The Little Mermaid on Broadway

[jeremy88]

Which brings another question to my mind, where was Scuttle in the climax of the movie (when Ursula becomes gigantic)?

He saw Vanessa transform into Ursula so he flew away and said "My work here is DONE!"

[Atlantica]

It's awful reading that review, after all the wonderful things people have been saying about it! Feels quite devastating

But, then again, it seems the reviewer has no idea what they are talking about; putting 'Under the Sea' first in the musical?! That would make no sense whatsoever! It would be just stupid to do that; have they seen the film?

Ariel herself is supposed to be one of the highlights of the show! And the fabby costumes, sets, songs etc are just dismissed. Its a shame they feel that way, when the show seems so good.

I loved the videos! They are just wonderful; I agree, I especially love 'Beyond My Wildest Dreams'.

These were posted on Little Ariel, and I thought I'd share them here. I love the new taglines!




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IMG]http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o17/ ... ist042.jpg[/IMG]

[Ariel'sprince]

I agreed with you Atlanticaunderthesea.
i loved the new tagline it fits the movie .
too bad i can't see it .

[SpringHeelJack]

Well, they do bring up some good points. Why make the mermaids look "realistic", then go totally abstract with Flounder and Sebastian? If they have any sense, they should really focus on these problems and postpone the opening (what musicals used to do) to sort it all out. I doubt that will happen, since this will sell tickets solely because it's "The Little Mermaid", but it's a nice thought.

At least when I get the cast recording, I can just focu on the strength of the performers and Menken's music and not on the questionable rewrite of the second act and weird eye candy.

[Kossage]

Aww, Sierra looks cute in those pics. ^^

Also, thanks for providing us with those audio clips.

I wasn't expecting much of "I Want the Good Times Back", but to my amazement it was quite catchy, and Sherie obviously had fun singing that. I agree with Disney's Divinity about her not performing "Poor Unfortunate Souls" as well as she should've, but she might improve on that bit as time goes on. It'll just take a while for me to get used to her singing while I still remember Pat Carroll's vocals vividly.

"Beyond My Wildest Dreams" was quite sweet with the innocence and enthusiasm and all that (good job, Sierra!), and I smiled at the performance of Ariel's sisters in "She's in Love": it does sound like a hilarious showstopper. "Her Voice" was as good as I expected it to be, and the orchestra really intensified that song to new heights. "Part of Your World" sounded good too although it was a step behind Jodi's version.

That quartet version of "If Only" was jaw-droppingly beautiful and the true gem of those clips. I've heard people praising that, but I didn't expect it to be so much better than the demo version which was already great. Sierra and the others did a very good job with it. The drama and emotion in that song reminded me in part of the great "Esmeralda" song from Der Glöckner von Notre Dame cast recording (with the way how things are tied up together and how the performances are mixed to create a coherent whole), and I really liked how they managed to link the demo version stuff with new stuff and make it work in the end.

Heh, I can't wait to hear the cast recording.

[Atlantica]

Do you think the soundtrack will be availible from somewhere like Amazon? Or just Disney.com ?

It is due out in December, isnt it ?

[Disney's Divinity]

But, then again, it seems the reviewer has no idea what they are talking about; putting 'Under the Sea' first in the musical?! That would make no sense whatsoever! It would be just stupid to do that; have they seen the film?

I don't think that should discredit his/her complaints. In fact, it makes them more of a concern. A reviewer that isn't biased in the movie's favor is more likely to be objective when criticizing the show. It doesn't take a rabid follower to see that having Under the Sea after the destruction of Ariel's grotto is a ridiculus decision. You can't reach a moment like that and then say, "Okay, it's time to have a showstopper!" In fact, it just kind of screws up the moment, considering Ariel visits Ursula directly after.

Still, the reviewer most likely has seen the film, but its probably been a while. I mean, s/he does mention that the movie's songs are less spectacular in the show.

[ChrisLyne]

Wow that's a harsh review! The Denver ones at least gave a decent amount of praise as counter balance to constructive criticism.

I can only speak for myself, but I had no problems knowing when the show was above and below water and didn't ever need to be told what I was looking at.

The most abstract scene setting was "If Only/Her Voice" as you have Ariel and Sebastian in Ariel's bed chamber on one side of the stage, Triton under the sea on the other and Eric on his boat above, but it works really well and is one of the highlights of the second act.

