DVDizzy Forum

PatrickvD had me thinking he was ugly. I looked him up and he was damn cute!

Disney Duster wrote:PatrickvD had me thinking he was ugly. I looked him up and he was damn cute!

I don't really have a type but I think so too.

-Skyler

Sotiris reminded me, that the final non-Broadway US version of the show happened long ago back in August, by the Music Theatre of Witchita. It looked...sucky, but hey, at least the mermaid costumes were in a way better than the original Broadway ones. No legged beings in skirts with tails sticking out the back.

There is this one picture that looks rather cool as it seems the had a projection of Eric falling in the water, caused by Ursula. But for a higher quality show would be better if they could just make it looked like the real actor was drowning...

Have a look:

Music Theatre of Wichita's The Little Mermaid

But the winner of worst costumes goes to the new version of this show that opened in Manila. They said they wanted to give the costumes an "Asian twist" but I didn't know that meant disgustingly grotesque garishness.

Have a look:
The Little Mermaid in Manila

But those versions supposedly just changed the costumes and decor. This new European version will have a new script, and also two new songs written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.

Really excited!

Also, I think Tommie Christiaan is really cute. I think he'll do a good job. He's better than Jim Bakkum, who seems to be getting all the good male parts, like Fiyero..

Okay, I should have phrased it differently. Tommie is cute yes. But when I think of a flesh and blood stage musical human that's supposed to look like Disney's Prince Eric I'm thinking of something more Jon Hamm-ish.

Or like the classic Hollywood movie stars. Dark haired old school handsomeness.

It appears that an older thread already exists for this topic. Please, re-direct your comments there.

supertalies wrote:But those versions supposedly just changed the costumes and decor. This new European version will have a new script, and also two new songs written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.

I know, I was just bringing those up because they are related. It's all part of Disney changing the show...

Commenting on some thoughts in the other thread: I don't think Tommie Christiaan or Jon Hamm is hot enough to be Eric.

Very excited to hear more about this production. The B'way musical's failure has always been very disappointing to me, so I hope this new version will rectify the other one's problems.

Love the poster, by the way.

So when will the new production start ?

Found the link in other thread. Would love to see the show. Will they be singing in Dutch ? Anyone has new songs to share ?

yes they will sing in dutch It's a dutch production, but there is no news yet, other then it is being produced and who will play Prince Eric...hopefully more news will soon follow

Was Mermaid really the out and out failure that you guys say it was ? It always gets bashed horribly on here, but I have never known actual facts of if it was an actual commercial failure ...

Yes. It was pretty much a mess, despite a few generally solid performances.

I saw the show and I didn't feel that it was a mess or so bad. The musical arrangement was excellent. It's a aimed towards children and looked kinda plastic. Sierra was wonderful as Ariel.

SpringHeelJack wrote:Yes. It was pretty much a mess, despite a few generally solid performances.

While I respect your opinion, that is what that sentence is, just your opinion. I was after facts; did the show actually bomb ?

supertalies wrote:But those versions supposedly just changed the costumes and decor. This new European version will have a new script, and also two new songs written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.

Really excited!

Also, I think Tommie Christiaan is really cute. I think he'll do a good job. He's better than Jim Bakkum, who seems to be getting all the good male parts, like Fiyero..

Tommie Christiaan also played the rol of Troy Bolton in the musicalversion of High School Musical, he was the winner of a musicaltalentshow and he played Zorro in the musical Zorro. He has a nice character: he's a funny, charismatic and very adventurous (young) man. Besides he has amazing danceskills. I think he'll be a perfect prince Eric. I can't wait to hear who will play the rol of his Ariel.

atlanticaunderthesea wrote:I was after facts; did the show actually bomb ?

If it did well, do you think they would have closed it? Beauty and the Beast went for years and TLK is still going.

Disney's Divinity wrote:

atlanticaunderthesea wrote:I was after facts; did the show actually bomb ?

If it did well, do you think they would have closed it? Beauty and the Beast went for years and TLK is still going.

Yea. I don't think anyone can dig up official numbers, and then compare them to other numbers to show you, but what we can say is that the show did not pull in enough people, or enough money, to stay open for as long as a good Disney Broadway show should, like, say, Mary Poppins. So yes, it "bombed". Not horribly. It just wasn't up to snuff. Everyone who's seen it has got to admit it wasn't near as good as the movie or near as good as it could, and should, have been.

Disney tends not to release financial statements, but it's pretty plain that "Mermaid" (and "Tarzan") both bombed pretty hard. "Mermaid" was also pretty well savaged in terms of audience and critical response. So, yes, it's my opinion that it is a mess, but it's also a pretty popular opinion, and this is coming from someone who loves the movie. The stage show as it was on Broadway stands as a textbook example of what not to do in adapting a movie to that medium.