The Little Mermaid on Broadway

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Disney Duster
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Post by Disney Duster »

supertalies wrote:Also, I've read somewhere they want it to look like a large 'pop-up' book. That should be interesting..
That was my idea for the Cinderella musical. It doesn't make as much sense for The Little Mermaid which never opened with a book in the film and is not the usual fairy tale used for such books either.

By the way, do we have to log in to Twitter to see those new designs? I don't have a Twitter account. Anywhere else we can see them?
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Post by DisneyJedi »

Disney Duster wrote:
supertalies wrote:Also, I've read somewhere they want it to look like a large 'pop-up' book. That should be interesting..
That was my idea for the Cinderella musical. It doesn't make as much sense for The Little Mermaid which never opened with a book in the film and is not the usual fairy tale used for such books either.
To be honest, I agree.
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Post by supertalies »

They also said they wanted to keep the story closer to the original Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.

I just hope they don't let Ariel die at the end! However, they keep saying they want to make the show more 'mature', so maybe they will?
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Post by DisneyJedi »

And hopefully, we don't see the bloodiness of a tongue getting cut off. Yes, that DOES happen in the original HCA story. And no, I don't want that to be part of the new production.

But then again, Disney's Berlin production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was darker and more gothic than the film version, matching the book's tone. So we never know.
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Post by Disney Duster »

Hm, making it more like the original story could actually make this worse than the Broadway version, when I thought it would be better. We'll see.

But there is almost zero chance they'll show her tongue getting cut off. Gore has never been part of even the Berlin Hunchback musical. And it's almost definite she won't die in the end, either.
DisneyJedi wrote:
Disney Duster wrote: That was my idea for the Cinderella musical. It doesn't make as much sense for The Little Mermaid which never opened with a book in the film and is not the usual fairy tale used for such books either.
To be honest, I agree.
Thank you!
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Post by robster16 »

12 minute report, with a preview of the show. Detail, all the swimming scenes will be done on wires! Ursula will get a backstory, More adult themes such as the relationship between Ariel and her father, Flounder will be played by a young adult, there will be new music made for this new production! No more stuff on wheels. During "Part of Your World" she will be flying through the stage. Ursula has a brand new song where she explains where she comes from.

The video also contains a preview of a new song.

<object width="560" height="315"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2GZJnMQ4cqA?ve ... ram><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2GZJnMQ4cqA?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>[/code]
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Post by PatrickvD »

Two things:

1. I'm PSYCHED that Ariel will be flying during Part of Your World.

2. I'm honored that our little country was chosen for the world premiere of this new and most likely improved version. It's darker and more mature after all.
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Post by Disney Duster »

Woooohhhh!!!! Thank you robster!!!!!

Oh man this sounds so good, this sounds so good, so go- wait...

Okay, I watched the video and...um...ew, Triton's throne room and and the mermaids' costumes and Ursula's costume. No. Just, no. No. NO!!!

The only thing that looks good is the Kiss the Girl scene! Ahhhh!!!

And what new song was in that video? I didn't hear any tunes I hadn't heard before.
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Post by PatrickvD »

Disney Duster wrote:And what new song was in that video? I didn't hear any tunes I hadn't heard before.
They only mentioned the new song in the video. It couldn't be heard yet. It's a song that is going to explain Ursula's backstory.
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Post by Disney Duster »

Well it's just that he said "The video also contains a preview of a new song."
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Post by PatrickvD »

Disney Duster wrote:Well it's just that he said "The video also contains a preview of a new song."
I must have missed it then. I didn't hear it either and only heard them mention it. I wouldn't even be surprised if it's Wasting Away, Silence is Golden or All Good things Must End in some newer version.

Also, I think the costumes and sets look like a major improvement. The fact that they're going to be swimming using wires is also promising. At least wait until there's footage from the actual show before you go all doom and gloom as usual.
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Post by Disney Duster »

PatrickvD wrote:Also, I think the costumes and sets look like a major improvement. The fact that they're going to be swimming using wires is also promising. At least wait until there's footage from the actual show before you go all doom and gloom as usual.
I am hoping that the final designs will be better, but when given a preview of something, you feel something about it, and a forum is for commenting on it, and not all feelings and comments can be positive. And if people voice how they feel about something, that something can be made better (probably not here on a forum, but people who can reach the ones making the designs).
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Post by Khonnor »

Hmzz...I'm actually not so psyched after seeing this.

