My Little Mermaid review

[BroadwayNYCGirl]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:32pm

I went to see The Little Mermaid in Denver on Aug 3. It was a good show, but not up to Disney par yet. If anything, it reminded me of Tarzan. Warning, if you don't like spoilers, don't read ahead!!!!

Things I liked:

*The costumes (most of them) were stunning. Ursula's took the cake, however. Her dresses with the tenticles were very creative. The mermaid tails attached to the skirts didn't really bother me, but I had read some reviews so I was prepared. The fish costumes in 'Under the Sea' were nothing special. They consisted mostly of black light paint. The sea gulls costumes were just ridiculous. Big clown shoes, these grey like gacho pants and a bird beak hat. They just looked stupid.

* Most of the cast. Norm was a great Triton, but I wished he had a bigger part. Sierra and Sherie did very well, but they didn't seem "on". Sherrie, for one, actually looked like she'd rather be somewhere else through the whole show. I don't know if she was having a bad day or she just doesn't like the show, but I've seen her before and she sparkles. I know this is a "mean" role, but she wasn't giving it her all.

*Kiss the Girl. It was the best song in the show. It was done very well with the birds flying. The backup singing should be louder though.

*Flotsum and Jetsum. 2 cool guys. They were more snakelike than eels, but they were a fun bunch.

*Flounder. Man, that boy can sing! J.J has an amazing voice and he rocked the house for "She's in love".

Didn't like:

*The change in story line just didn't go. There wasn't really a climax. It was pretty stupid how Eric choose Ariel because of her dancing and then poof! he kissed her and her voice is back I also didn't understand Ursula and Triton being on dry land. They need to change it and keep it similar to the movie with Ursula changing into Vanessa and the big sea battle.

*Sierra needs to work on her acting. She sounds just like Ariel, but some time she just give these blank stares. Amazing job on "Part of this World", but she just sat there the whole time and moved her arms. The directors need to give her something to do. Also, my cousin, whom I saw the show with, was devistated that she didn't do the hair flip when she emerged from the water as human.

*Under the Sea. It sucked. It reminded me of "Waiting For This Moment" from Tarzan. It is suck a great number, but it wasn't all that. It needs to be like "Be Our Guest". There was no dancing, the actors just kind of stood around singing while Sebastian moved around.

* 'Les Poissons'. Cute number, but sounds almost exactly like "Be Our Guest'.

*Heelies and black lights. I got sick of all the black light usage. It made the show very campy and it didn't make the costumes look any better. The heelies were okay, but they actors had to take steps every couple of seconds to get the back gliding again. It kind of ruined the flow. I think they should use both heelies and wires to get a real swimming feel.

*Songs. The song "Positoovity" sung by Scuttle didn't need to be in there. It pretty much showed off Eddie Korbich's taping skills. I did love the 'If Only/Her Voice' quartet. It was haunting. I liked the dancing to communicate idea and the song was pretty good, but they need a better dance to Ariel.

*Sets. There weren't really any sets. They had these 2 (they looked like beer bongs as one of my friends put it) sets pieces that actors could lay on that moved them up and down to appear to be swimming or flying. They also used these set pieces in Price Eric's castle. They didn't do anything. Also the sets mostly consisted on computer bubbles when the cast was under the sea.

*Wow factor. There was nothing that was really amazing that took my breath away. BB, Lion King, and Tarzan both had an amazing opening number. Mermaid doesn't. 'Fathom's below' just isn't awe-inspiring. It was cool to see the fish swimming around and then the ship to come down from the ceiling, but give the audience more time to register that we are under the sea before lowering the ship. I found myself drifting away the first 30 minutes of the show and I never do that.

The Little Mermaid was entertaining, but it's no where near the Disney quality we usually expect. It was more like "The Little Mermaid" show at MGM in Orlando with a little more bite than a pre-Broadway show. This is my opinion and I didn't mind if people differ. I think it's a good show, but it needs to change a lot before it comes to Broadway. I think it had the potentional to be great, but needs some work.:)

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:42pm

Glad you enjoyed it! I'm sure by the time it ends it's run in Denver the problems will be all re-done particularly Flounders & the Seagulls Costumes and the 'Under The Sea" number.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 1:52pm

Actually it sounds like she didn't like that much of it.
And why are you so sure they will fix it mikeyb?

