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Storyline: Ariel, a mermaid daughter of Triton, King of the Sea, rescues a
human, Prince Eric, who has been washed overboard at sea. She falls in love
with him and wants to join him in his world, but merpeople are not permitted
at the surface. Her evil aunt sees in her desire a chance to strike a deal
that may make her the undisputed ruler of the sea - but at a terrible cost.
In a period when unconventional scores for Broadway
musicals are becoming more and more frequent (Grey Gardens,
Spring
Awakening, and juke-box scores such as Jersey Boys) this throwback to
traditional approaches to moving a story along through character and plot
driven songs in a variety of styles unified by full orchestrations rich in
counter-melody and spirited dance segments is a delight. Menken and Ashman's
score for the 1989 movie had a distinctly Broadway feel to it and so the
shift from film to stage is a logical one. There were seven songs, not
enough for a full Broadway show. Glenn Slater, who had worked with Menken
before, took on the task of crafting lyrics for what turned out to be
another eleven songs for the stage musical. His lyrics are clever in the way
Ashman's were with a sentimental streak that matches nicely. His "I Want the
Good Times Back" (which sounds like an homage to Kander and Ebb)
is a great match for Ashman's "Poor Unfortunate Souls." He's also
contributed nifty comedy numbers "Human Stuff" and "Positoovity" that seem
appropriate for a score that features Ashman's "Les Poisons" and a fine
dance piece "One Step Closer" that features the dance arrangement of David
Chase. All of it is in fine musical support for the book that Doug Wright (Grey
Gardens, I Am My Own Wife) crafted expanding on the basics of the
movie's script.
The show is likely to run
for quite a few years but seeing it with its original cast is highly
advisable, for it benefits from a few casting coups and some of the
strongest performers may well have other opportunities of note when their
contracts expire. For example, there's the wonderful Sherie Rene Scott who
made both Aida and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels better when she was
in playing the roles of Amneris and Christine. Here she's the evil Ursula
and she delivers a classic dastardly comic villain while belting out songs
with impressive strength. As the little mermaid herself, Sierra Boggess is
making her Broadway debut. She may well go underappreciated until she leaves
the show for her on-stage persona seems so close to the on-screen persona
created by the Disney cartoonists that it looks like a natural fit. Finding
someone else who can fit quite so well and whose voice is as clear and clean
will be a challenge. Tituss Burgess breaks out from background roles in
Good Vibrations and
Jersey Boys to shine vocally and carry a good part of the story as
Sebastian, the crab. At all the performances, fine supporting work comes
from Norm Lewis as King Triton. One casting change has already taken place
since the show opened in January. The part of the mermaid's friend Flounder
calls for a kid who can act, sing and dance on yellow roller skates with
energy and snap. The first set of replacements are the two youngsters who
play the role now, Trevor Braun at the matinees and Brian D'Addario at
night. D'Addario is fantastic.
Director Francesca Zambello
has sought a cartoonish, otherworldly look for the show. Set designer George
Tsypin, who designs principally for operas around the world, complies with a
plastic version of an undersea world and Tatiana Noginova, also from the
opera world, provides costumes that blend the original look of the cartoon's
version (mermaid's with brassieres made of clam shells) with some other
flights of fancy. Some work nicely, such as Sebastian's red crustacean shell,
and some seem simply unsightly, such as the silly shorts for Scuttle the
Seagull. A note about the sightlines at the Lunt-Fontanne. The
balcony overhang comes very far forward, covering the orchestra section
behind the ninth row. As a result, the view of the top portion of the set
begins to be obscured as you get further back in the thirty-row orchestra
section. In spite of that, the seats where you can't see all of the sailing ship
that "floats" above the under-sea world cost the same as those down front
with an unobstructed view.
Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater. Book by Doug
Wright. Directed by Francesca Zambello. Choregoraphed by Stephen Mear.
Musical direction by Michael Kosarin. Orchestrations by Danny Troob. Dance
Arrangements by David Chase. Fight direction by Rick Sordelet. Design:
George Tsypin (set) Sven Ortel (projections) Tatiana Noginova (costumes)
David Brian Brown (hair) Angelina Avallone (makeup) Natasha Katz (lights)
John Shivers (sound). Principal cast: Cathryn Basile, Derrick Baskin, Heidi
Blickenstaff, Sierra Boggess, Titus Burgess, Robert Creighton, Brian
D'Addario or Trevor Braun, Cicily Daniels, John Treacy Egan, Tim Federle,
Merwin Foard, Jonathan Freeman, Norm Lewis, Eddie Korbich, Michelle Lookadoo,
Tyler Maynard, Zakiya Young Mizen, Sean Palmer, Arbender J. Robinson, Sherie
Rene Scott, Chelsea Morgan Stock, Kay Trinadad. |
