Good news....Mermaid may be much better than people expect.

[HBBrock]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 2:10pm

An excerpt from Liz Smith's column in the NY Post:


"WHAT IF you had an ani mated film that had been enthusiastically embraced for 18 years and you wanted to take it to Broadway . . . but almost the entire thing happens underwater? Well, you'd be in the spot Disney was in bringing "The Little Mermaid" to life on the stage.

People who went to the out-of-town tryout in Denver were surprised at how many adults came without children. And surprise, surprise - the mermaid has had new life breathed into her by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer/actor Doug Wright of "I Am My Own Wife" fame. (He is said to have begged for this demanding job.) The Alan Menken-Howard Ashman songs remain, three of which were nominated for the Oscar, with "Under the Sea" winning.

Then there is the matter of a little girl named Sierra Boggess, who was just 7 years old when she first saw "The Little Mermaid" at the movies. She was "discovered" by Disney when playing Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera" in Las Vegas and stepped right into those mermaid fins in Denver, her hometown. (I'm not making this up!)

Disney turned to the opera for director Francesca Zambello and her designer George Tsypin, who has created a mind-blowing new life under the sea.

I do predict that the Great White Way will glow red-hot when this musical previews Nov. 3 and opens Dec. 6. "

An excerpt from Michael Reidel:

"Hopes that Disney's "Little Mermaid" might be another "The Lion King" rather than a "Tarzan" fizzled when Variety theater critic David Rooney harpooned the show in Denver.

Disney's busy sewing new costumes (the fish are starting to look like fish, I'm told), but that's like pouring a fresh pack of soy sauce over 4-day-old sushi."

Hey, atleast they are doing something!



Updated On: 10/25/07 at 02:10 PM

Posted: 10/25/07 at 2:33pm

We'll see...I'm not holding my breath.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 2:41pm

Alright, Liz Smith! She hasn't even seen the show AND she makes positive comments about it. No good, Liz. Not good.

Someone needs to direct her to BWW's Message Board to read the reviews and comments from actual theatregoers who actually SAW the show in Denver AND who aren't under the age of 10...and word-on-the-street ain't too glowing.

Oh, Liz. You should know better than use heresay quotes.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 2:42pm

Before I get lambasted for not liking Liz Smith, I read her column every day and enjoy it immensely. She's made some terrific contributions to the theatre world and continues to be forthright and brave on many issues. HAVING SAID THAT, it is my experience that that her column can be the source of last resort when the producers are trying to hype their shows. A rave from the NYT (no matter who), the other dailys, the weeklies (New York, Time Out New York), the monthlies (Time) seem to take precedence over nationallly-syndicated columnists. I don't know why and don't necessarily agree. That's just the way it seems to be. Ergo, I'm not sure that a rave from Liz Smith will save the show if the afore-mentioned crucify it. And so far, the smoke signals haven't been all that great. And please, don't anybody be telling me that the producers aren't concerned about the Liz Smiths out there.

[sleepyguy1717]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 3:08pm

What happened to the people who actually SAW the show. I remember majorly positive reviews from them. I turn my head, and suddenly its a flop. Eeeks!

Its almost like people are dooming this to be bad before it even opens in NYC.

Well look forward to my review of the opening prview :)

Updated On: 10/25/07 at 03:08 PM

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 5:56pm

People who saw it in Denver had positve things to say about the show and just mentioning a few tweaks; I agree that some people on these boards are saying this show will be a flop and a vast majority of them haven't even seen it!

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 6:04pm

We'll see !

J*
Updated On: 10/25/07 at 06:04 PM

[RyToast1]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:04pm

Please don't let this show sink, pun intended.

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:11pm

awww frenchtoast is funny.

[RyToast1]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:16pm

I try, sometimes too hard, haha!

[billynj]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:39pm

to the haters....get over it, the show is review proof.

Just like i told you this will be the big hit ,,,,


the flop of the year will be "Young Frankenstiff"

you heard it hear first.... FRANKENSTIFF

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:40pm

"too hard".....sometimes you don't have to try at all. lol.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/25/07 at 8:44pm

The only person whose opinion I would trust less than Michael Riedel is Liz Smith.

What a poorly written article. It belongs in a high school newspaper, not as the sole voice of support for show. It definitely doesn't reassure me that my favorite Disney movie is being anything less than massacred.

Posted: 10/25/07 at 11:05pm

The Little Mermaid is one of the most acclaimed and awarded animated films of all time. "Better than people expect" isn't good enough. It deserves much better.

[BrianS]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 12:03am

The reviews on this board have been pretty positive and I'm hoping it's great. Definitely keeping an open mind until I see it in a month. For me, the pics have shown the good far exceeding the bad (love the "Kiss the Girl" pic that shows all the singers, but Flounder's costume was nothing short of insulting).

From the Denver reviews, it sounds like if they fix Act II, the show has a chance to actually be what it should be. Look at what a pleasant surprise Xanadu turned out to be and can't we all agree that this has much stronger source material?

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/26/07 at 12:12am

As I recall, those of us who saw it in Denver pretty much had the same opinions. And we didn't trash it. BrianS you are right.

Now I don't know that it will be red hot. But I hope it does well. And yes, there were a lot of adults without children the evening I saw it.