Letter to Disney Theatricals, a draft

[showbiz287]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 3:23am

This is the first time I've ever been that disapointed that I needed to write a letter about it. I may or may not send this letter, but it is a work in progress. I need to think about it more... wanted to get opinions. I know spelling/grammar will be plucked apart on this board! haha!


Dear Disney Theatricals,
“Tales as Old as Time,” Disney Theatricals has produced good wholesome family entertainment for over a decade now. Sparking and exciting the youth about theatre at a young age is a wonderful and beneficial. I have seen every show put on Broadway by your company. Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mary Poppins, were all fantastic and imaginative and still but never strayed too far from what made them iconic Disney movies. I saw Tarzan, (or as I call it, the green headache) although did not particularly care for it, the show still kept the familiar elements of the movie, while being imaginative at the same time. I recently attended your production of “The Little Mermaid,” which I would say is one of your most beloved Disney Classics! I was more than disappointed, I was heartbroken.
I am a performer myself, and I appreciate all forms of theatre. I’m very forgiving when it comes to the stage sometimes, and I can be very easily impressed. What I am most disappointed in this show, is in the design elements of the show. Ariel’s costume alone was inconsistent in its designs. There were so many Ariel doubles! The vision of Ariel that people have in their heads is like in the show when she swims to the surface (just before losing the fins). Not to say that that vision can’t be changed, but Ariel was established as having this train of fabric covering her legs and a tail sticking out the back, as all the mermaids had. I felt they looked like dinosaurs at times and were very distracting! As for the rest of the sea creatures, well I know there were fish, but they were so far from fish looking, it was hard to tell what they were! Sebastian’s costume was great, minus the eyeballs on his hat! I thought the costumes in your “theme park shows” and “on ice” versions of the show are more familiar with audiences, and less distracting .The “Under the Sea,” number should’ve blown “Be Our Guest” out of the water, (excuse the pun)! Would it really have hurt the budget for the use of some bubble machines? I would’ve liked “Kiss the Girl,” more if I hadn’t seen it already in The Lion King. I liked all the “on land” scenes and the transitions between land and sea. I also liked how the “on land” designs were through the eyes of Ariel. I didn’t quite understand, nor like the giant corkscrew objects that drifted and spun in and out of the stage, however, I CAN see how they worked within the show. I give a standing ovation to Natasha Katz, who is brilliant in her work, even when what she is lighting isn’t.

My other concern has to do with why the creators of the show completely changed the ending of the “Disney Classic” gold they held in their hands? I can understand adding scenes here and there for character development, but “if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” By doing so, it created questions in the plot that didn’t need to be created in the first place. Like Ursula can’t survive without her shell, but what did she do before the shell was given to her? The character of Vanessa threw that monkey wrench into the protagonist’s wildest dreams! She made the audience say, “how is Ariel going to get herself out of this one?” By removing Vanessa, Ursula (a sea creature) had to unexplainably get to Ariel, who was on land. Also having Triton combine the land and sea worlds made very little sense to me. It took out the piece of the love story that Ariel loved Prince Eric so much that she was willing to sacrifice her world for him. Triton redeemed himself by allowing and approving her departure into the human world that he despised. Eric didn’t rescue Ariel in the show, and therefore didn’t prove anything to Triton to make him change his mind about the human world.

In this letter, I am not asking for my money back. When it comes down to it, I made the decision to see your production.If anything I'd like to think my money went to the performers and backstage crew who deserve it. I have seen many shows I didn’t like, but none have disappointed me as much as this production has. The Little Mermaid lost its charm from screen to stage. Maybe I just had such high standards that I was easily disappointed? Disney is lucky they are banking on the name, music and story of the show, which have already proved themselves worthy over time. I commend you for your efforts in the theatre, but beg you in the future to listen to your audiences. Ask people’s opinions out of town before bringing it to Broadway. You can’t please everyone, and I completely understand you don’t want to lose all creative control, so choose your battles, but listen to your audience; they’re the ones buying tickets.

-Disappointed Disney Fan.

