There’s five more chances to see Disney’s The Little Mermaid, presented by Align Entertainment. The Disney classic comes to life onstage at Burnaby’s Michael J Fox Theatre until February 18th.
The beloved story as interpreted by Doug Wright, and the classic soundtrack from Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, along with new lyrics from Glenn Slater, keeps the pace lively and the suitable for the whole family. The Little Mermaid isn’t just for kids, while the young ones will certainly find much to love with their favourite underwater Princess, the young at heart will as well. The evening audience welcomed a few little princesses but the matinee was apparently filled with excited dressed up young ladies.
Elyse Maloway brings a wide-eyed excitement to Ariel, ably filling the vocal and acting duties. Prince Eric, played by Colton Fyfe, has the classic Disney Prince good looks and carries the vocals fairly well. The cast fill the undersea and human world nicely but the real stand out in the cast is Julio Fuentes as Sebastian the Crab. As Sebastian, Fuentes brings the comedy and heart to the ensemble, leading two of the key songs and production numbers in each act; Under The Sea and Kiss The Girl. As the antagonist Ursula, Erin Matchette, has fun with the role but lacks some of the malevolence in her vocals we’d expect from the Sea Witch.
Visually the set and costumes allow the audience to create the worlds beneath and above the waves. The creative use of heal wheels allow the merfolk and other sea creatures to swim smoothly through the water. Ms Maloway is thankfully not burdened with the usual unnaturally red wig that distracts from many live action versions of Ariel. The live orchestra led by Brent Hughes fills the auditorium with rich sound that stays in your head as you The Little Mermaid happily humming the tunes.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid, presented by Align Entertainment plays at Burnaby’s Michael J Fox Theatre until February 18th.