I'll admit I was unsure about the costumes for Flounder and Sebastian (especially Flounder), but I soon forgot all about it, much like you forget about the guy in the suit holding Zazu when you see TLK. They are very simple, but they work. The mermaids are the most realistic as they are most like humans, the other underwater creatures are more abstract (like TLK but not quite the same scale) as to do the realistic would mean they looked like something from the theme park show and it wouldn't work for broadway.

The minimalist set and lighting works very well for the show (plus I know some set has been added since I last saw it as Alan Menken said the set was incomplete).

"Kiss the Girl" was fantastic when I saw it, "Under the Sea" was also great but not quite at the same level as "Kiss the Girl" yet.

"Under the Sea" would not have been a good opener for this. "Fathoms Below/Where I Belong" opens the show perfectly, with Eric's ship coming down from the rafters a great spectacle to open the show on. In terms of story it wouldn't work either.

As for it coming after the grotto being destroyed, it works much like it did in the movie, after Triton destroys the grotto Ariel is talking about going to Eric's palace and singing to him so Sebastian does "Under the Sea" to make her stay, but she still runs away and is taken to Ursula.

Though I do agree with the reviewer that Ursula's costume is fantastic and the lighting is exceptional at setting the mood. I wouldn't say Norm Lewis is wasted, he is exceptional with the material he has, though if they added an extra song for Triton I certainly wouldn't complain!

But then I'm looking at this as a fan and not a critic (though that said I'm a very picky fan who disliked the UK touring Gaston for being too cheesy and over the top in the first half which made it very hard to take him seriously as a villain, and hate the "p..p...p... please" and "deep breaths" for the Beast when the simple aggressive "please" from the movie was far better). I still stand by saying it is my favorite of the Disney Broadway shows, a position that was first held by Beauty and the Beast. It's not 100% perfect, that's why they're previewing it in Denver and making adjustments, but it is a fantastic show, far more so than that review makes out.

[Bewitched]

Could somebody that actually saw the show post a self-made drawing of ursula's costume? I'm quite curious 'bout how they recreated her tentacles and how they move.
I get the idea of the mermaids, but Ursula is still quite confusing....

[Disney's Divinity]

"One Step Closer" has been posted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ELSXkLB_Ng

I absolutely LOVE this song. Jig on the movie soundtrack was always a highlight for me, so I'm glad to see it was incorporated into a song.

[SpringHeelJack]

Do you think the soundtrack will be availible from somewhere like Amazon? Or just Disney.com ?

It is due out in December, isnt it ?

It will undoubtedly be sold anywhere CDs would normally be sold, like any other cast recording.

[SpringHeelJack]

Arguably, you could have a song that's not "Fathoms Below" as the opening number. I'm not saying they should use "Under the Sea", but I think the reviewer is driving towards a more upbeat opening. I love the song "Fathoms Below" in the movie, it's a great moment, but what works well in a movie will not necessarily work well on stage (and vice versa). If the theatrical department were more concerned with making an overall good show than a carbon copy of the movie with added songs, well... would that be a BAD thing?

I'll admit I was unsure about the costumes for Flounder and Sebastian (especially Flounder), but I soon forgot all about it, much like you forget about the guy in the suit holding Zazu when you see TLK.

Yeah, but in "The Lion King" everything's absract. It'd be one thing if they had realistic Lions romping about, then a guy in a bowler with a Zazu puppet come in, but every animal in the show in pretty abstract, so it has a cohesive feel to it. The problem that the reviewer (and I) have is that it feels half realistic direct "Beauty and the Beast" approach and half abstract "The Lion King" approach. It's poor art direction to have realistic mermaids, then a kid in shorts with a fauxhawk as a fish. You can't go halfway in something like this, you have to choose one or the other, and they just didn't know where to take it.

Not that any of this will make a difference, the show will naturally still sell tickets on name alone, but Disney Theatrical as of late seems more concerned with getting a show out fast than working it out fully.

Then again, I'm one of the people who thought that this was a bad idea. I love the movie to no end, it's the first one I ever saw in a theatre as a kid, but some good things should just stay as a movie.

[Disney Duster]

"One Step Closer" has been posted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ELSXkLB_Ng

I absolutely LOVE this song. Jig on the movie soundtrack was always a highlight for me, so I'm glad to see it was incorporated into a song.

