Courtesy of The Grove
Live remakes of movies and musicals seem to be the new trend in Hollywood. ABC made a splash with their rendition of “The Little Mermaid Live!” which aired on Tuesday, Nov. 5. While Fox and NBC have already dived into the world of remakes, this was ABC’s debut, which celebrated the film’s 30th anniversary. There was a wide variety of responses from audiences, some claiming it swam and others believing it sank.
This hour-and-a-half special was introduced by the original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson. “Fathoms Below” opened the show with energetic dancing, aerial acrobatics and a classic tap number. All of these elements were comparable to those of a Broadway show.
Interactive audience participation was encouraged, whether it was having members sway blue cloth to resemble waves or wear crab hands during “Under the Sea.” The director of the production took the live aspect of the show to heart, bringing a real dog on stage to play Prince Eric’s furry companion.
The production featured seamless transitions between live musical numbers and original film clips. It was hard to deny that “under the sea” feeling, especially with Ariel effortlessly swimming throughout the notable musical number “Part of Your World.” Bobbing technicolor jellyfish, floating bubbles and exquisite costumes all meshed together to create a night of oceanic wonder.
Auli’i Cravalho embodied the lead character of Ariel in her second Disney princess role. Cravalho took control of the waters in her previous role of Moana. As Ariel, Cravalho rode the tide throughout the show using her head voice, but faced rocky waters when belting sustained notes.
Queen Latifah anchored the show with her powerful performance of “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Queen Latifah, who played the dark Ursula, descended to the ocean floor surrounded by her unruly tentacles at the start of the number. For the remainder of the song, she strutted like a true queen in her shiny, skintight dress. Fog machines, vials of glitter and detailed cave walls only intensified the already magical performance.
Other notable performers included Full House favorite John Stamos (Chef Louis) and “It Wasn’t Me” singer Shaggy (Sebastian).
While some felt nostalgia watching the live production, others felt like “poor unfortunate souls.”
Twitter had a field day as the hashtag #LittleMermaidLive was trending during the show. Critics were disappointed in the production’s choice to have audience members wear claws, while Shaggy surfed the stage clawless. Others were unhappy with Flounder’s unnerving appearance. The show crashed the most when ABC advertised it as a full live version of the film, which it wasn’t. The show featured more of the original film with drops of musical numbers throughout.
Regardless of viewer opinions, the popularity of remakes is a part of our world. ABC’s “Little Mermaid Live!” is only the latest in a trend that has been previously dominated by Fox and NBC. While ABC was a fish out of water with their debut, they managed to assemble an all hands on deck performance that, for some, seized the day.
