#1
Posted: 5/8/08 at 12:23am
One of my coworkers told me that she was going to see The Little Mermaid with her Mommy and Me group and she had an extra ticket. Did I want to come? Since I did want to see the show and it was a discounted group rate I said sure. Spoilers ahead.
I wanted to love this show. I've always found the movie to be one of Disney's best, I work for Disney (until mid-June), and it seemed like something I'd enjoy. And I didn't have a completely unenjoyable afternoon but I was let down. It was more or less very expensive children's theatre.
First off I felt the plot was very dumbed down. It's a children's movie and the plot is completely suitable for children. There's no need to make it simpler. I felt as if I were being spoken down to throughout the show. The added plot with Triton and Ursula being brother and sister seemed unneeded to me. Also, explaining that Ariel's mother was killed by humans seemed almost cruel. I'm sure that part went over the heads of many of the younger children but I think it was better left unsaid.
The sets, costumes, and lighting were simply amazing. For me these elements were the best part of the show. A lot of care and detail went into these and they constantly captured my attention.
The songs from the film are amazing and there is no arguing that. The new songs are, well, good. But when I walked out of the theatre it was the old songs that were buzzing through my head - not the new ones. But it was two of the new numbers that I felt were the best staged out of the whole show. I truly enjoyed Positoovity because it was a classic tap dance number which is something that has been abandoned by Broadway in recent years. To me a spirited tap dance (especially a group dance) is quintessential Broadway. I enjoyed the choreography of One Step Closer for many of the same reasons. The classic Fred/Ginger or Marge/Gower graceful dance number has practically disappeared from Broadway. Everyone's trying to be bigger and bolder rather than graceful and lovely. As the song states dance is a way to speak without words and that number conveyed Ariel and Eric's feelings beautifully.
The ending was a bit anti-climatic for me. I know that they're unable to recreate the big battle from the film but it just seemed too easy. After a quick inner battle between living with Eric and saving her father Ariel smashes Ursula's shell - the source of her power. Where was Eric during all of this? The whole time Ariel and Ursula were talking I was looking around for him. I really felt that he should have shown up for the showdown like he had in the film. Instead he shows up after Ursula has been defeated. Triton makes a comment about Eric coming to rescue Ariel but in actuality he showed up after she saved herself.
Sierra is truly one of the best things about the show. She's so wonderful in this role. Tony worthy? I'm not so sure about that but she really brought a lot of heart and depth to Ariel. The rest of the cast backed her up well. Sherie sang wonderfully but she seemed to be making an attempt to NOT be over the top in a role that, I think, IS over the top. Sean Palmer is dashing and handsome as Eric. And what can be said about Jonathan Freeman? I've enjoyed him in everything I've ever seen him in. He's really a joy to watch.
Today was Trevor day and he was cute as Scuttle but seems to be having a little trouble with his vocals. A little wobbly and worrying for me.
Titus was great and Norm seems wasted here. Eddie was over the top as Scuttle and rightfully so while Derrick and Tyler were dastardly slimy.
I was sitting in center orchestra row A. That's right...the very first row. I would never would have chosen this seat for myself. The orchestra was literally right in front of me and I had to crane my head to see any time any member of the cast was laying down on the stage.
And if I ever come to this board and say "Hey everyone I'm a mom!" I want you ALL to message me to remind me to not take my child to a Broadway show before they're old enough to sit through it! I mean my goodness! This is something that has been discussed here in the board many times and I understand that you want to give your child a great Broadway experience but if they're too young to sit still during the show then you're wasting your money. Orchestra seats on Broadway are WAY too expensive to have your child be in and out of their seats during the whole show. The little girl next to me would NOT stay in her seat. I was kicked in the arm. Kicked in the head. Hit when she kicked her booster seat off the seat. She yelled in my ear. She yelled at the actors on stage. She kicked her shoe off by accident and HAD to find it right at that moment. I paid just as much for my seat as they had and deserved the right to enjoy the show. I didn't pay $89 to be kicked for more than two hours. I work with children all the time and I don't mind fooling around and just being childish. But there comes a time for a parent to step in. If I had behaved like this in a theatre my father would have dragged me out by my hair. This child was never even shushed. And I wanted to say something but it's such a delicate situation. The mother was from the same Mommy and Me group as my coworker so if I said something it could have made their relationship strained. And it's not my job to parent someone else's child. Okay, enough of my rant about children in the theatre. The audience was full of children and they were more or less very well-behaved. I just got lucky lol. I'm all for introducing children to theatre because it can be so rewarding. But theatre etiquette can be taught at the same time.
