The Little Mermaid Live!

[D82]

ABC has released some of the performances and Jodi Benson's introduction on Youtube:

Jodi Benson Welcomes Audience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWcT1VlUCDI
Fathoms Below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxKjy_083_c
Part of Your World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBY5a2CENwk
Under the Sea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO0HfBGTGOg
Poor Unfortunate Souls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfBfuR8Jiqw
Les Poissons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQuOUq9cqa0


And you can buy or stream the soundtrack here: http://disneymusic.co/TheLittleMermaidLIVE

[Disney Duster]

I only saw "Poor Unfortunate Souls" on, something didn't work with the taping, but I'll watch the full thing Saturday. I watched the clips of the song I missed provided by D82, thank you by the way D82. Did Jodi not sing? Hm.

I thought that Auli'l was very good singing and while her acting was mostly too subdued I occasionally thought it was great and that she embodied Ariel. I thought the cute guy playing Prince Eric was the best one. Maybe it's because I thought he sang live the best while pulling off the acting need at the same time. Maybe it's because I thought he was so cute. I dunno. Maybe he just had a great personality and stage presence. I really felt the power of sailing the sea and wanting something magical to happen to you with the great new lyrics, "There's mermaids out there in the bottomless blue/ What I'd give if just one said 'Hello'." Queen Latifah disappointed me. I really expected a great performance and I thought she was kind of not really nailing the singing or the acting and was sometimes cartoonish. I loved how they did her song though, with the special effects, the polyp, the smoke hands stealing Ariel's voice, and Ariel's transformation. All the live backgrounds, sets, and effects were great actually. John Stamos can not sing and I didn't like him as Chef Louis at all. Shaggy as Sebastian was a fail. Did he even care or want to be there?

[Atlantica]

I haven't been able to watch the whole thing, being from the UK, but have seen various clips on youtube this morning, along with listening to the soundtrack on the way to work this morning.

It has taken a lot from the Broadway musical I thought ? Especially Queen Latifah, it seemed like she drew heavily from Sherrie Renee Scott, rather than Pat Carrol. I loved the staging of the musical numbers, I thought it was quite breathtaking ! Sort of a cross between Broadway and a theme park show.

Auli'l looked the part, and was charming onstage but she just doesn't have the voice. Anyone who sings the song seems to forget Howard Ashman absolutely wanted it to be a quiet song, self reflective, and almost like she's talking to herself. In the numerous videos of the recording sessions, he is shown telling Jodi this, and that she has to be quieter. I suppose stage might be different ? But I think that's sometimes where the magic of the song is lost. In shout-singing which Auli'l has a tendency to do sometimes. Especially on the reprise, that was full on yelling that last note. Sierra Boggess had a happy medium I think when she was Ariel.

I loved John Stamos ! Would love for him to play Chef Louis in the film, if the character makes it in

Also, I see zero reason why Graham Philips can't play Prince Eric in the film ! He was jolly good in the role I thought, and he'd be the right age ?

Lovely to see the Broadway songs were once again used here, as I love 'Her Voice' and 'If Only'. I wonder who wrote the additional lyrics for the reprise of PUS, and the little ad libs here and there ? Though I personally cringed when Ariel sang 'Under the sea.....ya' ! It was nice she was included in the song though, as it makes total sense. Hopefully this is the same in the live action film.

[JeanGreyForever]

I watched some of it but I didn't find it very good and I had other shows to watch so I didn't catch the second half. Queen Latifah was clearly the best of the bunch by far. John Stamos' performance was decent but I didn't quite get his "Prince Albert" reference. Shaggy as Sebastian was awful, starting from his getup and I didn't care for his rendition of Under the Sea either. That Flounder puppet was monstrous btw. The sound was really off as well, especially during the beginning when Amber Riley was singing. I saw an image still of Ariel's wedding dress and thought it was really awful and generic but I liked her Kiss the Girl dress.

[Sotiris]

Maybe the high ratings will inspire them to do more live musicals like this one.

‘The Little Mermaid Live!’ Ratings Swim To The Top
https://deadline.com/2019/11/little-mer ... 202779078/

Live+3 Ratings for Week of Nov. 4: 'The Little Mermaid Live' Surfaces in First Place
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/live3- ... 203406403/

Live+7 Ratings for Week of Nov. 4: 'The Little Mermaid Live' Outswims the Competition
https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/live7- ... 203409341/

[Disney's Divinity]

It has taken a lot from the Broadway musical I thought ? Especially Queen Latifah, it seemed like she drew heavily from Sherrie Renee Scott, rather than Pat Carrol. I loved the staging of the musical numbers, I thought it was quite breathtaking ! Sort of a cross between Broadway and a theme park show.

