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Disney Magic Prevails in Muny’s “The Little Mermaid”
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” Brings Musical
Magic from Above and Below the Sea to The Muny
By Pat Lindsey
“The Little Mermaid” must have felt like she was swimming against the current during the first two nights of her run at The Muny this week. Rain delayed opening night by nearly two hours, making it a late evening for the youngsters. The second night was even worse when steady rain resulted in a rare cancellation of a Muny show. By the third night, the rain retreated, the sun had dried up all the rain, and Ariel, the Little Mermaid, surfaced from the ocean’s depths to meet a full house.
Some people say this is just a fish tale, but the Hans Christian Andersen story is based on family relationships relatable to most of us. Savy Jackson is making her Muny debut as Ariel, the beautiful mermaid who is willing to sacrifice her gorgeous voice for the ability to grow legs and walk on land “where the people are.” She is a perfect Ariel in radiant looks and gorgeous goose-bump-producing voice. Michael Maliakel is the handsome Prince Eric who has captured Ariel’s heart. When they sing Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater’s lyrics to Alan Menken music, it’s Disney/Muny magic.
Ariel’s father, the stately King Triton played by Ben Davis, is trying desperately to control his seven mermaid daughters while he rules all the sea creatures in his saltwater kingdom. King Triton loves all of his daughters, but he has a soft spot in his heart for his youngest, Ariel, who has the beautiful voice of his deceased wife.
Ariel defies her father and swims to the surface of the ocean as often as she can. During one of her trips, she spies a ship with Prince Eric (Michael Maliakel) at the helm. A violent storm suddenly brews and throws Prince Eric overboard. Prince Eric is drowning, so Ariel swims to his rescue and returns him to the shore. The semi-conscious prince only gets a glimpse of Ariel and hears her spell-binding voice, but it’s enough to make him obsessed with finding her again.
Ariel has retreated to her secret room at the bottom of the ocean where she has a collection of human gizmos and gadgets and whosits and whatsits. She’s enamored with every item in her collection and sings about them in “Part of Your World.” Ariel’s friend, Sebastian the crab (Fergie L. Philippe), knows about her secret place and is well-aware of Ariel’s desire to be part of the human world.
Sebastian is an important character in this tale because King Triton has ordered him to take care of Ariel. He is the conduit for most of the interactions among the sea creatures, including a lively, neon-colored ensemble dance number, “Under the Sea.” Later, he plots to make romance grow between Prince Eric and Ariel when he sings, “Kiss the Girl.” Puppeteer Fergie L. Philippe gives Sebastian his fabulous voice with a Jamaican accent.
Scuttle (Jen Cody) the wacky seagull is Ariel’s friend who keeps us laughing. Her creative vocabulary is filled with invented words like “Positoovity.” Scuttle sings, dances, and literally flies over the Muny stage. She and Sebastian and Flounder (Leia Rhiannon Yogi) are Ariel’s constant companions.
The elements that create this fantastic tale–outstanding singing and dancing, creative puppetry, fantastic sets, and ingenious costuming–are out of this world. Credit for this and more goes to the creative team of Director John Tartaglia, Scenic Designer Ann Beyersdorfer, Choreographer Patrick O’Neill, Costume Designer Robin McGee, Wig Designer Ashley Rae Callahan, Puppet Designer Eric Wright, Lighting Designer Jason Lyons, and many others.
The most remarkable character creation is Ursula the Sea Witch (Nicole Parker). Her eight enormous tentacles are formed by four people wearing a tentacle prosthesis on each arm. With the help of these four people, Ursula is able to roll about the stage and flail her tentacles whenever she decides to fly into a rage.
Ursula is King Triton’s wicked sister. When she learns how desperately Ariel wants to be part of the human world, she makes a deal with her. If Ariel will give Ursula her beautiful voice, Ursula will give her legs and the ability to be part of Prince Eric’s world. Then, Ariel has three days to get Prince Eric to kiss her before she has to sacrifice her voice forever. The clock is ticking for Prince Eric, too. His guardian, Grimsby (St. Louisan Rich Pisarkiewicz) has told him that he must choose a wife on his 21st birthday. The plot then thickens and gets a little scary.
The Muny’s production of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is a magical masterpiece of making dreams come true. It teaches children to follow their dreams and it encourages their parents to let them follow those dreams.
“The Little Mermaid” will be presented nightly at 8:15 p.m. at The Muny in Forest Park now through Tues., July 16. For tickets, go to muny.org or call 314-534-1111. Edward Jones is the proud principle sponsor of this show.
