The Little Mermaid (musical)

The Little Mermaid is a stage musical adaptation of The Little Mermaid



produced by Disney Theatrical that debuted in Denver in previews from July to September 2007 before beginning Broadway previews in November of that year. It closed on August 30, 2009 after 50 previews and 685 performances and since, various tours have begun.

Act I
The story opens with Prince Eric, his adviser Grimsby, and sailors aboard a ship at sea, discussing the "mythical" merfolk that supposedly live under the sea. Grimsby tries to tell Eric that he must return to court to fulfill his birthright as king. However, Eric hears a beautiful voice and commands it to be followed ("Fathoms Below").

Deep on the ocean floor in the merfolk's kingdom, a concert in honor of a defeated coup d'etat by Ursula is underway, being performed by the daughters of Triton the sea king. King Triton's court composer, Sebastian has composed a song for girls to perform ("Daughters of Triton"). However, the youngest daughter, Ariel, is not there for her solo, bringing the concert to a grinding halt. Ariel has forgotten about the concert entirely, and is swimming around the surface, admiring her new found item, a fork. She reveals that she is fascinated with the human world ("The World Above"). Together with her best friend Flounder, Ariel visits Scuttle and his fellow seagulls to ask about the human things she's collected, and he explains them somewhat erroneously ("Human Stuff").

Elsewhere, the sea witch Ursula is planning revenge against her brother, King Triton. She explains that she was banished from the palace because she used black magic, and tells her minions Flotsam and Jetsam to keep an eye on Ariel, whom she thinks will be the key to getting the crown and trident ("I Want the Good Times Back").

When Ariel returns to the underwater kingdom, she is berated by King Triton, who is angered to learn that she has been on the surface as contact between the merfolk and human world is forbidden. Ariel rushes off, upset, and King Triton assigns Sebastian, whom Ariel made a laughingstock because of her absence at the concert, to watch over Ariel and make sure she doesn't get into any trouble. Ariel sits alone in her grotto, which contains her collection of human things, and sings about how she does not believe humans are so bad ("Part of Your World").

Ariel and Flounder meet Scuttle at the surface to see Prince Eric's ship and the people on it up close. Grimsby tries to reason with Eric telling him he must find a bride and take his place as king. A storm suddenly hits, and Eric is tossed overboard. He almost drowns, but Ariel saves him and drags him to shore. Ariel realizes that she is falling in love with him, and vows to somehow find a way to be with him ("Part of Your World (Reprise)").

Ariel returns to her underwater home, and her changed behavior makes her sisters and Flounder suspect that she's fallen in love ("She's in Love"). On land, Eric is determined to the find the woman who saved his life, but the only clue he has is "Her Voice". He and Grimsby come up with the idea of holding a ball where foreign princesses will sing to him in hopes that one will be the girl for whom he is looking.

King Triton learns that Ariel has saved a human, and confronts her about what happened to her mother ("The World Above (Reprise)"). As Ariel and Triton quarrel, Triton uses his trident to destroy Ariel's human collection. Sebastian arrives and tries to comfort Ariel. Furious with Sebastian for slipping out the truth to her father, Ariel decides to run away. Sebastian tries reason with Ariel by pointing out the wonders of the undersea world ("Under the Sea"). As all the sea creatures join in the jamboree, Ariel swims away with Flounder. As she tries to run away, she is stopped by Flotsam and Jetsam. They sweet talk her into seeking help from Ursula ("Sweet Child").

Ariel goes to Ursula, who presents a deal: Ariel will be turned into a human for three days, during which she has to get the kiss of true love from Eric. If she does, she will be human permanently; if not, her soul will belong to Ursula and she will spend eternity in her "watery hell soaked lair." As payment for the deal, Ariel will have to give up her voice, which would stay safe in Ursula's magic shell. Ariel is unsure about this because of her father telling her that the shell was the fragile life source of Ursula's witchcraft. However, Ursula says it is something she carries stuff inside ("Poor Unfortunate Souls"). Ariel signs the agreement with the ink from her aunt's tentacles. She sings into the shell and swims up to the surface. During this time, Ursula's spell takes effect, and Ariel is transformed into a human.

Act II
Sebastian and Flounder bring Ariel, newly human and mute, to the shore. Scuttle and the seagulls give her a pep talk to bring her spirits up and get her used to her new legs ("Positoovity"). Thinking Ariel is being attacked by seagulls, Eric chases them off. When Ariel tries to speak with him, she realizes she cannot talk. Eric brings Ariel back to his palace, where the head mistress, Carlotta and the maids bathe and dress Ariel nicely for her night out with the prince. Ariel is fascinated by the human world she finds herself in and the maids wonder why Prince Eric would bring such a girl to the palace ("Beyond My Wildest Dreams"). That night Chef Louis cooks dinner for Ariel, Grimsby, and Eric. He almost cooks Sebastian for the grand finale, but he manages to escape as Louis, the other chefs, and the maids start chasing after him ("Les Poissons"/"Les Poissons (Reprise)"). Later, Eric takes Ariel to the ballroom and teaches her to dance ("One Step Closer"). Meanwhile, Ursula is anxiously waiting for the three days to end and sends Flotsam and Jetsam to hurry things along ("I Want The Good Times Back (Reprise)").

