de Kleine Zeemeermin [Dutch Mermaid] Question

[Baine]

Posted: 3/16/08 at 3:28am

Recently on the Voldemort site, I found the song "Geef me vleugels" from "de Kleine Zeemeermin." The song is rather catchy and gets stuck in your head. I also think the production set/design is interesting and of a different sort from our Broadway sleekness.

The video looks pro-shot, as though it was filmed for video. I was wondering if this is the case, and if so, if anyone knew how I could get ahold of the video and/or the cast recording. I would like to hear/see more of this show. I do have a language barrier, though, and I wondered if anyone knew. I checked all of the foreign Amazons and I checked Ebay.

If anyone could respond or PM me if they know anything? I'm interested in more. :)


[Disclaimer: I did search by show title and song title and got 0 hits, so I'll throw that out there. Also, I know it isn't Broadway, but we don't have a board for foreign-language musicals, and since I'm States-based asking about getting a hold of the production, I didn't feel it was proper to ask on the West End board, closer though it may be.]

[Lance2]

Posted: 3/16/08 at 12:44pm

First things first, here's a link to the show's recordings on castalbums.org. This are all the officially released recordings: http://www.castalbums.org/shows/2635

This version of The Little Mermaid is an original flemish (from Belgium) musical by production company Studio100. It ran for aproximately one month in Antwerp during Easter, 2004. The reviews were awfull and of the seven shows that Johan vanden Eede wrote for Studio100 this is the worst by far (their Robin Hood version was one of the best I've seen).

At the end of 2004 the Dutch themepark Efteling produced a new version of The Little Mermaid. They want to try to get the kinks out of it to make it good. They didn't make it good, just better than the original. Which wasn't very hard.

The musicals by Studio100 take fairytales and make them a little different. In this version the seawitch has a butt ugly daughter. At the end the seawitch sends her daughter up to the surface with the mermaid's voice to get the prince, so she'll be Royalty. At the end it turns out that the Mermaid was a human once.

In the staging concept there are no wires. No one is hanging in the air like that. It has something to do with hydraulics. The problem was that the show was hard to light and turned out extremely dark. Still it has some very good moments.

The song 'Geef me vleugels' means 'Give me wings'. I can hear you think: 'Why would a mermaid want wings?' Well, I thought the same. Still the song is catchy. There's also a very, very catchy love duet called 'Dit is liefde (This is love)'which is great and reprised in minor at the end under title 'Ken je me nog (Do you still know who I am)'. The daughter of the Seawitch sings a hilarious tango called 'Waarom vind ik toch geen man (Why don't I find myself a man)'.

The original Flemisch cast recording should be available although I don't exactly know where. It features a few amazing singers especially the parts of the Mermaid and the prince.

There's also a dvd of the revised show in themepark Efteling. You can order it via www.soundofmusic.de. This version features a 'not so good cast'. Especially the Mermaid and the Prince are off key, a lot! But the Seawitch on this dvd is wonderful. The dvd also features four scenes from the original production as a bonus, with the original Flemish cast. There are no subtitles on this disc.

If you really like the music you should give the cast recordings of Studio100’s Robin Hood and Doornroosje (Sleeping Beauty) a try.

[caitlinette]

Posted: 3/16/08 at 3:00pm

In the staging concept there are no wires. No one is hanging in the air like that. It has something to do with hydraulics.

Do you have any more information on that? Like how it was done? (I'm not even really sure how hydraulics work) I just assumed it was a really good wire system based on how well the actress could sing while suspended.

[Lance2]

Posted: 3/16/08 at 3:42pm

It's like Mermaid-on-a-stick.

It works like a lever. On one side is the actress attached, on the other side two stage hands who balance her up and down. The stagehands stay in the dark.

I tried to draw it, but my drawing skills are awful, hahaha.

[FlyingMonkey1223]

Posted: 3/16/08 at 3:45pm

Kinda like Elphaba defying gravity...only in a different position.

[Lance2]

Posted: 3/16/08 at 3:47pm

And without all the fabric around her...

It was very well done, the first time when I saw the show in Antwerp I couldn't even see how it's done. While in Wicked it's pretty obvious.
Updated On: 3/16/08 at 03:47 PM

[Baine]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 5:29am

Lance2, thank you for the information. I didn't even know about a database such as http://www.castalbums.org, so thanks for that in the future. :)
[Also didn't know www.soundofmusic.de; arigatou!]

Is that version that I saw really the one from the Belgium cast recording? Because I had been pretty positive it was dutch, and looking over at the website you gave me, the DVD lists Kathleen Aerts, who sang in the version I mentioned seeing/hearing.

Now I'm not sure what I heard because you say the Flemish recording had a good mermaid, but the dutch video had a really bad, off-key mermaid, and Aerts had sounded pretty good to me.

[Oh, and I figured there wouldn't be subtitles, b/c there rarely ever are when it comes to foreign stuff. I don't mind, though, even if I don't always understand, esp. if I can get a summary online or know the story already. I sat through a Takarazuka Revue performance a week or two ago with my limited Japanese and did just fine, so... Not a problem to me when it comes to no subs on liner notes/dvds/whatever. ^_^]

Is Studio100’s Robin Hood the same as "Robin Hood das Musical?" B/c I do believe I heard that one once before. I'll have to double-check. :)

Thanks for all of the info so far. I'm surprised somebody knew something, let alone so much!!

[Lance2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 8:30am

If you've seen a clip with Kathleen Aerts you've seen a clip of the official dvd. She's from Belgium, but only did the Dutch version (just to make it complicated). I've seen her live and she was definatel off key. Even on the dvd she is, perhaps not on 'Geef me vleugels' but I don't exactly remember since I never watch it, it's for collection purposes...

Belgium and Holland are next to each other. The language is 99% the same.

But if you like Kathleen Aets you should definately hear Free Souffriau from the original recording.

The Studio100 version of Robin Hood is very very different from 'Robin Hood das musical' which is Geman. The composer's name is Johan vanden Eede, makes it easier to google...

"Thanks for all of the info so far. I'm surprised somebody knew something, let alone so much!! "

Coming from Holland really helps...

[EVIE]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 2:34pm

They have this one on Ebay but it looks like it's a translation of the Disney movie:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Den-Lille-Havfue-Little-Mermaid-CD-Dutch-Netherlands_W0QQitemZ4068656039QQihZ006QQcategoryZ307QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

[caitlinette]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 3:04pm

I like Free much better than Kathleen, who's quite grating.

[Lance2]

Posted: 3/17/08 at 7:01pm

Den Lille Havenfreu? That doesn't even sound like De Kleine Zeemeermin... That's definately not a dutch recording.

This pic is a pic of the cover...

Updated On: 3/17/08 at 07:01 PM

[Baine]

Posted: 3/21/08 at 5:13am

Wow, I just listened again and it still doesn't seem off-key to me. Then again, I haven't heard the original version. Is she only noticeably off-key if you've heard the original, or should it be really obvious? I always prided myself on having a pretty good ear despite my hearing loss; I can't even watch shows like American Idol b/c so many of the singers have voices that hurt my ears. I don't know why I'm not picking up on her problems unless its something more subtle? *ponders*

Now I really need to hear the original version, I think!

Ah, and Lance, thanks for the extra info about "Robin Hood." I couldn't remember what country it was from, b/c it wasn't something I actually own and had just heard it the one time. I'll have to check it out one day. :) Thanks for the tip!