Updated On: 1/4/08 at 03:23 AM

[DrTheatre]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 3:30am

The letter is fine, but I think people are getting way out of hand with this. You all have to remember that every show (even if like the original or movie or whatever) that goes to the stage is not going to be the same and that everyone is not going to like it. Everyone has different views and different ways of thinking. If we all wrote letters to people how much we did not like their play, then there will be no theater. There is no point I think to write letters to producers or any such about how you disliked a play or musical. They don't want to hear that in the first place. You may freely write your views on this board, but a letter will just be thrown away...again, it is hard to please everyone. If you did not like it for what it was, then you try to invest 10 million dollars into show and you call the shots!

[showbiz287]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 3:35am

I agree. I wouldn't want to see a literal translation from screen to stage. I just feel the stage wasn't able to capture what the movie did. Lion King, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast captured what it needed to, while still being completely original. I wouldn't even know who to send this letter to, and really the damage is done by now with the show opening in a week.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 4:02am

I think you're giving the film way too much credit. The Little Mermaid movie is atrocious to begin with. I'm glad they took some liberties to try and fix those things for the stage.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 4:03am

To be realistic, I doubt your letter is going to change anything.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 4:42am

My theory on this is if enough people send Disney letters, when the show closes early next year, with no tony noms or no wins. They just might learn, Disney must have lost a fortune on Tarzan and in six days this will open, most likely with some horrible reviews from the majors. A couple of hundred letters from people disapointed and wary of spending money on the next show Disney do.

Be brave and send those letters forth.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 5:13am

"My theory on this is if enough people send Disney letters, when the show closes early next year, with no tony noms or no wins..."

Tony noms/wins or not, I don't think the show will close early next year. It is one of the fastest selling shows on Broadway. Little Mermaid hasn't been open as long as Tarzan had yet, but it is practically sold out the next few months (according to what I heard from an announcer at Bryant Park this weekend - someone from Little Mermaid was performing at the rink). It doesn't need a Tony nomination or win to stay open. The movie is one of the favorites and most popular among little girls, so families are flocking to take their girls to see another Disney princess.

EDIT: I know Little Mermaid hasn't even been open as long as Tarzan was, but Tarzan never even reached the million-dollar mark in its weekly grosses, except the week of 12/31/06 and almost on Thanksgiving weekend.

Updated On: 1/4/08 at 05:13 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 6:31am

What is with this new trend of writing letters to the Disney company expressing disappoinment?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 8:01am

You're just copying someone else's idea.

[LuPonatic]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 10:16am

needs some proof reading

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 10:35am

I'M interested to KNOW How "The Little Mermaid" movie is atrocious.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 10:45am

Seeing the show makes you realize how thin the plot of the movie is.

[PotO2]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 10:45am

I realize you were disappointed, but honestly, you aren't going to accomplish anything by sending this letter. As blind as they may look, Disney knows what they did wrong (if anything, a lot of people thought it was great).

Nothing will be changed by sending letters to them.

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 1:09pm

I agree with everyone that a letter won't change anything with Disney. The show's opening is coming way too fast. Maybe if you sent these during the Denver Tryouts.

But I want to note that this show HAD THE POTENTIAL to translate well into stage. They could have pulled it off.

We can't just throw our hands into the air and say "It just wasn't meant to be on stage." There are creative ways to translate sea to stage. The skates were a start, but the costumes didn't coincide. Early, before casting was even out, people were spectulating that Ursula's transformation into a monster was going to be done the same way Elphaba flies in "Defying Gravity" with a cherry picker. Casting Sherie Rene Scott, people were dead sure that the Vanessa storyline was being kept because SRS is gorgeous. So this could have worked, with doubles, with cherry pickers, with any tools at the set designer, costume designer, and lighting designers disposal. What went wrong? I don't know. To say the movie just doesn't translate well to stage, is lazy. If they can do it with Mary Poppins, Tarzan, and Beauty and the Beast, they can do it here.

Updated On: 1/4/08 at 01:09 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 1:32pm

One of my tenant works for Disney Theatricals.

Would you like me to give him a copy of this?

[dshnookie]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:12pm

You didn't like the show...OK, move on. I agree with DrTheatre, put up $15M and make the show as you think it should have been made.

