THE SHOW:  

Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, Music by Alan Menken, Book by Doug Wright, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.  

The Disney Renaissance found its legs with the 1989 hit animated film The Little Mermaid. This adaptation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale was an instant hit and finally translated to the Broadway stage in 2008. In it, the little mermaid Ariel, youngest teenage daughter of King Triton and his late wife, is more obsessed with dinglehoppers and other human stuff than with remembering to sing in crabby composer Sebastian’s concerts. When she saves and falls in love with human Prince Eric, a merfolk taboo is broken. If she wants a chance to become human and marry her prince, she’ll have to make a deal with Ursula the Sea Witch, forfeit her voice, and get the prince to kiss her before three sunsets have passed or she’ll be Ursula’s slave for all time. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors) would become Disney superstars beginning with this musical featuring Part of Your World, Kiss the Girl, and Under the Sea.  

THE PRODUCTION:  

MET2 takes us under the sea in a huge production with magical visuals and marine life galore. Alison Bretches directs and choreographs the show featuring some 200 cast members, beautiful backdrops (Grosh Scenic Studios) and sets (Alison Bretches and Ken Basore), flying and cool swimming effects with the aid of ZFX, and Kathie Urban’s innumerable exotic and beautiful costume creations.  

Tessa Southwell stars as Ariel, her Part of Your World full of feeling as she pines for Prince Eric and his mysterious human world, and with a great goofy sense of humor as she tries to charm the prince and takes flirting lessons from Sebastian. Daniel Bellusci is a natural as Prince Eric – easygoing, humble, excited for life and the sea, captivated by Ariel, and terrific vocals to boot. They first touch in dramatic fashion, with Eric drowning high up above the stage, then slowly floating down as Ariel swims up frantically to save him.  

But their relationship will be doomed if Brianca Renfro has anything to do with it. Her Ursula is creative and hilarious with tons of personality as she bemoans the Poor Unfortunate Souls. She’s also got a great costume that, when she high above the stage near the end, her tentacles keep expanding to the floor. Often slinking about those tentacles are Kenjo Cable and Todd Warren Jr. as mini minions Flotsam and Jetsam who are a hit in all their scenes with their Gollum-esque body language and vocal language.  

Other great performances come from Andrew Lucero as a fun and neurotic Sebastian, Hallie Kostrencich who uses her voice, expressions, and dancing all to such great effect as a lovable Scuttle, Sarah Filek as an adorable and dependable Flounder, Joe Fukano as a strong King Triton, and Michael Moroso as crab-cooking Chef Louis leading a bloodthirsty Les Poissons. Ariel’s mersisters (Crystal Sleeper, Kaeli Carr, Jessica Porter, Shayli Regan, Hannah Bourasa, and Tyler Cable) have fantastic personality and vocals as they lead She’s in Love. And then there’s the huge ensemble always incorporated well into their shows. Here they are dozens more younger mersisters, an enormous flock of little seagulls enamored of Human Stuff, amusing chefs who reenact their head chef's frenzied seafood preparation with extra vigor, a variety of frogs, fishes, and birds imploring Prince Eric to Kiss the Girl, and dancing and singing amidst thousands of bubbles while reminding Ariel of the greener seaweed only found Under the Sea.

Performed April 4 - 6, 2014
Photos by Storm Photography

Rob Hopper
rob@nationalyouththeatre.com
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Executive Director
National Youth Arts

~ Cast ~ 

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