I thought the same thing, but didn't want to be a downer. Scott and Latifah both played Ursula as a joke, like your aunt dressed up in a witch costume trying to scare the kids on the block on Halloween by talking in a cringey "witch voice." The reason Ursula is a great villain in the original is because she's played seriously. I expect the same thing to happen to Ursula in the live-action film, unfortunately, no matter who's playing her. Despite that, I did like the new lyrics they gave to Ursula and Queen Latifah can sing better than McCarthy, so there's that. Of course, the new lyrics for "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in the talking portion sounds like somebody at Disney just wants the song not to have a break between the two parts.

Also, I see zero reason why Graham Philips can't play Prince Eric in the film ! He was jolly good in the role I thought, and he'd be the right age ?

The guy playing Eric was decent. I was surprised by how cute he was because the solo pictures of him I'd seen online before the show, I was not impressed. He must be one of those people who always look better in-person than in pictures.

Ariel singing in "Under the Sea" reminds me of the Atlantica musical mini-game in Kingdom Hearts 2; Ariel was part of UtS there, too. I liked it because Shaggy sounded pretty bad to me. I didn't know him before this and wasn't impressed...

[JeanGreyForever]

With how well the ratings were (and ABC desperately needed a win in that department) I hope Disney does some more live musicals then like BATB, Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Tarzan, and Frozen to name a few.

[UmbrellaFish]

I was asleep. I think I read it would be available on Disney+, though? Otherwise I’ll watch it some other way. I noticed this morning on Facebook that many of my friends had posted they were watching it. It was an event!

[MrXemnas1992]

...okay, does Disney passively-aggressively despise Little Mermaid nowadays?

Between this abomination, the terribly revised broadway musical, the shoddy diamond release editing, the 4k release reusing the same old bluray and platinum dvd menu, the upcoming new film apparently trying to "fix the original"...i get the feeling Disney genuinely hates The Little Mermaid.

[Disney's Divinity]

...okay, does Disney passively-aggressively despise Little Mermaid nowadays?

Between this abomination, the terribly revised broadway musical, the shoddy diamond release editing, the 4k release reusing the same old bluray and platinum dvd menu, the upcoming new film apparently trying to "fix the original"...i get the feeling Disney genuinely hates The Little Mermaid.

The Broadway musical definitely butchers the property, and the live-action film is mimicking the horrible musical so far. Disney definitely has no understanding of why the original film is successful. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised they can't do Ursula right--Disney of today can't make a good villain to save their lives, so I guess asking them to re-make one is just as difficult.

[MrXemnas1992]

...okay, does Disney passively-aggressively despise Little Mermaid nowadays?

Between this abomination, the terribly revised broadway musical, the shoddy diamond release editing, the 4k release reusing the same old bluray and platinum dvd menu, the upcoming new film apparently trying to "fix the original"...i get the feeling Disney genuinely hates The Little Mermaid.

The Broadway musical definitely butchers the property, and the live-action film is mimicking the horrible musical so far. Disney definitely has no understanding of why the original film is successful. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised they can't do Ursula right--Disney of today can't make a good villain to save their lives, so I guess asking them to re-make one is just as difficult.

mind you i'm not talking about the original broadway version with 'i want the good times back' and such , i'm talking about the retooled version from the netherlands that added "daddy's little angel" and had ursula kills ariel's mom and such. i LOATHE that version. lol

disney needs to stop listening to snooty uppity critics and feminists and talk to the actual fans who get and understand the film's beauty and simplicity and how more complex and deeper it is then people give it credit for.

[MrXemnas1992]

...and what the hell was up with the crappy puppets? Flounder looked terrible, the fish and frogs looked amateurish...and yet Flotsam and Jetsam and the polyps look amazing? what?

and you cut out Triton and Scuttle but bring back Max? WHAT?


and who TF let Shaggy dress so lazily as "Sebastian"...both broadway sebastian outfits looked great!

ugh, what a hot mess.

[JeanGreyForever]

...and what the hell was up with the crappy puppets? Flounder looked terrible, the fish and frogs looked amateurish...and yet Flotsam and Jetsam and the polyps look amazing? what?

and you cut out Triton and Scuttle but bring back Max? WHAT?


and who TF let Shaggy dress so lazily as "Sebastian"...both broadway sebastian outfits looked great!

ugh, what a hot mess.

Flounder was frightening...and "Sebastian" looked like a motorcycle driver. Very disappointed in how both characters were portrayed.

