Did anyone know there were premium seats for Walmartopia? I think there are two. $100 each. Run. Now.
Anyway, this is the post about The Little Mermaid, the musical I was most looking forward to this year. What upsets me most is that people think it's ugly. I mean, it doesn't upset me because I think it is pretty, I had to cancel my trip to Denver, so I have not seen it. But it upsets me because I had faith in Zambello and her team to at least make it striking... So when I hear of random corkscrews on the stage, I think "alas."
What happened to my underwater dream? All week I've heard rumors that new folks might be coming in--that we would have another Aida. That High School Musical might take the theater instead, giving Mermaid time to retool. But, I do not believe this to be the case. At all. We will see some form of this Little Mermaid--but will it be good?
When Zambello was announced, I was of course thinking "who?" I follow opera not at all. I've never even seen an opera. (I've also never seen A Perfect Crime, but I've made it my mission to rectify that.) So I researched and researched. I sadly believe I spent about four hours on this. And then I got hopeful. It seemed like her productions had some spark. Was my faith misplaced? Did the Disney dream and her vision just not mesh? It's really unclear.
I sense the script needs some jokes--everyone I know says it is just not funny. That seems like an easy fix. The design concept is not an easy fix. Yes, Seussical changed in costumes. Shows remove/change certain set pieces all the times. (Did you know I saw In My Life without the lemon at the end and then with it?) Maybe Mermaid can do away with the lizard outfits and the corkscrews. But to transform something people find ugly and open on schedule, it's going to take a lot of Disney magic. Maybe more than is available. Is the entire Disney machine really backing Tom Schumacher in this process? I am not sold on that.
We'll see. I hear there is some freaking out being done and I usually take that as a good sign, a sign people know change is needed. I get worried when I see iffy things and I hear that the team thinks the show is great. If I hear about freaking, I feel change is in the air. Changing bad things is usually a good thing. The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake.
I hope they can save my beloved Little Mermaid. I will be rooting for it.
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this is indeed sad -- I am a theatre professional and mom to an almost 4-year-old girl. We bought tix to MERMAID as soon as they started selling them because we wanted it to be my daughter's first Bway show. Paid full price, too, which I almost never do. I want to give the producers the benefit of the doubt, but (take away the theatre professional part) I'm the idea ticket-buyer for this show and now I'm getting itchy feet. Crossing fingers that they get it together. It really should be spectacular; no excuse for it not to be.
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