[Jonny boy]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:30pm

Cause they are in Previews Curtain! Have a little faith!

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:32pm

I have a friend who saw it on Saturday evening and loved it. She knows I am not a big Disney stage show fan but said she thinks I am really going to like it. I see it on the 21st.

[joe5]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:36pm

Hey Curtain, Close your drapes!!!!!! You don't have anything to good say at all. Thanks for your review. Everyone seems to have a different spin on this..................

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:39pm

I'm with Curtain on this one. I doubt they change much of anything. There's no way they'll do a complete story over-haul and build new sets and things. I'm sure they're just hoping the "Disney" stamp can help this show. They've never been too concerned with putting on an interesting, compelling piece, just as long as the kids are coming and bringing their parents' wallets.

[Mouses Magic]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:46pm

Again CurtainPullDowner...just because you are now recently out of a job, when you knew the "Beast" of the show you were a part of was closing a YEAR IN A HALF in advance, doesn't mean you have to hate everything the mouse house does. Don’t hate on them because a show that you happened to be a part of that ran for 13 YEARS, decided to call it quits. It’s pathetic and you sound more and more juvenile with each comment you make...


Now, onto the actually topic...sounds like MOST of the show is in tune. From what I have been reading, it seems that only a few costumes (Scuttle and Flounder) need fixing, a few songs need spicing up and the ending needs to be re-worked. Personally, and this is just my opinion, I think that Disney has something up their sleeve for the ending. IMO they are going to be using more transformations in the end but don't want everything getting out to the public so soon. I could be totally totally off but with how secretive this show has been already, it just seems like a possibility.

[cubanpab]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:49pm

i didnt know disney had a par...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:49pm

Sierra needs to work on her acting. She sounds just like Ariel, but some time she just give these blank stares.

That doesn't sound all that different from the movie Ariel.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 2:50pm

During the last "110" show, I was sitting next to someone that had just seen "LM" the day before. He said it was excellent, and was only going to get better as the actors became more familiar with their material.

Said Sherie stole the show.

Just his .02, but I am looking forward to this !!

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 3:38pm

would someone who has seen the show (or a script) explain to those of us less-well informed folk, what exactly the plot of this little mermaid is. it sounds like the first act is like the disney movie, and then act 2 delves into something completely different?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 3:38pm

Mouses Magic - this is an out-of-town preview, isn't the point of it to show everything they have and see what works and doesn't work? It seems like a stupid idea to wait and use the "new ending" in New York when the time-frame for opening the show is only a few weeks.

And I don'get the whole "she sounds like Ariel" thing. What? She shouldn't have to be an exact copy of the movie. Rent the damn film if you want the movie.

[joe5]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 3:51pm

Voice Of Reason, Someone had posted a complete review. With the new ending of the show mentioned. This was a couple of weeks ago........

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 3:59pm

I haven't seen the movie in so long, I forget the storyline!

[Jilani]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 4:13pm

I was at the same performance reviewed above, and am sad to say that I agree with much of what was said. Unlike many on this board, I am a huge fan of the stage versions of Beauty and the Beast, the Lion King, and even Mary Poppins, and I am also a big fan of the Little Mermaid Movie, so I had incredibly high hopes for this. Also, I am keeping in mind that this was just an early preview, and they are no doubt working on changing many things - I have tickets to see the Broadway production in January, and I am looking forward to seeing what has changed. Here are my observations so as not to start a separate thread on the same performance (possible spoilers included, for those who care):

1. I think Sierra Boggess is fantastic, and perfectly cast. Her look, her singing, and her acting were great, and she completely does justice to the role. As an aside, they need to find an actress whose figure is more similar to hers for the transformation scene - the person serving as her double who rose up to the top of the stage looked significantly heavier than Sierra Boggess, so the transformation wasn't very believable when she "popped up" on the surface a few seconds later.

