The Little Mermaid

Having been unable to meet expectations for Tarzan, Disney Theatrical Productions tried again with a stage version of the 1989 Disney animated feature The Little Mermaid. The production had its premiere at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, which had been hosting Disney’s breakthrough musical, the long-running and hugely successful Beauty and the Beast, since 1999. Disney Theatrical shut down Beauty voluntarily, not wishing to split the potential audience for Mermaid. Due to the 2007 Broadway stagehands strike, the show’s debut was delayed by a month, but it finally opened on January 10, 2008, with the film’s voiceover stars, Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll, in attendance. The score utilized the songs from the film, written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, but because Ashman had died in 1991, Glenn Slater provided lyrics for the additional numbers. To achieve the story’s unique underwater effect, the actors wore “heelies,” sneakers with embedded wheels in the heels, to simulate the gliding of the characters under the sea. The plot followed that of its animated predecessor closely, although some critics observed that the charm had been removed from the show. Characters’ personalities were fleshed out (especially those of Prince Eric and Ursula the sea witch) and a new, more dramatic ending was written. Critical response was mixed, but ticket sales were brisk and the show became a splash hit, running until the following summer, when Thomas Schumacher decided to shut it down, explaining, “It would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months. We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title.”

Music

Alan Menken

Lyrics

Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater

Book

Doug Wright