The Little Mermaid on Broadway

[Prudence]

I do not enjoy HSM or Hannah Montana. I love The Little Mermaid movie. It's one of my favorites and very dear to my heart. So, as a Disney fan and theatre fan I'm upset with the crappy job they did on the TLM musical. It had great potential and no one was more excited than I to see it brought to the stage. I'm sorry you disagree but the folks at Disney are capable of better and this story deserved a great production - not a flimsy, half hearted one.

Care to elaborate?

[tsom]

Crap like this does not belong on Broadway. It should have been taken down sooner. Bring back Beauty and the Beast. Come on Disney - you're better than this.

The funny thing is people thought Beauty and the Beast was crap too when it first came out. Now that it's gone, everyone is acting like it's the best show ever.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Distance does lend enchantment. However, "Beauty and the Beast" was a very solid show, and ran for many, many years because of that. I'd be delighted to see it return.

[goofystitch]

The Little Mermaid is my second favorite Disney movie and I am also a huge fan of musical theater. I have seen every Disney Broadway show except for Tarzan, which didn't run long enough or tour for me to see it. However, I have to say that I completely disagree with the numerous people who dislike this show. I loved almost every minute of it. I only have two complaints. The first is Norm Lewis, who plays King Triton. He was a great singer, but he was horrible at playing King Triton. The second was Ursula's demise. I know why they couldn't do it the way it was in the film, but breaking a shell was a little too easy. It really undermined Ursula as a villian. Obviously, a story that takes place under water is going to be tough to stage, but I felt that the style of the sets were great, and I was extremely impressed with the quick scene changes. They never had to turn out the lights to switch the sets around.

I do agree that this is the weakest show that I've seen Disney put on, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It simply means that Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Aida, and Beauty and the Beast were so well done that this pales by comparison (I don't include On the Record or High School Musical since they never went to Broadway). I feel that this is an excellent show and when it goes on tour, I plan on seeing it again.

We got the understudy for Prince Eric, so I can't comment on Drew Seeley, but the understudy was great and both Alan Menken and Francesca Zombello (director) were in the audience. We assumed that it is because they are considering having the understudy play Eric in the tour.

[SpringHeelJack]

Crap like this does not belong on Broadway. It should have been taken down sooner. Bring back Beauty and the Beast. Come on Disney - you're better than this.

The funny thing is people thought Beauty and the Beast was crap too when it first came out. Now that it's gone, everyone is acting like it's the best show ever.

I, in all fairness, care for neither "Beauty and the Beast" or "The Little Mermaid" on stage. The only reason why I would prefer "Beauty and the Beast" is that the special effects are actually special (as opposed to heelies and platforms with tentacles) and though both contain for too much musical padding, the lyrics to the new "Beauty and the Beast" songs are less lame.

At least the "The Lion King" completely reinvented the show for the theater. Hiring Francesca Zambello as the director seemed to indicate Disney wanted to do something similar with "Mermaid". Unfortunately, the physical production ended up looking at best unusual and at worst garish, and the suits at Disney would have been better off hiring Julie Taymor again.

[Disney Duster]

SpringHeel, you have said many a time that you actually like Beauty and the Beast's stage show, despite it's faults and filler and unnecessariness. Wha happened?

[SpringHeelJack]

I'm split. When I saw it, I liked about half of it, but the other half I was sitting there wishing they'd stop the superfluous song and get on with it. I like it because I like the movie, I like it because of the design, but typically I'm left wishing I had just watched the DVD instead.

[MadasaHatter]

I do not enjoy HSM or Hannah Montana. I love The Little Mermaid movie. It's one of my favorites and very dear to my heart. So, as a Disney fan and theatre fan I'm upset with the crappy job they did on the TLM musical. It had great potential and no one was more excited than I to see it brought to the stage. I'm sorry you disagree but the folks at Disney are capable of better and this story deserved a great production - not a flimsy, half hearted one.

Care to elaborate?

I already gave my mini review earlier over in the Little Mermaid on Broadway discussion part 2 discussion, but here it is:

Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:
Well Sierra did play Christine already in the Vegas Spectacular version of Phantom, and from the few clips I've seen here and there - she did an awesome job! So far I'm very impressed with her. -However, impressed with The Little Mermaid on Broadway - I am not. It had alot going for it, it really did. As I said Sierra was wonderful as was Sherie Renee Scott. If anything SHE stole the show! But the production itself was weak.

The costumes for the most part were ok. I really enjoyed Ariel and the other merfolk costumes - as well as Ursula's in particular. Although she DID look much more like Morgana (from the Little Mermaid 2) than Ursula. Though Scuttle and the "Gulls" - and Flounder were absolutely hideous. The scenery was equally aweful. It felt like I had fallen into a box of SeranWrap. All that plastic everywhere! Although I do have to give them credit - cause creating the world "Under the Sea" couldn't have been easy to do, much less making it flow with the other sets and scenery. My other gripe is the songs. They just didn't flow with the original music like the new songs for Beauty and the Beast did. I was pretty disappointed. The one new song I did appreciate was Good Times Back. I think it flowed perfectly with Poor Unfortunate Souls and it fit Ursula's character perfectly. She's a conwoman, a gypsy of sorts and for her to sing a vaudeville styled song worked very well for her. Last and finally the ending was about as anticlimactic as you can get. They very well could have incorporated some puppetry for this (to make the Giant Ursula) or come up with something different all together. Instead we get "oops Ariel stole the shell and smashed it - now Ursula's dead". It's staging just wasn't dynamic enough.