So, in a nutshell, the show had it's enjoyable moments but is really very expensive children's theatre.
I wanted to love this show. I've always found the movie to be one of Disney's best, I work for Disney (until mid-June), and it seemed like something I'd enjoy. And I didn't have a completely unenjoyable afternoon but I was let down. It was more or less very expensive children's theatre.
First off I felt the plot was very dumbed down. It's a children's movie and the plot is completely suitable for children. There's no need to make it simpler. I felt as if I were being spoken down to throughout the show. The added plot with Triton and Ursula being brother and sister seemed unneeded to me. Also, explaining that Ariel's mother was killed by humans seemed almost cruel. I'm sure that part went over the heads of many of the younger children but I think it was better left unsaid.
The sets, costumes, and lighting were simply amazing. For me these elements were the best part of the show. A lot of care and detail went into these and they constantly captured my attention.
The songs from the film are amazing and there is no arguing that. The new songs are, well, good. But when I walked out of the theatre it was the old songs that were buzzing through my head - not the new ones. But it was two of the new numbers that I felt were the best staged out of the whole show. I truly enjoyed Positoovity because it was a classic tap dance number which is something that has been abandoned by Broadway in recent years. To me a spirited tap dance (especially a group dance) is quintessential Broadway. I enjoyed the choreography of One Step Closer for many of the same reasons. The classic Fred/Ginger or Marge/Gower graceful dance number has practically disappeared from Broadway. Everyone's trying to be bigger and bolder rather than graceful and lovely. As the song states dance is a way to speak without words and that number conveyed Ariel and Eric's feelings beautifully.
The ending was a bit anti-climatic for me. I know that they're unable to recreate the big battle from the film but it just seemed too easy. After a quick inner battle between living with Eric and saving her father Ariel smashes Ursula's shell - the source of her power. Where was Eric during all of this? The whole time Ariel and Ursula were talking I was looking around for him. I really felt that he should have shown up for the showdown like he had in the film. Instead he shows up after Ursula has been defeated. Triton makes a comment about Eric coming to rescue Ariel but in actuality he showed up after she saved herself.
Sierra is truly one of the best things about the show. She's so wonderful in this role. Tony worthy? I'm not so sure about that but she really brought a lot of heart and depth to Ariel. The rest of the cast backed her up well. Sherie sang wonderfully but she seemed to be making an attempt to NOT be over the top in a role that, I think, IS over the top. Sean Palmer is dashing and handsome as Eric. And what can be said about Jonathan Freeman? I've enjoyed him in everything I've ever seen him in. He's really a joy to watch.
Today was Trevor day and he was cute as Scuttle but seems to be having a little trouble with his vocals. A little wobbly and worrying for me.
Titus was great and Norm seems wasted here. Eddie was over the top as Scuttle and rightfully so while Derrick and Tyler were dastardly slimy.
I was sitting in center orchestra row A. That's right...the very first row. I would never would have chosen this seat for myself. The orchestra was literally right in front of me and I had to crane my head to see any time any member of the cast was laying down on the stage.
And if I ever come to this board and say "Hey everyone I'm a mom!" I want you ALL to message me to remind me to not take my child to a Broadway show before they're old enough to sit through it! I mean my goodness! This is something that has been discussed here in the board many times and I understand that you want to give your child a great Broadway experience but if they're too young to sit still during the show then you're wasting your money. Orchestra seats on Broadway are WAY too expensive to have your child be in and out of their seats during the whole show. The little girl next to me would NOT stay in her seat. I was kicked in the arm. Kicked in the head. Hit when she kicked her booster seat off the seat. She yelled in my ear. She yelled at the actors on stage. She kicked her shoe off by accident and HAD to find it right at that moment. I paid just as much for my seat as they had and deserved the right to enjoy the show. I didn't pay $89 to be kicked for more than two hours. I work with children all the time and I don't mind fooling around and just being childish. But there comes a time for a parent to step in. If I had behaved like this in a theatre my father would have dragged me out by my hair. This child was never even shushed. And I wanted to say something but it's such a delicate situation. The mother was from the same Mommy and Me group as my coworker so if I said something it could have made their relationship strained. And it's not my job to parent someone else's child. Okay, enough of my rant about children in the theatre. The audience was full of children and they were more or less very well-behaved. I just got lucky lol. I'm all for introducing children to theatre because it can be so rewarding. But theatre etiquette can be taught at the same time.
So, in a nutshell, the show had it's enjoyable moments but is really very expensive children's theatre.
"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney
We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".
