Variety Pans 'Mermaid'

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:24pm

Very positive notices for Sherie Rene Scott and Norm Lewis' abs (despite the rest of him being underused). Overall, show's a clunker because of Wright's book, the awful design elements (save Natasha Katz' lighting), and Zambello/Mear's uninspired staging.

Little-to-no mention of Sierra Boggess.

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934502.html?categoryid=33&cs=1

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:25pm

So, do Norm Lewis' abs get a song?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:27pm

No, and that was one of Rooney's complaints...

"...his impressive gym results getting more exposure than his mellifluous baritone."

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:28pm

This is why we need Josh Logan back. He could a find a way to show off Norm's baritone AND abs!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:37pm

That's a rather scathing review.
How do you get rid of the set, costumes, book and most of the cast in 2 months?

Can't wait to see how the DISNEY Professional Bloggers turn this around.
I am sure they will try. Updated On: 8/26/07 at 11:37 PM

[Tag]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:37pm

Ouch.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:41pm

How do you get rid of the set, costumes, book and most of the casr in 2 months?
You don't. In the old days they'd have folded out of town, fire a bunch of people, and start from scratch. Given what Disney did with TARZAN, they'll just tweak a couple of things, bring a mediocre show to Broadway, and trust that audiences will flock to it based on name recognition...Sad thing is, they'll recoup either way.
The only reason I want to see this show anymore is Sherie Rene Scott, glad she's getting stellar reviews.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:46pm

Are his abs truly this incredible? I am not going to lie, but the critics' raves for his abs makes me want to see them.

And yes, that was incredible scathing...however, they clearly reasoned why they felt the way they did...which could help the creative team.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 11:46pm

Well TARZAN did not re-coup.
It lost Millions of Dollars.

But this is DISNEY, so we never hear a word of how much a show costs or when it re-coups.

[Playbill9117]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 12:58am

TARZAN isn't nearly as well-known and popular as LITTLE MERMAID, plus Phil Collins' tunes aren't anywhere near as fascinating as what Howard Ashman and Alan Menken did for the film. I have no doubt that even if they put on the Disney's MGM Theme Park version of LITTLE MERMAID the show would be a big fat hit.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:15am

Yes, ThankstoPhantom, they ARE that good. I can out of the theatre telling my companion that after this I'd take Triton over Eric ANY day. Yummy.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 1:16am

One hopes that is what they do Ray, hold the opening for a six months or so and go fix this.

Disney could always bring Hunchback into the Lunt, while waiting for Mermaid to be fixed.

[Producer2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 2:19am

Disney could always bring Beauty into the Lunt, while waiting for Mermaid to be fixed.

[Producer2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 2:19am

Disney could always bring Tarzan into the Lunt, while waiting for Mermaid to be fixed.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 3:20am

Wow! I see the show loseing a director and haveing its sets chopped up before hitting the East Coast. Disney must be squirming here at the reviews. I think holding the show for a number of months may help but maybe most of the damage has been done. The sets and costumes are already done, it just seems they dont have a show show to go on them!

[Justin D]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:31am

As i said before, Disney needs to take the Aida aproach and fire the creative team and start from scratch.

Yes they have already booked the lunt, but hey, bring up one of the touring productions of Lion King and mount it there, that show sells out so fast they probably could afford to run 2 productions in NYC at the same time, lol.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:44am

They're not going to close to retool.

That would be admitting defeat, and Tommy doesn't do that. Updated On: 8/27/07 at 08:44 AM

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:51am

Aida's tryouts where at least a year before the broadway production opened, yes?
There is only what a month or two after closing in Denver to opening previews in New York?

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 8:56am

Yep...they start at the beginning of November...the 3rd to be exact.

[best12bars]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 9:06am

This sounds completely terrible.

Even if you take out all the (negative) adjectives and just read the descriptions of what they're doing on stage, it's god-awful.

[WonderRobbie]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 9:24am

It's sad that they even closed Aida.
It was doing well from what I heard and it wasn't a typical "Disney" show. The songs were fantastic and the staging was amazing. I think they should just bring that back while they fix up Mermaid.

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 9:49am

Way more intrigued by the raves over Norm's abs than anything else. Just putting that out there.

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 10:53am

His abs are worth the price of admission!

I don't get the reviewer's comment about it not being eye-popping. I thought it was. As I have mentioned here in other threads, I am not the biggest fan of Disney stage shows. But I just took this show for what it was and pretty much enjoyed it. It wasn't the most fantastic show but it was entertaining. And it does need some work. I expect it will be ripped apart in New York and quite honestly, if they don't fix the problems, then it should be. Hopefully Disney is reading posts on sites like this and the posts in the Denver Post to find out what people do and don't like. Not that they will do anything based on what they read!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 11:58am

Oh, to ne a fly on the wall of that production meeting this morning.

[PB ENT.]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 12:01pm

I'm sure Norm will get a chuckle out of the great ab comments, But I'm also thinking that he'd rather have a meatier part than lean, ripped abs! His voice is a beefy as it gets. Here's hoping he's got other plans on Triton's pitchfork.