Sorry to be a downer - for those who enjoyed it - but I thought I'd post this incase anyone else is currently debating whether or not to shell out the cash for this musical.

[MadasaHatter]

Crap like this does not belong on Broadway. It should have been taken down sooner. Bring back Beauty and the Beast. Come on Disney - you're better than this.

The funny thing is people thought Beauty and the Beast was crap too when it first came out. Now that it's gone, everyone is acting like it's the best show ever.

Actually I loved Beauty and the Beast long before it left Broadway and was sad to see it go. I thought it was a quality show and saw it at least six times over the years while it was running. I at no point thought it was crap nor will I discover a newfound love for The Little Mermaid once it leaves. As far as Disney on Broadway goes we have all seen their good and their bad shows. I was just disappointed that we lost a great show for a not-so-great one. Had The Little Mermaid been better it would not have been as much of a loss. However I am excited to see what they decide to bring to the stage in the future.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Hopefully an American run of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" which was a smash success in Germany.

[MadasaHatter]

Hopefully an American run of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" which was a smash success in Germany.

I actually first heard of this production from the Platinum Edition of Beauty and the Beast and think it sounds like a wonderful idea! I'm sure Stephen Schwartz would be more than willing to return to the project and expand the score/write new songs. He seems to have a good working relationship with the folks at Disney and what songs are already there are fantastic! Hell Fire and God Help the Outcasts are my two absolute favorites songs from that movie!

[Cordy_Biddle]

Agreed. "God Help the Outcasts" is so stirring, and I also love "Out There".

[Marianne81]

Doubtful for Sierra. She's now tied up with "Phantom: Love Never Dies" which is slated to open next year.

That's too bad, but she will make a great Christine. I hope they find someone as good with the acting and singing. How has her replacement been? I have not seen any footage of her.

I imagine few if any of the original stars will be on tour. Maybe Eric, and a few more minor characters.

I was only thinking of the major characters. I really hope they cast Sean Palmer or someone similar for Eric. I disagree with whomever said he was miscast. Although I have only heard the CD and seen clips of him, he looks and sounds exactly the way I pictured Eric to be. His voice is wonderful and in the particular clip I am thinking of ("One Step Closer") he had the kind of charm the character should have.

I don't no why they cast Drew Seeley and hope he does not go on the tour. For one thing, although he is around the right age, in the pictures I saw of him in costume he still looks like a boy, instead of a man (like Palmer does). Albeit, Eric is a young man, but should still not look like a teenager. I have not heard any of Seeley's singing from the show, so I cannot judge him in that respect. Could anyone who has seen him shed some light on that. Does he if have the right kind of voice? It's difficult to judge based on the pop version of "Her Voice" he released.

[SpringHeelJack]

I was only thinking of the major characters.

Then I wouldn't hold your breath. From Disney's perspective, especially since the show flopped financially, it's much easier just to get some no-name actor and pay them scale. Much in the same way they got Sierra to begin with.

I don't KNOW why they cast Drew Seeley

$$$. They figured having someone who is in some abstract way related to the juggernaut HSM franchise (and probably the cheapest major player) would be a way to boost sagging ticket sales. It did not work.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Well, Drew Seeley's casting made sense (in a Disney sort of way), because he replaced Zac Efron as Troy for the HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL live concert tour. He was only ever meant to be Prince Eric for the summer--Sean Palmer was scheduled to return but the show will close before he can do so.

[Disney Duster]

I actually first heard of this production from the Platinum Edition of Beauty and the Beast and think it sounds like a wonderful idea! I'm sure Stephen Schwartz would be more than willing to return to the project and expand the score/write new songs. He seems to have a good working relationship with the folks at Disney and what songs are already there are fantastic! Hell Fire and God Help the Outcasts are my two absolute favorites songs from that movie!

BUT, didn't you know they already wrote all new, wonderful, powerful, beautiful new songs for the Broadway show in Germany, they will just have to translate them?

I heard Disney is looking how to make the show a little less dark for American families and kiddies. Ugh.

[Cordy_Biddle]

I don't know how 'light' you can make "Hunchback" without stripping away most of the main story and characters. Victor Hugo wrote the story in a very dark and serious style to begin with. Sometimes I struggle to understand the powers-that-be at Disney.

[SpringHeelJack]

BUT, didn't you know they already wrote all new, wonderful, powerful, beautiful new songs for the Broadway show in Germany, they will just have to translate them?

Actually, they were originally written in English, it being Schwartzy's natural language. If you look around online somewhere, you can find the English lyrics to the new material.

[DARTH KNITE]

This isn't early for a Broadway show to close. I doubt it has too much to do with lowering attendance. The fact of the matter is, the show has received very poor reviews, and has really only be drawing Disney loyalist, and families with no where else to take their kids. Also, several Tony Award winners, which made a lot more money have closed in about this time, so really it has had its run. Lion King and Beauty ran (or continue to run) because they were huge successes that drew audiences from around the world. Mermaid just hasn't made it. I'm honestly surprised it lasted this long. On the the bright side though, its closing does mean that soon enough independent theatres will be able to get the rights, and do their own versions of it. And hey, at least it outlasted Tarzan...

[Cordy_Biddle]

That's true. The Theatermania website has a weekly sales attendance record of all the Broadway shows that are playing and sometimes 'Mermaid' was quite low on that list.