#1
Posted: 12/30/07 at 4:54pm
Bash it. Agree/Disagree. It's my opinion, we're all entitled to one. I will try and address things not addressed in other reviews.
I have only seen a handful of shows, all of which can be found under my favorite shows in my profile. I really only discovered "Broadway" this past summer, with the exception of seeing a few shows before that. I am not a theater major, theater performer .. just your average theatergoer. I say this because some of you may want to compare it to the greatest musicals of our time, to the Tony Award winning shows etc. Because I haven’t seen that many shows, I cant do that. I think those of you who have, who study theater etc. shouldn’t either. This is Disney. You cant compare it to lets say Shakespeare. They're very distinct, why compare "apples to oranges"? Also, The Little Mermaid is perhaps one of my greatest childhood memories and one of my most cherished films, so I did walk in with very high expectations.. all of which were met and exceeded - A few spoilers ahead.
Misinterpretations:
I guess it is my fault, but perhaps I am a very literal reader. Things that I have read about the show were turning me off before even seeing it. Things like "Ariel just kicks off her fins" and "Ariel just smashes the shell to defeat Ursula" sounded as if these scenes were poorly done and lacking emphasis. I was expecting the tail to come off and fall onto the stage, the shell to make a simple thud but this was not the case. From where I was sitting, 3rd row I didn’t even see where the fin went, the shell made a huge booming crash in the theater. Emphasis/power were not lacking. Even when Ariel turns back into a human at the very end (as the mersisters encircle her - think Legally Blonde “OMIGOD You Guys” quick change) is done very well. The illusion isn’t as good as the previous two, but still works.
Costumes:
I don’t think anything really hindered the show. None of the costumes were distracting/confusing/disappointing. Costumes that look so-so in photos tended to really pop on stage. Some fish were easily identifiable from the film, others not - but really? I didn’t come to the show to identify every single species of fish on stage. Even Flounder's costume wasn’t that bad, and even kind of cute. Ursula's costume is phenomenal on stage, tentacles work beautifully around her (especially in Poor Unfortunate Souls). More importantly, all of Ariel's costumes from the film are here. Her pink dinner gown, her blue dress from her day with Eric, her wedding dress, even her shimmery gown from being turned into a Mermaid by Triton (though a 2piece now) all look beautiful and left nothing more to be desired.
Sets:
The sets are very beautiful. Highly-stylized? Yes. Does It Work? YES. Everything is very plexi-glass/plastic - even the dinner table/chairs in the castle. This really makes all of the characters pop on stage. I felt that having everything be the same may make the show appear overly modern and cold. This wasn’t the case, the emotion still comes through and it is all very effective.
New Changes:
The contest portion was my greatest reservation walking in, as it is with most seeing the show. It worked wonderfully. In the 2nd Act Eric sings a song "One Step Closer" about how dancing is a conversation, and when none of the other princesses sing in the manner as Ariel had in Act One, she auditions simply through dancing and is chosen. Even when Ursula uses the voice to distract Eric and postpone the kiss further, he still tells Grimsby to tell the princess she is too late and still picks Ariel. This is very important in the show/movie in my opinion, where Eric finally loves Ariel for Ariel and not her voice. This is obviously done in the film where Eric tries to save her from Ursula, but this contest still achieves the same effect and allows for Ariel to save herself in the end. No Complaints.
Familiar Moments:
The show managed to retain some scenes from the movie, little touches, that feels very tied to the source material despite some of the story changes. Things like Ariel twisting her hair when first meeting Eric in Act 2, Scuttle listening for Eric's heartbeat by placing Eric's foot to his ear, and Triton signing the contract with his Trident are all here, among others and all work well.
Small Gripes:
As much as I loved the show, the two songs performed by scuttle and the almost countless gulls flew over my head. The large clown boots for their feet was also a bit odd. If you see the show, during "Positoovity" I would turn my attention to Ariel and Sebastian at the front right of the stage - they have a cute inaudible exchange, which I preferred more than the actual number. Also, I wanted Poor Unfortunate Souls to have a little bit more ‘umph’. This scene in the movie is done beautifully with potions flying and smashing into the cauldron with different colors of smoke engulfing the cave. P.U.S in the show is done almost too simply to be an effective closing number of Act 1 - but it was still very strong. Also, Sherie adds little things to make it her own. There is one moment where she sings “They weren’t kidding when they called me well…a witch.” So subtle, but when she hits ‘witch’ there is slight jerk of the head that garnered a laugh from the audience. Lastly, some of the set pieces were a little loud as they fanned out, nothing major but still noticeable.