Not to mention, literally more than half the show was just the animated movie being screened. All that did was make me wish I was just watching the movie by itself without all this extra nonsense and foolishness.

[MrXemnas1992]

...and what the hell was up with the crappy puppets? Flounder looked terrible, the fish and frogs looked amateurish...and yet Flotsam and Jetsam and the polyps look amazing? what?

and you cut out Triton and Scuttle but bring back Max? WHAT?


and who TF let Shaggy dress so lazily as "Sebastian"...both broadway sebastian outfits looked great!

ugh, what a hot mess.

Flounder was frightening...and "Sebastian" looked like a motorcycle driver. Very disappointed in how both characters were portrayed.

Not to mention, literally more than half the show was just the animated movie being screened. All that did was make me wish I was just watching the movie by itself without all this extra nonsense and foolishness.

It's a sad day when disney gets out-done by an off-broadway version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP2yonV24aQ

[JeanGreyForever]

Flounder was frightening...and "Sebastian" looked like a motorcycle driver. Very disappointed in how both characters were portrayed.

Not to mention, literally more than half the show was just the animated movie being screened. All that did was make me wish I was just watching the movie by itself without all this extra nonsense and foolishness.

It's a sad day when disney gets out-done by an off-broadway version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP2yonV24aQ

Wow that does look a lot better and I can actually hear the sound which automatically makes it win over the official Live show. I read online that so many people had sound issues with the screening and could barely hear.

[MrXemnas1992]

...and what the hell was up with the crappy puppets? Flounder looked terrible, the fish and frogs looked amateurish...and yet Flotsam and Jetsam and the polyps look amazing? what?

and you cut out Triton and Scuttle but bring back Max? WHAT?


and who TF let Shaggy dress so lazily as "Sebastian"...both broadway sebastian outfits looked great!

ugh, what a hot mess.

Flounder was frightening...and "Sebastian" looked like a motorcycle driver. Very disappointed in how both characters were portrayed.

Not to mention, literally more than half the show was just the animated movie being screened. All that did was make me wish I was just watching the movie by itself without all this extra nonsense and foolishness.

It's a sad day when disney gets out-done by an off-broadway version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP2yonV24aQ[/quote]
Wow that does look a lot better and I can actually hear the sound which automatically makes it win over the official Live show. I read online that so many people had sound issues with the screening and could barely hear.[/quote]
probably not helped by the obnoxious audience screaming and hollering like it was a rock concert. >_>

honestly i wish i could find a whole video of the entirety of this specific production. looks like the best blend of both broadway versions AND with a dash of Lion King's puppetry: http://chicagotheaterbeat.com/2016/12/0 ... t-theatre/

[Disney's Divinity]

Viewers shred 'Little Mermaid Live!' on Twitter, prompting ABC exec to respond
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/vie ... 00893.html



Well. The Little Mermaid Live! just wasn't much of anything
https://ew.com/tv-reviews/2019/11/06/li ... ve-review/

I agree with this. How can you call this a live musical when they spliced the original film for the vast majority of it. What a waste of time.

[MrXemnas1992]

Viewers shred 'Little Mermaid Live!' on Twitter, prompting ABC exec to respond
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/vie ... 00893.html

.

>1 random dude liked it so all criticism is invalid.

denial's not just a river in egypt.

>the claws looked silly in rehearsal.

Then the problem is with the biker jacket/thriller costume. Look at how good this Sebastian costume looks, it's resembles a crab while also making him look like a classical 18th-century musical maestro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VggJwf5uaKI

[D82]

More performances from the special have been uploaded to Youtube:

Daughters of Triton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkPN8S4Eh2o
Part of Your World (Reprise): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSkWSHi_3WE
Her Voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDnEGhXWT20
Kiss the Girl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ9qsUiBLE4
If Only: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0xT6ZJEr-A
Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrBy_JdWMuU
Under the Sea (Finale): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYh9CxZ3ms8

[Farerb]

...okay, does Disney passively-aggressively despise Little Mermaid nowadays?

Between this abomination, the terribly revised broadway musical, the shoddy diamond release editing, the 4k release reusing the same old bluray and platinum dvd menu, the upcoming new film apparently trying to "fix the original"...i get the feeling Disney genuinely hates The Little Mermaid.

Editing mistakes happen. It happened to The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast as well. At least with TLM they recalled the discs and fixed it early unlike The Lion King where they waited for the Signature release to fix it and Beauty and the Beast where they didn't fix it at all. With the exception of the Platinum Edition, The Little Mermaid got a good treatment in the restoration process. I wish Beauty and the Beast was treated like The Little Mermaid.