Little Mermaid on Broadway Blog's Review with Pics!!

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:10pm

Go to Link to Read/See More:

"Disney Hits Denver"
'The Little Mermaid' Broadway Reviewed By: Meghan McLaws

When I heard The Little Mermaid was being made into a musical, I was excited and a little apprehensive. I didn’t want the remarkable movie to be butchered by Disney and their theatrical team. With Beauty and the Beast and Lion King being such successes, I was hopeful that the same would happen with my favorite Disney classic.
And when I heard it was premiering in Denver before it went to Broadway, I was so ecstatic that I was moved to tears. Could this be a dream come true? A miracle for a miracle? I thought so, at least. It was fate that I was to see the Disney show before half of the country, and more so a blessing that I got tickets for the official first viewing of the show for an audience.
In the heart of downtown Denver, the Ellie Caulkins Opera House has been recently refurbished, with The Little Mermaid being the first show there since the remodel, and was a good choice for the premiere. The large house, with 4 levels and seats raised to allow viewing over the digital readers that lay on each seat back, wasn’t fully packed at the beginning. As the small crowd of mostly families with small children gathered outside, large posters hung overhead.




Little Mermaid Broadway Blog Updated On: 7/30/07 at 10:10 PM

[Pathymo]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:21pm

Great review.

I'm very much looking forward to this show coming to Broadway. I have heard they are planning on changing the ending so that it is more like the film, which from what I have heard will be a good thing. Also, I never saw Beauty at the Lunt-Fontaine.... but I hear that theatre is awfully small for Beauty, will it be big enough for Mermaid?

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:33pm

yay a pic of the stage!!!!! i'll pay 5 bucks for a pic of the set!!!!!

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:39pm

Where's my 5 bucks? lol.
Updated On: 7/30/07 at 10:39 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:41pm

I love the merchandise!

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:46pm

right here! (points to wallet)....seriously tho, awesome review- it's scary how hyped I am about this show.

[caitlinette]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:52pm

Damn, I want to see this so badly.

So when she kicks off her tail, what is she wearing when she stands up with her legs?

[JP2]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 10:54pm

Great review. I'm excited.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:02pm

I so want to hear the music!!! Especially the new songs! :)

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:09pm

That theatre is incredible. Digital readers? ok....

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 7/30/07 at 11:15pm

"So when she kicks off her tail, what is she wearing when she stands up with her legs?"

She wears a little skirt in the same material as her fin.

And yeah, the Ellie is beautiful. It's only 2 years old and easily the nicest theater in the DPAC complex. It usually houses the Colorado Ballet and Opera Colorado (and TLM is by no means the first show to play there :P), which is why each seat back has digitized screens. They play opera translations and ballet synopses.

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 6:38am

Great reveiw :)

I'm sure they'll change the dialogoue and more importantly Ariels Costumes. I always thought they would be the original dresses from the film and make it abit more Disney Theatrical style. I'm sure it will change. I thought Ann Hard Would's costumes for 'BEAUTY' were fantastic. I would have thought they could have used her or maybe Julie Taymor. Just hope Tatiana Noginova makes the changes to really make the characters beleiveable (more particularly Flounders' Costume, A t-shirt painted with Blue?! Come on, Chip's costume in BATB was better than that)
Updated On: 7/31/07 at 06:38 AM

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 7:19am

To quote Ariel:
"I want more"

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 10:03am

Someone should teach these bloggers that tiny yellow type on a teal blue background is almost freaking impossible to read for more than a few paragraphs.

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 11:14am

Technically, The Little Mermaid is not the first thing to play the Ellie since it was refurbished. It is the first stage show, but the ballet has been performing there since it re-opened.

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 11:44am

I'd make a bet that the costumes are simply not finished. When Bernadette's Gypsy was in previews, literally half of the costumes (and many set pieces) weren't finished yet.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 2:03pm

It was nice to hear how many little kids were singing along with the songs from the movie

Ummm, if there are any kids singing along when I see the show I WILL ask them to be quiet. I'm gonna have to see this on a Tuesday night to avoid as many children as possible.

[TapTapTapioca]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 2:34pm

Jacobsnchz - You have moved on from Hairspray?

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 2:40pm

I'm not opposed to punching a child if they sing-a-long



are you kidding, I've been waiting like 19 years for this...it's only the reason I DO musical theatre in a way.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 2:45pm

"Jacobsnchz - You have moved on from Hairspray?"

lol. There's not that much new news anymore... until the DVD!!

[BrianIdol]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 2:47pm

StephanietheStar - i'm right there with ya.

My little mermaid obsession is truly "multi-layered".
-it was the 1st movie i ever saw in a movie theater (i won a coloring contest at McDonald's and got free tix! I was 5:)
-Sherie Rene Scott is one of the most amazing b'way performers of our time (imo)
-George Tsypin (set designer) is a genius and I can't wait to see his interpretation of the ocean!
-My family is obsessed with Disney, we go to Disney World every single year, and up until now all I've had is the cutesy mermaid show at MGM

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 2:47pm

Whats the Ellie like? Is it a new auditorium or an old style theatre?

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 4:04pm

HAHA, Brian. I'm with you!

It was my first movie in a theatre-I was 3.

Since the moment we had it on tape I sang with it, then with every other Disney movie. I have a MASSIVE collection of little mermaid snowglobes/junk. I've met Jodi Benson twice. And, as I've said times before I pretty much credit Jodi and TLM on my love of Musical theatre and for the current career path I'm on.

and who DOESN'T love Sherie!??! I would have to agree with you.


SO yes, I will punch a child. LOL.

and I'm jealous, I only have been to Disney World 2 times! (when I was 14 and just a couple weeks ago!!)...though Disneyland used to be a regular vacation when I lived in Cali as a child...


wow, I haven't strayed from the topic at all.

[joe5]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 4:14pm

It seems the only flaw is the costumes. If corrected will take the show from a 6 to 10. They better start sewing................ Thanks great blog!

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/31/07 at 4:20pm

The Ellie used to be "The Auditorium Theater". They gutted it out and totally refurbished it. The old Auditorium was like a big black box. I was told that it was painted black when CATS came to town and they just left it. Don't know how true that is. The Ellie is a new state of the art theatre. Here is a link to some pictures. I have seen pictures but have yet to attend a show there since it has been refurbished. (Which is strange for me!) I did get to go inside during construction and it is amazing what they did. I think you can go to the DCPA's website for a tour of the Ellie.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-471-s&va=ellie+caulkins+opera+house+denver&sz=all

Updated On: 7/31/07 at 04:20 PM