Audience:
I sat in the third row, in an area with only adults so I had no children around me, yet the entire audience was very well behaved and the most I heard out of a child was a small cough further back. The audience clapped when almost every character initially appeared on stage, during key moments such as when Ariel saves Eric or when she transforms into a human. As I walked out of the theater, grown men could be heard humming Under the Sea and Part Of Your World. It was in my opinion very well received and embraced by all.
In Closing:
Just to clean things up, I remember reading someone had an issue with Ariel walking before Act 1 ends and then having trouble learning how to walk in Act 2. Let it be noted, that Ariel does not run laps in the end of Act 1. She emerges from a trap door, throwing her hair back as she does in the film when she rises from the water and just as she stands the curtain is 90% down and takes two little steps as the curtain falls completely. I found no continuity issues in this. Also, when the worlds merge and palace court members dance with mermaids, yes it may be a little implausible but so what? It works - and moves nicely into the curtain call. People I went with said they ‘liked’ it by end of Act 1 but by the end they ate it all up, and said they would even go again. All performances were excellent, Sierra is the absolute embodiment of Ariel. Sherie gives us a fresh twist on Ursula. Titus is wonderful as Sebastian and everyone else is equally strong. There were moments where I got a little misty-eyed, because they seemed plucked right out of the film. Ariel saving Eric, Ariel’s transformation, Eric and Ariel dancing just as they do in the split second of the film in the village courtyard, Ariel and Triton making amends at the end, Triton carrying human Ariel in his arms to the surface after transforming her, and Eric and Ariel’s wedding kiss on the ship were all so beautiful. I always say, if there’s a tear (of joy) in my eye during at least one moment in the show then the show has gotten me, and in this show there were many of those moments.
I have only seen a handful of shows, all of which can be found under my favorite shows in my profile. I really only discovered "Broadway" this past summer, with the exception of seeing a few shows before that. I am not a theater major, theater performer .. just your average theatergoer. I say this because some of you may want to compare it to the greatest musicals of our time, to the Tony Award winning shows etc. Because I haven’t seen that many shows, I cant do that. I think those of you who have, who study theater etc. shouldn’t either. This is Disney. You cant compare it to lets say Shakespeare. They're very distinct, why compare "apples to oranges"? Also, The Little Mermaid is perhaps one of my greatest childhood memories and one of my most cherished films, so I did walk in with very high expectations.. all of which were met and exceeded - A few spoilers ahead.
Misinterpretations:
I guess it is my fault, but perhaps I am a very literal reader. Things that I have read about the show were turning me off before even seeing it. Things like "Ariel just kicks off her fins" and "Ariel just smashes the shell to defeat Ursula" sounded as if these scenes were poorly done and lacking emphasis. I was expecting the tail to come off and fall onto the stage, the shell to make a simple thud but this was not the case. From where I was sitting, 3rd row I didn’t even see where the fin went, the shell made a huge booming crash in the theater. Emphasis/power were not lacking. Even when Ariel turns back into a human at the very end (as the mersisters encircle her - think Legally Blonde “OMIGOD You Guys” quick change) is done very well. The illusion isn’t as good as the previous two, but still works.
Costumes:
I don’t think anything really hindered the show. None of the costumes were distracting/confusing/disappointing. Costumes that look so-so in photos tended to really pop on stage. Some fish were easily identifiable from the film, others not - but really? I didn’t come to the show to identify every single species of fish on stage. Even Flounder's costume wasn’t that bad, and even kind of cute. Ursula's costume is phenomenal on stage, tentacles work beautifully around her (especially in Poor Unfortunate Souls). More importantly, all of Ariel's costumes from the film are here. Her pink dinner gown, her blue dress from her day with Eric, her wedding dress, even her shimmery gown from being turned into a Mermaid by Triton (though a 2piece now) all look beautiful and left nothing more to be desired.
