New Info on The Little Mermaid from the Blogspot

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 4:00am

"Sunday, March 25, 2007
Steel Drums and Shell-Bras

I received a very exciting email earlier this week from a source who works for Disney (for obvious reasons they wish to be kept anonymous). They stated in his email the following:

"The show will look a lot like this: [See above]

Here is a collaborative pic from two designers. Typsin has portfolio online. Expect stuff like this.

Also I saw prototypes of Sebastian and Flounder. Only the head of the actor is visible. They will wear a mask/helmet that will also be the body of the character. The arms (fins) will be controlled by two rods connected to gloved hands. The rest of the actor is mask in a camouflage outfit. The rest of the animal characters are this way and it really adds a dimension to puppets we have seen by Disney before. What is great is that since the character is constantly swimming, they do not need a platform to hide under.

The set is incredible.

Also the orchestra will feature a REAL steel drum set.

Please add "Fathoms Below" to our song list. That song is indeed in the show and they are using and early version of it to start the musical. There is also two dance numbers. One on the ship by the sailors, and one in the kingdom on Ariel's day out.

Also a HUGE concern is the shell-bra thing. Right now they are working on makign something that is invisble but supportive. The shoes and the shells are custom so this part of the production is really expensive....

Also that "movement" workshop a few months ago was concerning flying. There is one scene where Ariel and Sebastian/Flounder flys upwards after she gets legs. This is done by a large device. It is also the same thing that makes Ursula large in the end. It's kinda like the Elphaba rig in Wicked. Simple.... but spectacular."

This is very exciting news coming from the very inside of the production and I hope to hear more from this source soon.
_______________________________________________________________


Tre intresting.

[courtnyj]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 4:08am

Wow freaky. The picture of the set is very similar to what I imagined it would look like. Kind of a cross between Tarzan and The Lion King.

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 4:19am

I REALLY hope the writing for this is good, I love the movie and would hate to find out its another Lion King where its has a dazzling production and well directed, but the actual material falls flat. But who knows? I choose to remain optomistic. I think its great on how its been cast with known names (at least in the theatre world), the last time that was done with a movie adaptation was BatB, which I understand to be a good show.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 4:29am

What is that a picture of?

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 4:36am

It looks like a picture from tarzan... Updated On: 3/25/07 at 04:36 AM

[Julian2]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 4:44am

Its not Tarzan. It says "Here is a collaborative pic from two designers."

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 5:18am

I know, it just looks like Tarzan with the lighting..What scene is it supposed to be?

[musicalkid]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 7:27am

the puppet/mask thing sounds rather like what was used in the "finding nemo" musical. where the head of the actor was the head of the character,and the charachter's body was attached to the back of the actor's head, as if creating a real fish body. and the rest of the actor's body was black or somethng.

[purpleprince101]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 10:21am

Looks very cool

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 10:50am

Oh! I've definately seen that picture before! I think it's of an opera...

[littlechavela2]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 10:57am

*jumps up and down* I cannot wait to see this!!!

[Andante]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 11:11am

The set looks AMAZING. Cannot wait to see this show!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 11:19am

This all makes me drowsy.

I feel bad for the actors in those things.

It does sound like they are going for spectacle and no heart or story.
i smell another TARZAN.

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 11:24am

Glad they're using the older "Fathoms Below". It gives a lot of backstory.

[Craig]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 12:43pm

FYI -

That blogspot has been proven to be spotty at best with wide ranges of false information "friend of a friend of a friend" type info. I'm not discounting the veracity of this entry - but really, I'd wait until something was either released by the press reps, producers or whatnot. Everything else is hearsay...

[mateo]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 12:47pm

veracity, thats a good word.


Is that picture a rendering or an actual picture from a built set?

[Tag]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 1:00pm

There is no way that is actually a picture from the finished set. At this time it is probally not even loaded into the theatre, let alone lit.
It might be a picture of a model.
BUT as it says "here is a collaborative pic from two designers. Typsin has portfolio online" Which could mean it's a picture from his website that gives the idea of what the Mermaid set will be.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 1:19pm

[ruthiefan_felix]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 1:30pm

is it just me but the pix looks exactly like Defying Gravity with Elphie not givin a sh*t !

[Tag]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 1:36pm

Okay that picture is NOT at all from The Little Mermaid. The set is a George Tsypin design with Tatiana Noginova costumes. Hence the collaborative picture.

SEE HERE Updated On: 3/25/07 at 01:36 PM

[CapnHook]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 1:54pm

Thanks, Tag. I thought that was self-explanitory but apparently not.

Here's a link that was posted on the boards before:

http://www.polyhymnion.org/tsypin/gallery1.html

That outdoor production of WEST SIDE STORY looks unbelievable. I would have LOVED to have seen it.

Updated On: 3/25/07 at 01:54 PM

[MovieGuy1031]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 2:35pm

Wow, Capn, those pics of West Side Story really ARE unbelievable...

[mateo]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 2:39pm

craig was right!

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 3:12pm

steel drums on Broadway!!! about time!

[gumbo2]

Posted: 3/25/07 at 3:39pm

Wow, I have no idea what those pictures in Capn's link actually ARE, but they look so cool.