The next evening, after taking Ariel on a tour of the kingdom, Eric takes Ariel on a quiet boat ride through a lagoon. Sebastian and Scuttle watch anxiously, waiting for them to kiss. Sebastian and some of the lagoon animals try to create a romantic atmosphere for Eric to kiss Ariel ("Kiss the Girl"). Just before they kiss, Flotsam and Jetsam give the boat an "electric shock" and swim away gloating ("Sweet Child (Reprise)"). As the second day ends, Sebastian gives Ariel a pep talk in order to help her get the prince the next day. Carlotta arrives to get Ariel ready for bed and tells her about the singing contest which is to be held the next day. As Ariel wishes she could tell Eric everything Triton worries about where his daughter has gone, Sebastian is concerned for Ariel since her time as a human is almost up, and Eric still dreams of finding the girl who saved him even though he does not want to lose Ariel ("If Only - Quartet"). Afterwards, Sebastian returns to the sea and rehearses his apology and explanation to King Triton. Sebastian and Flounder tell an angry King Triton about Ariel's deal with Ursula. Fearful for his daughter's life, Triton races off to find her.

On Ariel's last day as a human the contest takes place. All of the foreign princesses sing to Eric to the tune of "Part of Your World" to see if he can recognize the girl for whom he is looking ("The Contest"). All of them fail to do so. Ariel chooses at that moment to dance for him, and Eric picks her. Ursula then appears, floods the ballroom, and tells Ariel that the sun has set and she has lost. Flotsam and Jetsam grab Ariel and take her back to the sea.

King Triton arrives to confront his sister and rescue Ariel, who has returned to her mermaid form. He agrees to take Ariel's place, and Ursula celebrates her victory as she claims the trident and declares herself queen ("Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)"). She banishes Triton with a wave of the trident. Eric's ship arrives and Ursula uses the trident to raise the sea level higher, having Eric's interference out of the way. While she is distracted, Ariel then grabs the magic shell, regains her voice, and threatens to smash the shell. Terrified, Flotsam and Jetsam swim away. Ursula begins to sweet talk her niece, saying she can turn her human again and reunite her with her prince. Ariel starts to believe her and begins to hand the shell over. Believing the shell is within her grasp, Ursula tells Ariel that since they have proven the princess was not a "daddy's girl" anymore, Triton will rot on the ocean floor forever and Ariel will trust her instead. Furious, Ariel yanks the shell away and smashes it, which destroys Ursula. Triton reappears and is reunited with his daughter.

Triton soon realizes that he must let Ariel go and transforms her back into a human ("If Only (Reprise)"). Ariel and Eric are reunited on the beach and Eric and Grimsby are introduced to King Triton. In honor of his daughter, Triton declares peace between the humans and merfolk. Ariel and Eric are married and sail away happily on a ship ("Finale").

Denver tryout (2007)
The Little Mermaid had a pre-Broadway tryout at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts' Ellie Caulkins Opera House July 26, 2007 through September 9, 2007. Every seat available (approximately 95,000 seats) for the 6-week run was sold out.

Broadway (2007-2009)
The musical began previews on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 3, 2007 and was temporarily shut down on November 10, 2007 due to the Broadway stagehand strike. The strike ended on November 28, 2007 and the show resumed previews the next day and the official opening date was postponed from the previously planned December 6, 2007 to January 10, 2008. Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll who both starred in the 1989 animated film as Ariel and Ursula respectively, attended the Opening Night ceremony.

The original Broadway production closed on August 30, 2009, after 50 previews and 685 performances. Thomas Schumacher, producer and president of Disney Theatrical Productions said "it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months. We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title."

Direction was by Francesca Zambello, making her Broadway debut, with choreography by Stephen Mear. Scenic design was by George Tsypin, costume design by Tatiana Noginova and lighting design by Natasha Katz. The original cast featured Sierra Boggess in the title role of Ariel, Sean Palmer as Prince Eric, Brian D'Addario and Trevor Braun alternate as Flounder, Norm Lewis as Triton, Rene Scott] as Ursula, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Tyler Maynard as Flotsam, Derrick Baskin as Jetsam, Jonathan Freeman as Grimsby, and Treacy Egan] as Chef Louis.