Sets:
The sets are very beautiful. Highly-stylized? Yes. Does It Work? YES. Everything is very plexi-glass/plastic - even the dinner table/chairs in the castle. This really makes all of the characters pop on stage. I felt that having everything be the same may make the show appear overly modern and cold. This wasn’t the case, the emotion still comes through and it is all very effective.
New Changes:
The contest portion was my greatest reservation walking in, as it is with most seeing the show. It worked wonderfully. In the 2nd Act Eric sings a song "One Step Closer" about how dancing is a conversation, and when none of the other princesses sing in the manner as Ariel had in Act One, she auditions simply through dancing and is chosen. Even when Ursula uses the voice to distract Eric and postpone the kiss further, he still tells Grimsby to tell the princess she is too late and still picks Ariel. This is very important in the show/movie in my opinion, where Eric finally loves Ariel for Ariel and not her voice. This is obviously done in the film where Eric tries to save her from Ursula, but this contest still achieves the same effect and allows for Ariel to save herself in the end. No Complaints.
Familiar Moments:
The show managed to retain some scenes from the movie, little touches, that feels very tied to the source material despite some of the story changes. Things like Ariel twisting her hair when first meeting Eric in Act 2, Scuttle listening for Eric's heartbeat by placing Eric's foot to his ear, and Triton signing the contract with his Trident are all here, among others and all work well.
Small Gripes:
As much as I loved the show, the two songs performed by scuttle and the almost countless gulls flew over my head. The large clown boots for their feet was also a bit odd. If you see the show, during "Positoovity" I would turn my attention to Ariel and Sebastian at the front right of the stage - they have a cute inaudible exchange, which I preferred more than the actual number. Also, I wanted Poor Unfortunate Souls to have a little bit more ‘umph’. This scene in the movie is done beautifully with potions flying and smashing into the cauldron with different colors of smoke engulfing the cave. P.U.S in the show is done almost too simply to be an effective closing number of Act 1 - but it was still very strong. Also, Sherie adds little things to make it her own. There is one moment where she sings “They weren’t kidding when they called me well…a witch.” So subtle, but when she hits ‘witch’ there is slight jerk of the head that garnered a laugh from the audience. Lastly, some of the set pieces were a little loud as they fanned out, nothing major but still noticeable.
Audience:
I sat in the third row, in an area with only adults so I had no children around me, yet the entire audience was very well behaved and the most I heard out of a child was a small cough further back. The audience clapped when almost every character initially appeared on stage, during key moments such as when Ariel saves Eric or when she transforms into a human. As I walked out of the theater, grown men could be heard humming Under the Sea and Part Of Your World. It was in my opinion very well received and embraced by all.
In Closing:
Just to clean things up, I remember reading someone had an issue with Ariel walking before Act 1 ends and then having trouble learning how to walk in Act 2. Let it be noted, that Ariel does not run laps in the end of Act 1. She emerges from a trap door, throwing her hair back as she does in the film when she rises from the water and just as she stands the curtain is 90% down and takes two little steps as the curtain falls completely. I found no continuity issues in this. Also, when the worlds merge and palace court members dance with mermaids, yes it may be a little implausible but so what? It works - and moves nicely into the curtain call. People I went with said they ‘liked’ it by end of Act 1 but by the end they ate it all up, and said they would even go again. All performances were excellent, Sierra is the absolute embodiment of Ariel. Sherie gives us a fresh twist on Ursula. Titus is wonderful as Sebastian and everyone else is equally strong. There were moments where I got a little misty-eyed, because they seemed plucked right out of the film. Ariel saving Eric, Ariel’s transformation, Eric and Ariel dancing just as they do in the split second of the film in the village courtyard, Ariel and Triton making amends at the end, Triton carrying human Ariel in his arms to the surface after transforming her, and Eric and Ariel’s wedding kiss on the ship were all so beautiful. I always say, if there’s a tear (of joy) in my eye during at least one moment in the show then the show has gotten me, and in this show there were many of those moments.
Updated On: 12/30/07 at 04:54 PM
