The Little Mermaid on Broadway

[MovieMusicals.net]

There are deleted songs from the film that could be in the Broadway production. In addition, it's confirmed that Alan Menken has written as least once new song just for the stage musical, for Prince Eric called "Her Voice." I'm told it's one of the BEST songs in the show.

Emily Skinner didn't play Ursula in the workshop they did this month. The show is not cast, they had some Broadway actors do a workshop one or two years ago, and just this month they had their second workshop.

I'm hoping they do MERMAID before TARZAN but that is unlikely.

Kerry Butler was in the off-Broadway production of the very successful BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL. She was also "Penny" in HAIRSPRAY and "Audrey" in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.

[Kram Nebuer]

Errrrrr. I think Hunchback did work in Germany cuz it was on for 3 years (1999 - 2002). Here's a great link. ^_^ http://www.alphalink.com.au/~paga/hunchback/

The Nightmare Before Christmas has a cult at my highschool. LOL All the "goth" kids sport the merchandise. I love the soundtrack. I listen to it everyday on my iPod...as well as Hunchback's music.

Oh okay. It was to my understanding that it failed in Germany. I guess I was misinformed. I wish it would play here though. BTW, thanks so much for the link!!! It's a really great site for everyone who can't see the show anymore since well its not playing anymore. I hope they bring it back.

Lol, that's what I meant for NBC when I said there'd be a lot of ppl who'd see it. NBC stuff is all over Hot Topic and such.

MovieMusicals.Net, thanks for the info. Did they change the cast for TLM musical or are they just trying to find different actors??? I'm rather confused with this concept of workshops...

[MovieMusicals.net]

Workshops are basically one day deals, sometimes two or three even four days, when they bring in actors to read for the roles. That's it. The creative team is there to watch.

Songs are also sung.

It gives the creative team an idea of how it will look on stage.

Sometimes, workshops also test some other things than the show's script. For the TARZAN workshop they did in 2003, they did flying experiments.

[Jake Lipson]

In addition to the water thing, I'm not sure how they can get around the fact that the heroine (nor any of the undersea creatures, logic would then say) CAN'T WALK in the first act; that's one of the things she complains aboiut in Part of Your World, is wanting to be able to walk.

Then, in the second act by the time she gets the ability to walk, she can't sing or speak at all.

Add in the water thing and this is going to be a really tough show for them to handle.

Julie Taymor worked a miracle for them with Lion King once, they'd better be able to hope they can do it again. And she's not involved in this one.

[Prince Eric]

The Hunchback of Notra Dame musical in Germany had nothing to do with the Disney version.

Wow, that's a gutsy choice for the writer of the book. Wright is talented, of course, but I didn't think they would choose someone so high art. I'm hoping this a reinterpretation in the vain of The Lion King instead of an exact imitiation of Beauty and the Beast (probably the worst stage musical I've had the misfortune of seeing). Maybe with Wright at the helm, we'll get a darker-themed version of The Little Mermaid.

[SuicideSeaside]

The Hunchback of Notra Dame musical in Germany had nothing to do with the Disney version.

Wow, that's a gutsy choice for the writer of the book. Wright is talented, of course, but I didn't think they would choose someone so high art. I'm hoping this a reinterpretation in the vain of The Lion King instead of an exact imitiation of Beauty and the Beast (probably the worst stage musical I've had the misfortune of seeing). Maybe with Wright at the helm, we'll get a darker-themed version of The Little Mermaid.

Oh really? The musical got a 94% in Zagat. I never saw Beauty and the Beast. They're performing a sample of the show for free in July. A darker version of the Little Mermaid will be very interesting to watch as well as the changes made. If Tarzan, Mary Poppins and the Little Mermaid are coming to Broadway, will the Lion King or Beauty and the Beast be taken off?

I want to watch Germany's Hunchback musical but it's no longer playing. =/ I heard that it has the same music and storyline....except Esmeralda dies. The gargoyles are still present in the musical.

[MovieMusicals.net]

The Hunchback of Notra Dame musical in Germany had nothing to do with the Disney version.

It most certainly DID!

http://www.alphalink.com.au/~paga/hunchback/

Take a look at the website! The songs are "Out There" and "Topsy Turvy" and all the other songs from the Disney film, including new ones. AND it was produced by Disney!

There was also NOTRE DAME DE PARIS in Paris, which was not Disney.

[Prince Eric]

The Hunchback of Notra Dame musical in Germany had nothing to do with the Disney version.

It most certainly DID!

http://www.alphalink.com.au/~paga/hunchback/

Take a look at the website! The songs are "Out There" and "Topsy Turvy" and all the other songs from the Disney film, including new ones. AND it was produced by Disney!

There was also NOTRE DAME DE PARIS in Paris, which was not Disney.

My mistake! The production I had in mind was an opera, not a musical.

[Disneykid]

I'm really anxious to see this. I saw Beauty and the Beast on Broadway back in April and absolutely adored it. Tarzan sounds like an extremely bizarre choice for a Broadway musical, but I'll trust Disney's judgment on it. I remembered hearing last year or so that Disney was developing Pinocchio for the stage, and that it would be adapted by Lion King musical director Julie Taymor. What's the progress on this? Since there's no mention of it in the PlayBill article, I'm presuming Disney's either canned it, or it's coming in the distant, distant future after Mary Poppins and Tarzan.

