The Little Mermaid
Broadway Musical Previews
November 3 2007
Hiatus (Strike) November 10 thru 28
Opened January 10 2008
Closed August 30 2009 Run
50 previews & 685 performances Producer
Disney Theatricals
Creative
Hans Christian Andersen original story
Doug Wright book
Alan Menkin music
Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater lyrics
Danny Troob orchestrations
Francesca Zambello director
Stephen Mear choreographer
Tatiana Noginova costume design
Natasha Katz lighting design
George Tsypin scenic design
John Shivers sound design
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Opening Night Cast |
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Sierra Boggess |
Ariel |
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Derrick Baskin |
Jetsam |
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Trevor Braun
Brian D'Addario
Cody Hanford
J J Singleton |
Flounder |
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Tituss Burgess |
Sebastian |
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Robert Creighton
Tim Federle
Arbender J Robinson |
Gull |
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Jonathan Freeman |
Grimsby |
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Eddie Korbich |
Scuttle |
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Norm Lewis |
King Triton |
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Tyler Maynard |
Flotsam |
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Sean Palmer |
Prince Eric |
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Sherie Rene Scott |
Ursula |
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Heidi Blickenstaff |
Carlotta |
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John Tracy Eagan |
Chef Louis |
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Merwin Foard |
Pilot |
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Synopsis
Ariel, daughter of Triton, King of
the Sea, is fascinated with all things in the world above,
especially Prince Eric. Desperate to run away to the human world
Ariel makes a deal with her father's enemy. Stuff happens. An enemy
is confronted. A power-giving shell is smashed. The enemy is
defeated. The Prince proposes. The King declares peace
As always, it's happily ever after
The Road to Broadway
We first list Mermaid as an
On the Way (Maybe) back in January
2003. All things Broadway always have to be qualified because in
order to get there everything has to align: people, theater and
money (okay, maybe not in Disney's case)
This production did appear
to be in a bit of trouble, though in a good way. Slated director Matthew
Bourne had to leave show in 2003 because of conflicts caused by "an
accelerated timetable" as reported in the New
York Times. There were to be workshops in 2003 followed by an out-of-town run
Spring 2004 on the way to the Big Stem. It happened to take a bit
longer. Variety reported in May 2005 that after a
read through of a revised book by Doug Wright (David Ives was
previously attached) the folks at Disney finally approved a production
aiming for the 2007-2008 season
And Mermaid finally made its
world premiere at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in
September 2007
In the Movies
The stage version, of course, is
based on the hugely popular 1989 animated film of the same name
directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. Ariel was voiced by Jodi
Benson, Kenneth Mars voiced Trition, Scuttle's voice was supplied by
Buddy Hackett
On Television
Walt Disney Television produced 31
animated Little Mermaid episodes that first aired during the
1992 through 1994 seasons. Jodi Benson, Kenneth Mars and Samuel E
Wright reprised the voices of Ariel, Triton and Sebastian, and
Eden Gross voiced Flounder. Other voices heard throughout different
episodes were supplied by, among many others, Jim Cummings, Pat
Carroll, Tim Curry, Dave Coulier and Mark Hamill
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