening song). I liked Sebastian’s line “This is goin nowhere fast” when Eric started talking about the weather! The song is identical to the film (right down to Scuttle’s squawking) and Tituss does it extremely well, I actually preferred this to “Under the Sea”. The only change is the eels electrocute the boat rather than tip it over and Eric decides they’d better head back.
Sweet Child (Reprise)
A nice little reprise about how Ariel has no chance of getting a kiss now. Again superb performances by Derrick and Tyler.
If Only/Her Voice
My personal favorite of the new songs. It starts with just Ariel on stage in bed, Eric is no longer in the start of the song, he comes in only when he starts singing in the demo (his boat comes down and has kind of a starry/see-through type look to it). After Eric does his first verse Sebastian’s reprise from the demos has been added in, followed by a verse from Triton (saying how she’s now been missing 2 days). Then the four sing together (Eric’s “not that voice” comes here), ending on the other three doing “If Only” whilst Eric sings the final verse of “memories fade, etc.” It is an absolutely beautiful song, even after hearing it twice I don’t feel like I’ve taken it in properly and don’t think I’ll be able to until the CD comes out. All four have beautiful voices and when they all came together it was like nothing I’d heard before.
Her Voice (Reprise)
Sebastian (encourage by Flounder) confesses what’s happened to Triton)
Ursula watches via the Shell then sings, mocking Ariel for having no voice
The Contest
The only song from Grimsby (I wish Jonathon Freeman could have had more, he was fantastic as Jafar). This song is mostly the princesses (aka Ariel’s sisters) singing different lyrics to “Part of Your World” to convince Eric that they’re the one. There’s a very beautiful moment at the end when Ariel tries to sing for him and Eric says “I heard every word” and chooses her. Even when he hears Ariel’s voice (from the Shell) he says it doesn’t matter he’s made his choice.
Ursula then arrives at the palace and floods it, claiming Ariel as her own (3 days have now passed) and revealing to Eric that she was really a mermaid. This is where the show differs most from the film. Ursula does not become human (probably because she could never have an identical singing voice and they don’t want to use more than ah ah ah pre-recorded) and Ariel never changes back into a mermaid. Triton arrives demanding that Ursula changes Ariel back. Triton agrees to give up his throne and Trident in return for Ariel’s freedom.
Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)
Ursula sings about how the power of Poseidon has once again been made whole. This is probably my favorite of the Ursula reprises and Sherie does it well.
Ariel grabs the shell and threatens to break it. Ursula laughs and says that if she does that her voice will be lost forever. Eric then swims down from above and grabs the Trident from Ursula. Eric gives the Trident to Triton as Ariel breaks the Shell. Eric swimming down from above is very well done. Triton then blasts Ursula away.
Eric then asks Triton for his permission to marry Ariel, to which Triton responds it is her choice. Ariel nods and kisses him, them says “Eric”, her voice restored.
If Only (Reprise)
Norm then does a fantastic reprise of “If Only”, saying if he could make time stop he would, before going on to say (in dialogue) that he should have seen she was growing up and needed to make her own choices (he gave the kingdom its independence but denied it to his daughter). There’s a lovely moment where Ariel asks his forgiveness and he replies, “For what? Growing up? I’ll think about it”. You get a very strong sense of family from Sierra and Norm throughout the whole show, but it’s especially strong in this scene.
Finale Ultimo
When I saw this on Thursday it became my favorite ending to any Disney Broadway musical (I can’t judge Tarzan or On the Record as I never saw them, but in terms of just lyrics and additional lyrics TLM is still the best). It was still the best on Saturday, but I hope they rethink the cuts, the full version was so much better.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve never heard the extra verse or two you’ll never miss it (it’s still longer than both film and demo finales) but if you saw it on Thursday (and maybe Friday?) and they don’t put it back in then you’ll probably notice something missing. Either way it’s still the best finale to the best Disney Broadway show and I can’t wait to see it again (even if it does bankrupt me) and the CD can’t come fast enough.
I think that wraps it up for now (this is way too long as it is). I had a great holiday, I can’t believe I actually got to meet Alan Menken and be in the first audience to see The Little Mermaid. It was a dream come true and I wish the show all the best on Broadway, I hope I get chance to see it there (and it better hurry up and get to the West End!).
I really should proof read this but I'm too tired! I can always edit it tomorrow if there's something really wrong with it...
. But it's going on tour for a while 
.