[Wonderlicious]

Here's an idea for Ariel and the mermaids...why don't they all wear long green, scaly skirts to represent the tail with two little added bits at the bottom which can be slightly lifted up to represent the fins. I saw that once in a stage production of the original tale, and that could be an easy way to create mermaids for the stage.

Or they could have Ariel harnaced to the celing with her floating around in mid-air for the duration of Act One...

[Disneykid]

Your second idea intrigues me more. Actually, I'd expect Disney to use a lot of wire effects for this show. I'm very curious as to how they'll approach the big climax. Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King both had very grounded, simple climaxes that were easy to translate onto the stage, but The Little Mermaid's is massive and epic. They're going to need a lot of effects (a giant Ursula, some sort of fake tidal wave effect, etc.) in order to bring it to the stage.

[SuicideSeaside]

In Japan, they had a musical of the Little Mermaid and Ariel was hanging from the ceiling. According to people who watched this show...it worked very well.

[MovieMusicals.net]

There will be a lot of flying in the show.

I can think up lots of creative ways to do this.

I also have a feeling there will be some puppetry in this show, with the fish, including flounder, sebastian, flotsum, and jetsum.

I bet this will be one of the FINEST production Broadway has seen in a LONG time.

[Prince Eric]

Your second idea intrigues me more. Actually, I'd expect Disney to use a lot of wire effects for this show. I'm very curious as to how they'll approach the big climax. Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King both had very grounded, simple climaxes that were easy to translate onto the stage, but The Little Mermaid's is massive and epic. They're going to need a lot of effects (a giant Ursula, some sort of fake tidal wave effect, etc.) in order to bring it to the stage.

The Lion King was in no way easy to translate to the stage, especially the climax. The New Amsterdam (or wheverver they're showing it) had to do a lot to accomodate the show. It was going to make its debut with Theater Under the Stars (like Beauty and the Beast), but the producers had to pass it up because we didn't have a stage that would allow for a rising Pride Rock. This was especially pivotal in the climax. Like I've said, I'm betting Wright will make alterations to make this a more dramatic version (instead of loud and bombastic) of the story. Hopefully the people will reinterpret the film into something very tasteful, and not an all-entertainment-feast-for-the-eyes show like Beauty and the Beast, which is not an example of good theater.

[AwallaceUNC]

At Disney World, Ariel is on a giant sea-rock thingy, which is either pushed by people behind it or is on a track or is motorized, and thats how she moves about the stage (though she doesn't move around a whole lot) until she gets her feet. The other sea creatures are black-lit puppets, except for the <i>huge</i> Ursula. Of course that's a 17 minute show, but maybe they plan on doing something like that on a larger, more graceful scale for the first part?

-Aaron

[Kram Nebuer]

*I was wondering why this TLM musical topic seemed so familiar:

The Little Mermaid on Broadway Thread

Shouldn't these two threads be merged or is this thread different enough to deserve its own thread?

Sorry, I hate to sound like a broken record, but as I read this thread it seems like it can be merged with the one posted above. I'm only stressing this due to all the other reprimands for starting topics without searching for it first.

Anyhow, I think the moving Ariel on a rock like at MGM during the whole first act would be waaaaaayyyy too lame for a Broadway show. Maybe if it was 1927 it'd be cool, lol. I think an Animatronic Ursula would be awesome for the show, but maybe just her tentacles should be animatronic while it is the actress's real torso, arms and head.

I think wires is the only way to do the undersea parts unless Disney finds some really good swimmers and they use a huge water tank...but then someone needs to invent miniscule underwater human air supply...maybe do the whole show in clear Jello?? lol...

I remembered hearing last year or so that Disney was developing Pinocchio for the stage, and that it would be adapted by Lion King musical director Julie Taymor. What's the progress on this? Since there's no mention of it in the PlayBill article, I'm presuming Disney's either canned it, or it's coming in the distant, distant future after Mary Poppins and Tarzan.

I haven't heard any news about this, but I do remember watching on the Disney Channel a long time ago a stage version of Pinnochio. It was like the stage movie versions of Peter Pan with a young woman as Pinnochio. I don't remember whether or not it was produced by Disney.

[Disneykid]

I remembered hearing last year or so that Disney was developing Pinocchio for the stage, and that it would be adapted by Lion King musical director Julie Taymor. What's the progress on this? Since there's no mention of it in the PlayBill article, I'm presuming Disney's either canned it, or it's coming in the distant, distant future after Mary Poppins and Tarzan.

I haven't heard any news about this, but I do remember watching on the Disney Channel a long time ago a stage version of Pinnochio. It was like the stage movie versions of Peter Pan with a young woman as Pinnochio. I don't remember whether or not it was produced by Disney.

I remember that version. It wasn't produced by Disney, but they aired it on The Disney Channel a lot. It's this version with Sandy Duncan.

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

How will Ariel swim on stage?

[lucifer]

Has anybody here seen Cirque Du Soleil's Las Vegas show "O"? Well it was all about water and I think that if Disney really wanted to make this work they could do the underwater scenes like that. I don't really know how to explain it, the whole bottom of the stage is water, and platforms rise when they need to stand and all. Maybe if you look it up there will be pictures and you'll know what I mean.

[Mermaid Kelly]

My friend Elana LOVES broadway and always stays on top of everything broadway. She said that it's been confirmed that The Little Mermaid is coming to broadway. I think that's cool! It should be good