To assist the performers in achieving the effect of underwater movement on stage, the actors wear wheel-heeled footwear. To depict the fantasy underwater kingdom, according to the director, the set is "very translucent, takes light beautifully and [is] architectural and sculptural to suggest an underwater world without actually being in real water."

Subsequent US productions
The First National US Tour of the musical was scheduled to start in the fall of 2010. However it was later announced that the tour will start in 2011. Due to the success of the regional premiere of Tarzan at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, Utah, Disney Theatrical gave the rights for a regional premiere of The Little Mermaid to the Tuacahn Center for the Arts [2]. The production is scheduled for the Tuacahn's 2011 season. A regional production will take place at the Muny Theatre, St. Louis, Missouri, during its 2011 season, running from July 6 to July 14, 2011. A regional production will take place at Music Theatre of Wichita in Wichita, KS in August 2011.
 * US Tour (2011)
 * Ivins, Utah (2011-)
 * St. Louis (2011-)
 * Wichita (2011)

International productions
An Israeli production of the musical run across Israel starring Rinat Gabai as Ariel and Guy Zu-Aretz as Prince Arik. Philippine-based Atlantis Productions has secured the rights to the musical and will stage it in Manila from November 18 to December 11, 2011. The best female singer in the Philippines named Rachelle Ann Go will star as Ariel and Erik Santos will appear as Prince Eric. T4F, the largest company responsible for bringing Broadway musicals to Brazil is building another theatre and The Little Mermaid will be the opening show. The auditions may occur by the end of 2011 and the idea is to bring new names to the Brazilian musical theatre. The Joop van den Ende division of Stage Entertainment will host a new production of the show. It will be directed by Glenn Casal with costumes by Bob Crowley and open May 12 2012 at Martini Plaza in Groningen. Pop star Tessa Sunniva van Tol will star as Ariel with Tommie Christiaan as Prince Eric, Marjolijn Touw as Ursula, Roberto de Groot as King Triton and Juan Wells as Sebastian. Ursula's song "I Want the Good Times Back" has been replaced with new song written for the character called "Daddy's Little Girl" The Dutch production will transfer to Moscow Russia and open on October 6, 2012. The production will star Natalia Bystrova as Ariel.
 * Israel (2010-2011)
 * Philippines
 * Brazil (2011-)
 * Netherlands (2012-)
 * Russia (2012-)

Original Broadway Cast

 * Ariel (portrayed by Sierra Boggess) - The beautiful, adventurous and headstrong primary protagonist of the musical, dreaming of life on land instead of "under the sea". She is the daughter of King Triton, and the apparent niece of Ursula.
 * Ursula (portrayed by Sherie Rene Scott) - Sea Witch - The musical's sinister and cunning primary antagonist. She tricks Ariel into trading her voice for a pair of human legs in order to hopefully win Prince Eric's heart, only to attempt to take advantage of Ariel's naivety. She is the apparent sister of King Triton, and aunt of Ariel.
 * King Triton (portrayed by Norm Lewis) - The strict but caring father of Ariel, and ruler over Atlantica. He originally hates humans, due to the loss of his wife, causing him to commonly reprimand Ariel for her constant human explorations, but eventually realizes it is best to let her follow her dreams. He is the apparent brother of Ursula.
 * Prince Eric (portrayed by Sean Palmer) - The musical's handsome and hopeful secondary protagonist. He is destined to recover the girl that saved him from drowning, ignorant to the fact that it is Ariel, with whom he eventually falls in love with.
 * Sebastian (portrayed by Tituss Burgess) - Ariel's musical and practical guardian, Triton's faithful servant, and court composer. He serves as the musical's primary comic relief, and reluctantly assists Ariel in her efforts to charm Prince Eric.
 * Flounder (portrayed by Cody Hanford/J.J. Singleton, Trevor Braun/Brian D'Addario*) - Flounder - Ariel's loyal companion. He often accompanies Ariel on her excursions in search of human artifacts.
 * Scuttle (portrayed by Eddie Korbich) - Seagull - He believes he is an expert on human artifacts, although he is mainly incorrect, and is often consulted by Ariel for information on her discovered "treasures". He also serves a a comic relief, alongside Sebastian.
 * Flotsam (portrayed by Tyler Maynard]) - One of Ursula's sly and slippery henchmen.
 * Jetsam (portrayed by Derrick Baskin) - Another one of Ursula's cunning henchmen.
 * Grimsby (portrayed by Jonathan Freeman) - Prince Eric's faithful servant and friend. Seemingly a close friend of Eric's late father, Grimsby's main initiative is to ensure that Eric marries a princess to maintain his promise to the deceased king. However, he realizes Ariel is, a princess, and is more than happy to let them wed.
 * Chef Louis (portrayed by John Treacy Egan])- The castle chef, who tries to capture Sebastian and cook him for dinner.
 * Madame Carlotta (portrayed by Heidi Blickenstaff) - Carlotta is seemingly the castle's primary maid and housekeeper. Despite the remarks of her fellow maids and servants, she is exceptionally kind to Ariel and does her best to make her feel comfortable.