2. Although I had to let go of my deep attachment to the movie version of Ursula to come to this conclusion, I think Sherie Rene Scott has a terrific take on Ursula, and her costume(s) are probably the most impressive. The rest of the cast is also very talented; no one stuck out as being out of place in their role.

3. Other costume observations: Flotsam and Jetsam look like iguanas. The seagulls look like Ronald McDonald. The female palace attendants look like snowballs. Flounder looks like (as my boyfriend commented) he just wore what the actor might have worn to his audition. I actually thought the mermaid costumes looked very good. The heelies also, in my opinion, worked well, and I went in with a lot of skepticism about them.

4. Observations about sets, props and lighting: I really didn't like the main set pieces, which consist of weirdly-shaped things that other posters have compared to bongs. They get reused no matter where the action is taking place (under the sea, in the palace, on a lake), and I'm not sure if the idea is that it's terribly clever to re-imagine the same pieces in different settings, but it was lost on me. I also think that the use of blacklighting generally looks cheap. Ariel's grotto looks cheap and plastic-y. Triton's trident looks like it's made of styrofoam. I really hope they are working on upgrading these items. The ship set, however, is very impressive, especially when it first descends onto the stage.

5. I agree with the many criticisms of the anticlimactic ending. I have to think that they are still working on this - there's no way anybody can think that the current ending is satisfactory. I'm not saying it needs to be the same as in the movie (as said above, if you want to see the movie, then rent it), but it needs to be better than it is now.

6. Songs: I was disappointed that "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" didn't really have a wow factor, since they are so breathtaking in the movie. I think the similarities between the "Les Poissons" reprise and "Be Our Guest" are meant to be an intentional homage, but it seems kind of cheap and desperate. I loved the "If Only" quartet, which was beautifully staged and sung.

In all, I enjoyed many aspects of the show, but I agree (and I appreciate) that it needs more work to get the real Disney "wow" factor. I look forward to reading reviews from people who see it in Denver later in its run, to find out how it has evolved. Incidentally, do the powers that be ever solicit audience feedback during previews? If not, how do they know what is working and what isn't?

P.S.: I stayed at the Curtis Hotel, right across the street from the theater, and it was terrific - I highly recommend it. (Several other posters have mentioned it in other threads, so I thought I'd second the recommendation.)

Updated On: 8/7/07 at 04:13 PM

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 4:17pm

I thought George Tsypin was supposed to be a great set designer? The best he could think of was those bong things? That kinda sucks.

[Fanadu_Xtreme]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 4:21pm

Actually it sounds like she didn't like that much of it.
And why are you so sure they will fix it mikeyb?


Maybe because they are in previews for an OUT OF TOWN TRYOUT?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 8:02pm

When do the official reviews come out?

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 8:28pm

Just to clarify, Les Poissons was written BEFORE Be Our Guest. (they were both written by Alan Menken.)

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 8:36pm

i'm not gonna judge the set till I see it..or at least a pic

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 8:39pm

Critics aren't aloud to come until the 23, the same day critics will be at Young Frankenstein; I think they have plenty of time to fix any loose ends before that happens...

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/7/07 at 9:12pm

This is Denver. The show opens on the 23rd so reviews here may not be out until the 25th or 26th. our critics actually attend opening night. (Unless they have decided to do it differently for this show.) other publications may get them out earlier. I am suspecting Sunday for Denver. I could be wrong in this case though!

Updated On: 8/7/07 at 09:12 PM

[Jilani]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 2:07am

Just to clarify, Les Poissons was written BEFORE Be Our Guest. (they were both written by Alan Menken.)

I am not referring to the original song Les Poissons, which appears in the stage show pretty much the same as it is in the movie. I'm talking about the reprise, which is a new version/section of the song that is presented in a manner that is highly reminiscent of Be Our Guest - you'll understand if/when you see the show (assuming they keep it the way it was when I saw it).

[Boq101]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 2:35am

IMHO people need to stop hating in Disney just because it CAN sell itself just by the name. As much as that's true, Disney seems very seriosu about how it gets things onstage. Even with shows that fall flat like Tarzan, you got to admit they do try pretty hard to set up a good show.