Thanks for that! I liked it, and like that it was based on that Jig the sailors did, but it will take some getting used to. I heard "Just let go of emotions, tell your body what to do. See how much a single gesture can reveaaallll" and expected him to finish with the rest of the familiar melody! Like, "See how much a single gesture can reveal something true" or something. Oh well.

It seems people who don't like "One Step Closer" forget that it was in the movie, and I wonder if the Variety reviewer by any chance forgot "Fathoms Below" was actually in the movie, too! As in, maybe they only remember the big songs.

Oh, Disney's Divinity, why did you think Sherie Rene Scott made "Poor Unfortunate Souls" one big joke? Was it not somber or melancholy enough? What was the joke, or was it just too light, not serious, not potent?

SpringHeelJack, since you did proclaim yourself a fan of Beauty and the Beast, and you are so into all theater, not just commercial or popular fare, from what I can tell, why did you not think The Little Mermaid would make a great musical? Or is it that you didn't think it would make a good musical when you heard of what creative team was behind it, or how they were going to do it?

And maybe there is a way to mix abstract and realism. What if the human characters looked realistic and then the animals were abstract, almost like saying that Ariel becoming part of Eric's world is like her going to the realistic world she belongs in? Or she was abstract like everyone else underwater until she wore usual clothes above, with a more worldy palace? Then it would be like she was becoming human not just in a species sense, but in an artistic sense.

[SpringHeelJack]

SpringHeelJack, since you did proclaim yourself a fan of Beauty and the Beast, and you are so into all theater, not just commercial or popular fare, from what I can tell, why did you not think The Little Mermaid would make a great musical? Or is it that you didn't think it would make a good musical when you heard of what creative team was behind it, or how they were going to do it?

And maybe there is a way to mix abstract and realism. What if the human characters looked realistic and then the animals were abstract, almost like saying that Ariel becoming part of Eric's world is like her going to the realistic world she belongs in? Or she was abstract like everyone else underwater until she wore usual clothes above, with a more worldy palace? Then it would be like she was becoming human not just in a species sense, but in an artistic sense.

I didn't think it would make a good musical because of the fact that 60% of the movie is underwater, the climax would be hard to reproduce, and the entire oceanic environment would be tricky. I personally hated the idea of heelies, but from what I've seen, they work well, so more power to that. I feel that the new ending is very anticlimactic, compared to the film version. It als removes the most touching part of the film, where Triton decides to make Ariel a human. The moment was just so incredibly sweet, and did so much for Triton's character, and I was so upset to see it cut from the stage show.

You make a good case for having the underwater scenes abstract, but it still manages to clash with the art design. Even scenes above the sea, like Eric & Ariel's date in the lake rely on weird set pieces. And if the entire underwater scenes were meant to be done in abstract, the mermaids might as well just have been people on rollerblades with glowing green bell bottoms or something, but they went out of their way to make the mermaids seem more realistic. They did a good job, too, but it looks too good compared to Sebastian et. all. The show just seems to lack a coherent idea in the art direction. I have no doubt it could have been done abstract below and realistic above, but someone on the creative team really didn't have enough enough confidence to take it either way.

[akhenaten]

one step closer has been removed!!

[Ariel'sprince]

one step closer has been removed!!

Before i could hear it .

[akhenaten]

me neither! i had to imagine how it sounded like. i love the jig!

[Ariel'sprince]

So do i .

I wanna hear the contect song .

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, Disney's Divinity, why did you think Sherie Rene Scott made "Poor Unfortunate Souls" one big joke? Was it not somber or melancholy enough? What was the joke, or was it just too light, not serious, not potent?

I, personally, think she was far too overdramatic, as if she weren't even taking the character seriously at all. Some Disney Villains are overdramatic/comedic, but I really don't consider Ursula to be one of them. At times, Ursula's crass, but she never loses her intimidation. And that's why I think Sherie's performance heavily takes away from Ursula's edge.

one step closer has been removed!!

All the songs have been removed. The poster said in his profile that Sean Palmer (the guy who play Eric in the show) e-mailed him and asked him to remove it. He didn't force the guy to, only the poster respected Palmer enough to remove them anyway.

[The Little Merboy]

I have an MP3 of "One Step Closer"