By Elisabeth Spencer
Children and adults alike were abuzz with excitement at the opening night of Four Seasons Theatre’s production of The Little Mermaid, at Sky View High School in Smithfield. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the original animated film’s release, but Disney’s The Little Mermaid remains beloved after all these years. The stage adaptation of the film, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and book by Doug Wright, premiered on Broadway in 2008, and has since become a fixture of family theatre in Utah. I’ve seen the show onstage multiple times, but I was still pleasantly surprised by the new life that Four Seasons Theatre’s production brings to this Disney classic.
It’s a story most audience members will be very familiar with. A mermaid named Ariel (Emma Duffin) saves Prince Eric (Dakota Moses) and subsequently falls in love with him, despite disapproval from her father King Triton (Kaden Bundy). In order to be with Eric, Ariel trades her voice to the sea witch Ursula (Kody Rash) and becomes human, with the stipulation that Eric must kiss her within three days or Ursula wins her soul. Aided by the crab Sebastian (Kyle Pyfer), the seagull Scuttle (Josh Hopkins), and sweet guppy Flounder (Mac Brough), Ariel joins the human world and seeks for a way to win her true love.
Director Jon Rash’s staging is strong, and the show is well-paced and exciting. Sometimes the dialogue and lyrics suffer from a lack of diction, which unfortunately cause some lines to be missed—especially for Scuttle and Sebastian, who speak with heavy character voices. Regardless, the joy of the performance is infectious and attention-grabbing. Even the young children around me seemed to be attentive the entire time.
As Ariel, Duffin gives a sweet and endearing performance well-suited for a Disney princess. She portrays determination, longing, and joy with energetic expressiveness, and she is a graceful mover. Opposite Duffin, Moses plays Eric with a gentle confidence and youthful charm. He captures the audience’s hearts as surely as he captures Ariel’s and sounds absolutely incredible in his moving Act 1 solo “Her Voice.”
I appreciate Four Seasons’ efforts to break new ground with this oft-produced show. It’s especially notable in the gender-bending casting of Rash in the role of Ursula. He manages to be truly menacing while still earning big laughs, and his smooth tenor voice sounds terrific on songs such as “Daddy’s Little Angel.” Ursula’s eel sidekicks, Flotsam and Jetsam, work in slimy synchronization and are given deliciously creepy portrayals by Britney McCarthy and Liam Herbert, respectively.
Besides playing Ursula, Rash also designed the show’s colorful and lavish costumes, which range from princess gowns to sea anemones. The costumes draw inspiration from the movie without directly copying, and someVarious reasons play an canadian viagra samples important role for hormonal imbalance problem. For female who are willing to have intercourse but not able to viagra pfizer achat do it because of erection issue then you may get nervous during your foreplay too. Lots of men around the world have achieved enhanced result to combat this particular issue. cute-n-tiny.com order cheap levitra Supplements can then help in the removal of lactic acid and other metabolic waste products produced by muscle effects of viagra cells during physical activity. pieces are so large and impressive, they elicit gasps from the audience. The wigs and makeup are also beautiful without drawing too much attention.
As King Triton, Bundy commands the stage with his regal gravitas and resonant baritone voice. He expresses both powerful rage and moving tenderness in his interactions with Ariel, culminating in a touching farewell. Pyfer, playing Sebastian, is fun to watch and lets loose impressive high notes in the showstopping ensemble number “Under the Sea.” Tap-dancing ensemble members also impress in “Positoovity,” led by Hopkins, whose comic timing and goofy dancing make him the perfect Scuttle. Flounder, played by Brough, is terrific in his scenes with Ariel and has a big voice that shines in “She’s In Love.” Even smaller characters, like Grimsby (Nathan Jones) and Chef Louie (Kyle Cottam) are given memorable and funny portrayals. It’s hard to identify an audience favorite, since almost every character makes an impression.
Under the direction of music director Melissa Hamilton, the cast executes the iconic Disney tunes with precision. Choreographers Melisa Jensen, AnnAlyse Chidester, and Katie Packard provide varied, energetic choreography that moves the show along at a fast pace. The different styles of choreography also give contrast for the wide variety of characters—including mersisters, sailors, chefs, princesses, and sea creatures—that the ensemble portrays.
The cast is strong throughout, but the real star of this show is the production design. After all, there are many technical challenges that come along with doing The Little Mermaid—how can a community theatre make Disney magic without a Disney-sized budget?—but Four Seasons takes inventive measures to deliver fairy tale spectacle. The production uses stage flight, provided by ZFX Flying, to allow characters to fly and swim across the stage. It’s effective and breathtaking in some scenes, such as when Ariel rescues a drowning Prince Eric, but in solos like “Part of Your World,” it’s more distracting than magical. Special effects, credited to Ken Morley, are also a crucial part of Four Seasons’ impressive production, and are used effectively to supplement the story. The set, designed by Nathan Allen and Danny Rash, is beautiful, with an artistically painted, storybook simplicity. Justin Wellington’s sound design is strong. The lighting is especially impressive—lighting designer Chase Cook expertly uses reflective light and gorgeous shades of blue to bring the audience underwater.
Four Seasons prides itself on providing “high-quality, family-focused, affordable theatre experiences”, and they have certainly done just that with this charming production full of life, joy, and fish puns. Bring the kids and enjoy a magical evening under the sea with their current offering, Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Four Seasons Theatre Company presents The Little Mermaid. Book by Doug Wright, Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, Music by Alan Menken.
Sky View High School Auditorium, 520 S 250 E, Smithfield, UT 84335
June 14-15, 17, 20-22, 24, 27-29, 2019. 7:30 PM, Mon-Fri, Saturday matinees 1:00 PM.
Tickets: $12 online, $14 at door/over phone
Contact: 435-535-1432
Four Seasons Theatre Facebook Page
The Little Mermaid Facebook Event
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