Cody Hanford and J.J. Singleton were the original Flounder, but had to leave the show shortly after opening because they had grown taller than Sierra Boggess. Trevor Braun and Brian D'Addario replaced them. D'Addario was the vocalist on the original cast recording and performed on the show's opening night.
 * For full cast information see The Little Mermaid Cast Lists.

Difference Between the Musical and the Film
The following musical numbers were written for the stage musical and not included in the original film:
 * Plot
 * The shark chase sequence that introduces Ariel and Flounder has been removed and replaced with "The World Above".
 * Ursula's magic shell is just a large nautilus shell, whereas in the 1989 film it is a necklace.
 * In the musical (like in early versions of the film), Ursula is King Triton's sister.
 * Ursula and Triton are equal, and upon the death of their father, Poseidon, Ursula received the magic shell while her brother received the trident. Each ruled half the oceans, until Ursula's cruelty and use of black magic led to Triton deposing her and assuming full reign over the entire ocean world. This is changed for the new European version and the Sacramento production, where Ursula is Triton's older sister and receives a magic ball (instead of shell) as a gift from her father to keep her difficult behaviour under control. With it she kills her older sisters, her dad and rules the ocean up until the time that her brother Triton comes of age and takes her throne.
 * The "Under the Sea" sequence has been moved to after King Triton destroys Ariel's collection of human things rather than before. In the new version it is back to where it was in the movie
 * The magic shell allows Ursula to spy on people, so she does not "use" Flotsam and Jetsam's eyes as in the film.
 * Eric's sheepdog Max is not included.
 * Ursula's alter ego Vanessa is not included thereby omitting the subplot of Eric's brainwashing by her as well as the subsequent end. In place of the Vanessa subplot, there is a contest with foreign princesses singing songs to see if Eric can recognize any of them to have Ariel's voice.
 * In the musical, Ariel does not receive her voice back until after she is turned back into a mermaid.
 * In the movie, Flotsam and Jetsam are killed when Ursula accidentally zaps them with the trident; in the musical they swim away after Ariel takes Ursula's magic shell and their fate is unknown after that.
 * Ursula is destroyed simply by breaking the magic shell, as staging her becoming a giant and subsequent impalement on a ship would be too complicated to stage.
 * In the European and Sacramento productions Ariel and King Triton learn during the last confrontation that Ursula killed Ariel's mother.
 * Musical Numbers
 * The World Above - Ariel
 * Human Stuff - Scuttle, Gulls
 * I Want The Good Times Back - Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam, Eels
 * Daddy's Little Angel - Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam***
 * She's In Love - Mersisters, Flounder
 * Her Voice - Prince Eric
 * The World Above (Reprise) - King Triton
 * Sweet Child - Flotsam, Jetsam
 * Positoovity - Scuttle, Gulls
 * Beyond My Wildest Dreams - Ariel, Maids, Carlotta
 * Les Poissons (Reprise) - Chef Louis
 * One Step Closer - Prince Eric
 * I Want The Good Times Back (Reprise) - Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam
 * If Only (Quartet) - Ariel, Prince Eric, Sebastian, and King Triton
 * The Contest - Grimsby, Princesses
 * Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise) - Ursula
 * If Only (Reprise) - King Triton, Ariel
 * Finale - Prince Eric, Ariel, Ensemble

(***=Not included on Broadway but in the European and Sacramento productions)

Awards and Nominations

 * 62nd Tony Awards
 * Best Original Score: Alan Menken (music); Howard Ashma] and Glenn Slater (lyrics) Nominated
 * Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Natasha Katz Nominated


 * 2008 Drama Desk Awards
 * Outstanding Actress in a Musical: Sierra Boggess] Nominated
 * Outstanding Set Design of a Musical: George Tsypin] Nominated
 * Outstanding Lighting Design: Natasha Katz Nominated


 * Outer Critics Circle Awards
 * Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical: Sherie Rene Scott Nominated


 * Drama League Award
 * Distinguished Performance Award: Sierra Boggess Nominated


 * 9th Annual Broadway.com Audience Awards
 * Favorite New Broadway Musical Nominated
 * Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical: Sierra Boggess Nominated
 * Favorite Featured Actor in a Broadway Musical: Tituss Burgess Nominated
 * Favorite Featured Actress in a Broadway Musical: Sherie Rene Scott Nominated
 * Favorite Diva Performance: Sherie Rene Scott] Nominated
 * Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female): Sierra Boggess WINNER
 * Favorite New Broadway Song: "If Only" Nominated
 * Favorite New Broadway Song: "She's In Love" Nominated


 * Grammy Awards
 * Best Musical Show Album Nominated