Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a colourful musical spectacle and a triumph for Ariel, the beloved fairytale mermaid.
The sweet and curious Ariel finds her destiny above her home in the sea where the sun shines and love beckons. She did not fare as well in the bitterly moralizing fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, on which the story was based.
Ariel returns in resplendent theatrical form in the adapted 1989 Disney version that rewards her vivacity while enchanting the audience, old and young.
The underwater world of Ariel’s homeland is portrayed with brilliantly innovative techniques of colour and design, to illustrate a shimmering and bustling aquatic life. Hues of purple and blue recall the beauty of the ocean, while sea dwelling creatures flicker on and offstage elusively. A large screen clarifies and magnifies. A ship to a rowboat, palace to lair are seen as realistically as the imagination can present by set designer J. Branson.
Ariel’s peek into the world above the sea spawns an intense longing to be – as the poignant song says – Part of Your World, as performed by Jayme Armstrong in the title role. She is a Drayton Entertainment favourite, having played diverse title roles in Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde and Les Miserables. She captures the sweetness of Ariel in the clear soprano voice for which she is revered.
Ariel must get past her father in her upward quest. The King of the Sea is played by Marcus Nance with an authoritative air possibly honed by his Stratford background.
The little mermaid’s transformation to a human comes at no small price. She makes a deal with the devil in the form of the sea witch Ursula, played by Kristen Peace. Ursula’s character design in the movie was based on the legendary drag queen Divine.
That theme is picked up in this version to create a brazen and aggressive squid with style. Her powerful rendition of Poor Unfortunate Souls warns that those souls could indeed be her victims.
Gregory Pember and Thomas Alderson creepily perform as Ursula’s electrifying cohorts Flotsam and Jetsam.
Costume designer Leon Dobkowski, who assisted on the Broadway production, has created a fantastic array of costumes for these characters and Ursula’s is remarkable. The matter of mermaid tails is dealt with by a pretty design illusion that allows the dance movement the roles require.
David Cotton, convincingly handsome and talented, plays the object of the little mermaids’ dreams, Prince Eric.
Canadian theatre veteran Victor A. Young over dramatizes to full effect as his snooty royal confidante, Grimsby.
Comedic actor Nick Settimi as the royal Chef Louis brings about a flourish and a lot of laughs from the audience as he attempts to cook anything that swims, including Sebastian the crab.
That Caribbean crab is played by Mark Cassius, who draws on every moment the role allows in numbers such as Under the Sea and Kiss the Girl. His tenor voice and emotive grace carry with them many years of wonderful experience, for example as one of The Nylons.
Ariel’s faithful friends and colourful partners in crime are played by talented 14-year-old Aidan Tye as Flounder the fish and Keith Savage, as goofy as he can be as Scuttle the seagull.
Twenty-five young dancers from the area brought energy and vivacity of their own to the stage along with the professionals. They complement the production in a variety of roles; a flock of tapping seagulls and other creatures of the deep.
Director Ann Hodges, in her Drayton Entertainment debut, is joined by music director Steve Thomas, choreographer Lisa Stevens and lighting designer Kevin Fraser.
Disney is known for its happy endings – this time in contrast to the beautifully written but heartbreaking 1836 fairy tale.
Generations of children will remember that the little mermaid endures terrible suffering, even getting her tongue cut out, but does not get the prince.
She accepted her fate and “casts one more lingering, half-fainting glance at the prince, and then threw herself from the ship into the sea.”
The story was all about getting an immortal soul that humans but not mermaids were allowed.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid is on stage at the Dunfield Theatre Cambridge from Nov. 19 to Dec. 21.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.dunfieldtheatrecambridge.com, in person at the box office, or by calling 519-621-8000 or toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