I'm dying to read how you would have changed the mermaid costumes, Sebastian's etc. And speaking of doubles, I'm sure if Vanessa was kept in the story, they would need..a double to pull it off.

Eric not saving Ariel, OK .. It's 2008 - cant a girl save herself?

Eric not proving his love? Well he chose a mute Ariel even after hearing the voice in the distance. In the film I'm sure he was still under Ursula's spell up until the shell broke and Ariel regained her voice. It seems like in the film, Eric never stopped longing for that voice. In the musical, Eric loves Ariel for Ariel and not just her voice. I'm sorry to say, but I think Disney is a little busy counting their Mermaid millions to read your letter.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:23pm

Maybe you could set yourself on fire in front of the Lunt-Fontanne like the Tibetan monks of the sixties. That oughta wake Disney up.

[Jonny boy]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:26pm

Diva..... did you work with a guy named Nakia at Disneyland?

[BillFinn]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:26pm

After "Sweet Child Reprise," when Ursula sends Flotsom and Jetsam to stop the kiss. She can have her inner monologue towards the audience (like the movie) "It's time for Ursula to take matters into her own tentacles..." but have it not be Sherie Rene Scott. With the right lighting, that full body suit and wig, and heavy makeup, make the audience think it's her. And then *IN A FLASH* Sherie is switched and comes out drop-dead gorgeous and enchants Eric.

Follow the rest of the storyline with the random wedding, have another double in a wedding dress with her back always to the audience and a veil always over her face when the animals attack her. Then when Ariel gets her voice back and the shell breaks. That's when the Vanessa-double runs behind one of the bongs and Ursula transforms, already having Sherie ready in her Ursula garb to switch back in.

It's complicated, but no more complicated than the "Into the Woods" revival's switch.

[Mouses Magic]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:50pm

Not to be a downer on your letter but the general public, for which makes up the VAST VAST majority of the shows audience, are enjoying the show. Go look at broadwaybox.com and look at the last 15 reviews. Those are the people that will keep the show open. All those FAMILIES who loved the show are telling all of thier fellow friends about their experience. Also not only do you have every little girl begging their parents to see the show, many older females, as in college students, are going as well. As for me personally I know quite a number of my guy friends who have purchased tickets to the show for their girlfriends as Xmas or Valentines Day presents. Those who did go already over Xmas, loved it. The general public is the vast majority of the shows audience, and they are enjoying the show.

[dshnookie]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 2:54pm

As much as everyone wants this or that to be changed, the show opens next week and is probably being shown to critics this weekend if not already. I'm no Broadway expert, but I think it's a little too late. The changes, and some of which are major ones, some of you may like to see aren't coming. There are what? 34 other Broadway shows also playing. Catch one of those, get off the Little Mermaid hate boat and let it sail...

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 7:03pm

"Diva..... did you work with a guy named Nakia at Disneyland?"


It was so long ago, and that name doesn't sound familiar at all.

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 8:15pm

Getting back to the actual letter, make sure you explain exactly what you mean in complete sentences. ie. when quoting the name of a song from another Disney show, make sure you say which show it came from. Don't assume whomever actually reads this will understand what you are talking about.
A few years ago I wrote a letter to the owners of a Broadway theatre complaining about my experience with their ushers. I listed out my complaints, etc. in a very resonable tone. I didn't expect anything to come of it, but I did get a letter response of apology a few months later.
So, maybe your letter won't change anything, but if it is important to you, that is what matters.

[roadmixer]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 8:25pm

Thank you Mouses for stating what I have said so many times when people try to re-direct, re-conceive or otherwise re-invent shows that they think are not up to snuff. This is not a business which takes its cues from bloggers on this or any other site. The people who reply (myself included) are a small, small portion of the theatre going public.

As much as some people seem eager for Mermaid to be a non-success, that is just not going to happen because the fans like it. The fans tell their friends and so on... The fans don't know or care who Ben Brantley is - for better or for worse!

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 1/4/08 at 10:29pm

DisneyonBroadway.com states somewhere that Disney Theatricals will not read/respond to any suggestion letters without prior invitation.