It happened in 2008. After the massive, gravity-defying success of Wicked and the puppet-filled spectacle of The Lion King, Disney Theatrical Productions decided it was time to go under the sea. But translating a cartoon about a girl with a fish tail to a Broadway stage? That's actually a logistical nightmare. Honestly, if you think about it, trying to simulate swimming on a wooden stage in Midtown Manhattan sounds like a recipe for a disaster.
Most people remember the 1989 movie as the "Disney Renaissance" starter kit. It saved the studio. It gave us Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. But Little Mermaid the musical is a different beast entirely. It’s colorful. It’s loud. And depending on who you ask, it’s either a misunderstood masterpiece of stagecraft or a chaotic experiment in "heelies" choreography.
The Heelys Controversy and the Visual Gamble
Let's talk about the shoes. You remember Heelys? Those sneakers with wheels in the heels that every kid in the early 2000s used to annoy mall security? That was the big solution for Broadway. Director Francesca Zambello didn't want wires. Flying everyone on harnesses is expensive, slow, and frankly, it looks a bit clunky after twenty minutes. So, the actors literally skated.
They called it "glide motion."
By putting the cast on wheels, the production created this fluid, sweeping movement that actually mimicked currents. It was brilliant. It was also polarizing. Critics in 2008 were... let's say, unkind. They felt it looked like a high-budget ice capade. But if you talk to theater fans who grew up with this version, they’ll tell you it was the only way to make the transition between "land" and "sea" feel visceral. When Ariel finally gets her legs, she stops rolling. She walks. The contrast is immediate. It’s a physical manifestation of her sacrifice that the movie just can’t replicate.
Expanding the Score: Beyond "Part of Your World"
The movie is barely 80 minutes long. You can't charge Broadway prices for an 80-minute show. To pad it out, Alan Menken returned (sadly without the late Howard Ashman, though Glenn Slater stepped in) to write ten new songs.
This is where the musical actually gets deep.
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In the film, King Triton is just a grumpy dad with a trident. In the stage show, he gets a song called "If Only." It’s a quartet. It’s heartbreaking. You suddenly see this widower who is terrified of losing the only piece of his wife he has left. It shifts the entire perspective of the story from a teen romance to a family drama about grief and letting go.
Then there’s "She’s in Love." It’s a 60s girl-group pastiche sung by the Mersisters. It’s catchy as hell. It also gives the sisters actual personalities, which they severely lacked in the animation. They aren't just background fish; they’re annoyed siblings dealing with a sister who is clearly "acting weird."
The Ursula Factor
Sherie Rene Scott originated the role of Ursula on Broadway, and she was a revelation. While Pat Carroll’s voice acting is iconic, Scott brought a burlesque, Vaudeville energy to the Sea Witch. The musical gives her a backstory. She’s Triton’s sister. She’s the black sheep who murdered their other siblings. It’s dark.
The song "I Want the Good Times Back" replaces the more simplistic motivations of the film. It turns Ursula into a displaced royal trying to reclaim her "rightful" inheritance. It’s campy, sure, but it adds a layer of Shakespearean tragedy to the glitter and tentacles.
Why the Denver Tryout Matters
Before hitting the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York, the show had a pre-Broadway run in Denver. This is where the "experimental" nature of the show was born. They were playing with translucent plastics, massive sets that looked like coral reefs, and light projections that had to work perfectly to sell the "underwater" illusion.
Some of it didn't work. The original Broadway design relied heavily on "European-style" abstraction. It didn't look like the movie. The "land" scenes featured these weird, undulating plastic shapes. For some, it was too artsy. For others, it was the exact kind of risk Disney should be taking.
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Fast forward a few years, and the show underwent a massive "re-imagining" for the Dutch production and subsequent US tours. They ditched the Heelys. They went back to flying. They changed the sets to look more like a storybook. It’s a fascinating case study in how a musical evolves based on audience feedback. The version you see today at a regional theater or on tour is likely vastly different from the one that premiered in 2008.
The Technical Reality: Putting on the Show
If you’re a theater geek or a technician, Little Mermaid the musical is a nightmare to stage. You have to deal with:
- The "Ariel" harness: If you use the flying rig, the actress needs incredible core strength to sing "Part of Your World" while suspended 20 feet in the air.
- The Ursula Costume: In the original, it was a massive mechanical rig that took up half the stage.
- The Makeup: How do you keep "underwater" makeup from melting under 10,000-watt stage lights? Lots of primer.
Actually, the makeup is one of the most underrated parts of the production. They use heavy contouring to make the actors' faces pop against the neon blues and greens of the set. It looks terrifyingly intense from the front row, but from the mezzanine, it’s perfection.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Plot
People think it’s just a "girl wants a guy" story. That’s the shallow take.
The musical leans much harder into the idea of "belonging." Ariel isn't just obsessed with Eric; she’s an anthropologist. She collects artifacts. She studies a culture she’s been told is "evil." It’s a story about xenophobia and curiosity. When Eric sings "Her Voice," he isn't just looking for a girlfriend—he’s looking for the person who saved his life, someone who represents the "other" he’s been dreaming of.
It’s also surprisingly funny. Chef Louis’s "Les Poissons" is expanded into a chaotic, slapstick sequence that usually involves dozens of chefs chasing a crab with giant cleavers. It’s pure theater of the absurd.
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The Legacy of the 2008 Original
While it only ran for 685 performances—a respectable run, but not a Lion King length blockbuster—its impact is huge. It proved that Disney could do "conceptual" theater. It didn't have to be a literal recreation of the film.
Today, the show is a staple for high schools and community theaters. Why? Because it has a massive cast. You can put 40 kids in fish costumes and everyone gets a moment. It’s one of the few shows that manages to feel "big" even on a small budget.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Producers
If you’re looking to see a production or perhaps even stage one, here’s the reality of the situation:
- Seek out the "Re-imagined" version: If you can find a recording or a production that uses the "flying" choreography instead of the wheels, it usually feels more magical. The flying allows for vertical storytelling that the wheels just can't match.
- Listen to the Cast Recording: Don't just stick to the movie soundtrack. The Broadway cast recording features Tituss Burgess as Sebastian (before he was a star on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). His rendition of "Under the Sea" is arguably more energetic than the original.
- Watch the Mersisters: If you're seeing the show live, pay attention to the sisters. Their harmonies are some of the most complex in the Disney theatrical canon.
- Budget for the Hair: If you are a producer, do not skimp on the wigs. The "underwater" look requires height and structure. Floppy hair ruins the illusion immediately.
The show is a weird, wonderful, occasionally clunky piece of theater history. It’s about the desire to be somewhere else, which is a feeling that never gets old, whether you're a mermaid in the ocean or a person sitting in the third row of a dark theater.
If you're planning on diving into this show, start by comparing the original Broadway cast recording with the 2023 live-action movie soundtrack. You’ll notice that the stage show actually keeps more of the whimsical, "Vaudeville" spirit of the original 1989 animation than the remake does. It’s a testament to the power of live performance—sometimes you just need a few wheels and a lot of blue light to make people believe in magic.