I've seen the Broadway show and actually loved it from start to end...loved that they performed on wheelies and am so bummed they are not going to that anymore.

Also HATE how they change the songs so much from the original Dutch translations. Part Of Your World is Dat Is Mijn Wens in the movie and now in the show it will Daar Ligt Mijn Hart? That's just....blasphemy! (sp?)

Ah well, I already have front row tickets for early July, so I'm still gonna watch it and I'll probably like it, but I'm not too thrilled about all the changes from the Broadway show and the Dutch songs from the movie.
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Post by tsom »

Thank you so much for the video! I'm excited about this even though I won't be able to see it. Haha.

The sets and costumes don't look bad at all. And we have to remember that they are just drawings and mock-ups, not the real thing. Don't judge a book by its cover because you may miss a wonderful story.

If you watch the other related videos, they explain (in English) that in one of the songs (Beyond My Wildest Dreams), Ariel sings that it's like she's in a fairy tale ("Oh, just look! It's like I'm in a storybook!"), so from that lyric alone, they decided to make the land scenes be fairy tale-esque and hence the pop up book idea, therefore Ariel really is living in a fairy tale. Makes perfect sense to me!
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Post by Disney Duster »

I'm sorry how they're messing with the original way the songs were Khonnor.
tsom wrote:The sets and costumes don't look bad at all. And we have to remember that they are just drawings and mock-ups, not the real thing. Don't judge a book by its cover because you may miss a wonderful story.
The hair? Really?
tsom wrote:If you watch the other related videos, they explain (in English) that in one of the songs (Beyond My Wildest Dreams), Ariel sings that it's like she's in a fairy tale ("Oh, just look! It's like I'm in a storybook!"), so from that lyric alone, they decided to make the land scenes be fairy tale-esque and hence the pop up book idea, therefore Ariel really is living in a fairy tale. Makes perfect sense to me!
But...the fairy tale part is actually more the underwater part, dontcha think? Only the land scenes would be a pop-up book? Only one lyric would make the entire show look a certain way even if it doesn't make sense in other ways? What?
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Post by tsom »

I don't remember who's vision the video said it was (either the director or scenic designer), but I guess you've just gotta go with what inspires you. The video also mentions how one of the big talks they had was how to display the two different worlds, and that's how the pop up storybook idea came about for the land scenes. I suppose to Ariel, her underwater home is kinda dark and bland compared to land, where it's like a fairy tale come true (even though the underwater world is still a very beautiful place). I equate it to someone who has lived in NYC all their life but have always wanted to see Paris. They think NYC is dull (which is far from), but then they finally see Paris and it is everything they dreamed and more (even though Paris is just as magnificent as NYC).
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Post by Disney Duster »

Yes. Well even knowing all of that reasoning, I still think the fairy tale pop-up book idea is too fairy tale like and makes more sense for the realm where magical mermaids live, and actually I don't think a pop-up book idea should be used for this story anyway.

It's not like I myself haven't been inspired by something but then had to change it, they could to. But if you agree with it even after all I said, even after the mermaid part is the real reason it's a fairy tale at all and the reason why that line was even written about it being a fairy tale...alrighty. But it's not like they couldn't choose something that makes even more sense. And how on Earth could you be on board for them using my idea for the Cinderella musical? :P
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Post by supertalies »

Albert Heijn, a Dutch supermarket, is currently airing a commercial where they advertise their 'musicalweeks' (with every 25 euros you spend you get a voucher for a free second ticket to see TLM).

In the commerical, we get our first look at the possible costumes..

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GxXiOumoToQ" frameborder="0"></iframe>

I love the wig, but I don't really like the costume. However, the costume probably will look better when she's 'swimming'..

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Last edited by supertalies on Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by DisneyJedi »

You've gotta be kidding me. That's the mermaid costume? I'd hate to make myself look like a dumbass, but it looks more like a one-piece dress. Nothing too spectacular, really.
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Post by PatrickvD »

DisneyJedi wrote:I'd hate to make myself look like a dumbass
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:wink:
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