by Michelle Willson, Feature/Entertainment Editor
By no means do I think the show was bad – I just feel that it could have been better.
I really think Disney needs to learn the phrase “just because you can doesn’t mean you should”. I’m not talking about casting or singing or even the performance. I am talking about the transitions between songs.
I have mixed feelings on the animated transitions that strung the musical pieces along. On one hand they kept the performance close to the original on the other It kind of took away from the live aspect of it.
The show started out good with the original Ariel, Jodi Benson, doing an opening speech and the original Walt Disney Logo. if only they would have kept that nostalgic feel …
I did not expect the actors to mirror the animated movie exactly, but the performance would have been better if they followed the attitudes of the animation a little closer.
I liked the singing for the most part, but there were sections that were changed to dialogue that I felt had more impact when sang. There were inflections changed that really change the mood of songs.
I loved that the cast was diverse and inclusive because I believe that you shouldnt be denied a role based on your looks, as long as you can sing and play the part.
The use of puppets was good in most aspects, especially in “Poor Unfortunate Souls” as the dead creatures.
The puppets also looked good as the background sea creatures. I don’t like that flounder was made a puppet. I feel that he is a valuable character that should have been a costume.
The aerial dances were stunning. The backup dancers helped move the show along and their facial expressions added a bit of humor, especially the backup chefs and the runaway crabs in “Le Poissons” and the children playing sea creatures in “Kiss The Girl”.
The costumes were phenomenal. Being in theatre, I know how hard it is to make realistic costumes and it’s easier to make costumes that allude to the creature.
Take Sebastian, he is a crab but the crab costumes in “Le Poissons” are too restricting it would almost take away from the lyrics. I loved their solution to this problem by making his costume out of red leather material. Most of the costumes stayed pretty close to the original movie which is helpful for the audience to decipher who is who. Ursala’s costume change was spectacular.
I was a little confused with Amber Rylee’s “Daughters of Triton” performance because I was trying to figure out what sea creature she was dressed as.
I loved their use of the Scrim. The projection screen added a lot to the show. It gave it a more movie vibe even with it live on stage. It was perfect during “Poor Unfortunate Souls” when Ariel signed the papers.
I give this show a 3 out of 5. I did like it but it did not reach the expectations that it was hyped for.