A well-loved tale comes to life again

‘Sometimes, the hardest thing about falling in love is taking the first step.’ — The Little Mermaid

NEW YORK — For Ariel, the Little Mermaid, taking the first step to falling in love is quite literal. As a princess living under the sea, she had to leave her loved ones behind and give up her magnificent singing voice in order to be human just to be with the man she loves in the land up above her.

The movie version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid is apparently best remembered for its lead star, Princess Ariel, as well as its Oscar winning song, Under the Sea, and its popular theme, Part of Your World. To date, Part of Your World stands as my favorite among all Disney tunes.

The Little Mermaid is the latest film film-to-stage production from Disney, mounted in the grand tradition of other audience-friendly Disney musicals like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Tarzan. The Little Mermaid, based on the classic children’s fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, made its Broadway splash at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater only last January, replacing Beauty and the Beast which closed in July 2007.

Of course, even a two-year-old girl knows that The Little Mermaid is the story of a beautiful and young princess who lives in a magical kingdom beneath the sea. She defies her father, King Triton, to leave her home and be with the man she loves, Prince Eric. She falls into the clutches of an evil sea witch, Ursula, who takes away her voice to transform her into a human being — yes, with “legs required for dancing.”

Although conventional with book by Tony Award-winning playwright Doug Wright, the stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid on Broadway is a real visual and auditory experience. Even if you’re not a big fan of the 1989 movie, the musical is a must-see for all loyal Disney enthusiasts.

The musical has Francesca Zambello at the helm, who makes her Broadway directorial debut in this production. Seems like lady directors have been really making their mark on the Broadway stage. Julie Taymor directs The Lion King, now on its 10th year.

Zambello brings to life the Disney tradition on Broadway musicals. She was able to transform a traditional production into a spell-binding nautical spectacle, with eye-popping sets, costumes, props, lights and special effects. Under the Sea brought me to tears, like when I first watched The Lion King on Broadway with its Circle of Life opening.

The Little Mermaid transports the audience to a breathtaking underwater scenery. Production designer George Tsypin created a stage that looks like a giant-sized aquarium. The shredded plastic shower curtains give one an illusion of being underwater. Cast members were also made to wear roller shoes, so they appeared to be gliding or “swimming.”

Thank God, here is one mermaid who didn’t have to wear a multi-kilogram costume. The mermaids simply wore tails with spring so that it wiggles when they move onstage. Credit this to costume designer Tatiana Noginova.

Playing Princess Ariel is Sierra Bogess, who is making her Broadway debut in the musical. She is no tyro when it comes to stage musicals. She earlier played Christine in the Las Vegas production of Phantom of the Opera. She also starred as Maria in West Side Story and joined the touring production of Les Miserables.

Bogess’ natural sophistication, enthralling voice and impressive flair for comedy make for a truly winning performance, although she had few moments onstage that were rather superfluous. As Ariel, her gravity-defying transformation from mermaid to human was seamlessly executed, so that even without blinking, the audience wouldn’t notice the double. It reminds me of the jaw-dropping transition of beast to prince in Beauty and the Beast.

The supporting cast in The Little Mermaid also turned in noteworthy performances — Titus Burgess as the crooning crustacean Sebastian, Sean Palmer as the charming Prince Eric, Eddie Korbich as the savvy Scuttle the Seagull, Sherie Rene Scott as the villainess Ursula and her eel sidekicks Flotsam and Jetsam, played respectively by Tyler Maynard and Derrick Baskin, Norm Lewis as the stern King Triton. Brian D’Addaria, the adorable kid who plays Flounder, has an impressive singing voice and could hold a candle to his fellow adult performers.

Aside from the magnificent sets, dazzling costumes, Oscar-winning music and show-stopping choreography (by Stephen Mear), The Little Mermaid will be perhaps best remembered for its humor. The characters have their own, distinct way of getting the laughs — from Ariel herself to her sea creature-friends Sebastian and Flounder to the eels Flotsam and Jetsam, and even Scuttle the seagull.

In The Little Mermaid soundtrack, 10 new songs were added by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken with his new songwriting partner, Glenn Slater. Impressively enough, when the original Broadway cast recording was released last February, the CD debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 26 and No. 1 on the Cast Album Chart, the highest debut for a cast recording in 12 years (since Rent’s 1996 debut at No. 19). The Little Mermaid soundtrack also sold more than 20,000 units on its first week of release. Of course, the CD also includes the well-loved classics penned by Menken and the late Howard Ashman.

Since Disney debuted on Broadway with Beauty and the Beast 14 years ago, the company never ceases to impress, thrill and entertain its audience. The Little Mermaid is the latest addition to Disney productions in Broadway that continue to draw in the crowds and bring in big bucks.