|
Regional Reviews: Phoenix Disney's The Little Mermaid Also see Gil's reviews of One Man, Two Guvnors, The Wizard of Oz and Puppet Wars: A Few Hope
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic story, The Little Mermaid tells the story of Ariel, a misunderstood mermaid who is fascinated by the world above the sea and, once she saves a handsome man named Eric from drowning, wants even more to be a part of the human world. However, when Ariel's father King Triton learns of her desires, he tells her that humans killed her mother and contact with them is forbidden. But when Ariel realizes she is in love with Eric she makes a deal with her evil Aunt Ursula, a sea witch who practices black magic, to transform her into a human. The deal comes with strings attached, as Ursula is seeking revenge from being banished from the palace by her brother. Ariel only has three days to get Eric to give her the kiss of true love that will allow her to remain human; otherwise, her soul will forever belong to Ursula. While The Little Mermaid only ran a little over a year and a half on Broadway, and wasn't considered a success, it includes all of the toe-tapping film songs plus about ten new ones, with lyrics for the new songs by Glenn Slater, some of which are quite good. Only a couple of the new ones are as infectious as the film's hit songs "Under the Sea" and "Part of Your World," and a few tend to add unnecessary sequences that only end up making the show longer than it needs to be. Still, there is a cute new number for Ariel's fish friend Flounder to sing with her sisters, "She's In Love," plus a new upbeat number for Ursula, and even a charming quartet, "If Only," all of which are in the same style of the original film score. ABT's production is a family focused one, with director Kiel Klaphake joined by his wife Cassandra Norville Klaphake as Ursula and their two sons (along with two other boys) alternating in the role of Flounder. All do well with their respective contributions, especially Cassandra, seems to relish with glee the part of the evil witch with the evil ways. Her big, brassy, and powerful voice knocks Ursula's songs to the back of the auditorium and beyond. She's having a blast playing this part and the audience on opening night appeared to have just as much fun watching her. As Ariel, Jill-Christine Wiley is very good, giving the part lovely shades of wonder, confusion, and excitement which combine to make Ariel's level of fascination with the human world realistic. She also has a lovely voice, adding plenty of warmth to her songs. Patton Chandler makes Eric a very likable man, so it's easy to see why Ariel is so enamored by him. Chandler's creamy voice brings a lush, romantic sound to his solo song "Her Voice." Mark DiConzo has the right amount of tough parental love and concern as King Triton and, like the rest of the cast, has an excellent voice. It's a shame that none of the new songs written for the stage adaptation allow DiConzo to really show off his skills, though his part in the quartet "If Only" is quite moving. Aaron Ronelle is a joy as the crab Sebastian, who leads two of the biggest hits from the film, "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl," and helps make them incredible showstoppers. Ronelle also has great comic timing. In a few smaller parts, Tim Shawver, Gerard Lanzerotti, and Greg Kalafatas all provide some nice humorous touches. Klaphake's direction allows for the fun, bright, and comical moments to be enjoyable, yet also allows for the more serious parts of the musical that deal with parental fears of losing their child to have resonance. He also never lets the more dark moments in the show that deal with Ursula ever approach true evil, making the show very family friendly. Kurtis W. Overby's choreography never stops in providing varied and inventive movement, creating numerous showstoppers, several of which include about a dozen youth ensemble members. Creative elements are full of color, including Vincent Scassellati, Kenneth Burrell, and Robin L. McGee's beautiful costume designs, which include some stunning Day-Glo fish designs for "Under the Sea." Paul A. Black's set and lighting designs feature lovely coral reefs and also multiple shades of aquamarine, which combine to portray magical and beautiful underwater imagery. While the many elaborate special effects in the film, which include swimming, a shipwreck and magical transformations, can't quite be fully recreated onstage, Klaphake and his team do the best they can, including using some flying effects by Zfx, Inc. to give the illusion of swimming as well as a nifty transformation for Ariel. Mark 4Man's music direction, as usual, is excellent, providing both lush harmonies from the large ensemble and a rich, full sound from the orchestra. While the stage version of The Little Mermaid is a fairly by the numbers re-telling of the animated film, and some of the new songs written for the stage version pale in comparison to the film songs, it is still a fun, engaging show. With a powerhouse comical performance from Norville Klaphake as Ursula and a sweet and engaging one from Wiley as Ariel, and featuring clear direction and colorful, imaginative creative designs, the Arizona Broadway Theatre production is a family friendly gem. Disney's The Little Mermaid runs through June 21st, 2015, at the Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 West Paradise Lane in Peoria. Tickets can be ordered at www.azbroadway.org or by calling 623 776-8400. Stage Direction by Kiel Klaphake Cast: (in order of appearance) *Member Actors' Equity Association + Shared role
|
