Theater review: 'Little Mermaid' soars (on wires)
The stage musical of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" already is a staple at community theaters, usually in its "junior" edition for young actors, but Arizona Broadway Theatre's splashy new version — with apologies for the aquatic pun — is the first professional production in the Valley.
It's highly recommended for little girls who love the movie, and even more highly recommended for former little girls old enough to avail themselves of the dinner theater's "Mermaid"-themed cocktails, which offer some much-needed assistance in not taking the show too seriously.
The excellent cast is led by Jill-Christine Wiley, a Pennsylvania native making her Arizona Broadway debut after honing her chops in the national touring cast of another Disney tuner, "Beauty and the Beast." In her overflowing red wig, Wiley is fetching and winsome as Ariel, the half-fish princess who falls in love with a human. Her pure soprano sounds great in such numbers as "Part of Your World," which is all the more impressive considering she spends a fair amount of the show strapped to cables that let her "swim" through the air.
The best songs come from the 1989 movie, including "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl," both led by Aaron Ronelle as Sebastian, the charmingly crabby crab with a Caribbean accent. Another standout is Cassandra Norville Klaphake — who also is the theater's artistic producer and co-founder — who makes a deliciously witchy Ursula, the villainess with black octopus tentacles.
For the stage adaptation, which opened on Broadway in 2008, composer Alan Menken added several new numbers, few of which have the poppy appeal of the movie tunes. "Positoovity," sung by the daffy pelican Scuttle (Gerard Lanzerotti) is a welcome bit of comic relief, but "Her Voice," the big love ballad for Prince Eric (Patton Chandler), is forgettable cookie-cutter fare, as is "If Only," the obligatory contrapuntal breakout with Ariel, Eric, Sebastian and King Triton (Mark DiConzo) singing over each other and generally bogging the show down.
The material may be spotty, but Arizona Broadway's production, directed by Kiel Klaphake (the other owner), is handsomely done with fun flying effects and whimsical costumes that include a school of clownfish (like in "Finding Nemo") played by local children.
One misstep is a scene in which the evil sea witch grows into a giant, with tentacles that look like overgrown Slinkies wrapped in black fabric and flopping around in most unmenacing fashion. But such details are easily overlooked with a couple of $8 Ursula's Potions on board.
Arizona Broadway Theatre: 'The Little Mermaid'
Reviewed Tuesday, May 26. Continues through Sunday, June 21. Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria. Tickets start at $65 ($45 for the show only) and are subject to demand pricing. 623-776-8400, azbroadway.org.
Reach the reviewer at kerry.lengel@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4896.