ABC Reveals THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE! Will Be Similar to Hollywood Bowl Concert Version
By: Nicole Rosky May. 17, 2017
As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this week, ABC will be making a splash with a special live event - THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE! - this fall. In a two-hour special event, ABC will take the iconic THE LITTLE MERMAID animated feature film and intertwine it with show stopping live musical performances via cutting edge technology for an explosive evening honoring one of Walt Disney's most celebrated classics.
ABC's Robert Mills told Variety that the special will be modeled after last year's Hollywood Bowl concert. And Mermaid might not be the end. He explains: "That was really the pitch. If we do this and we do it right and it becomes one of the singular live events, you've launched a franchise."
The 2016 Hollywood Bowl Concert of The Little Mermaid featured Grammy-nominated artist Sara Bareilles as Ariel, REBEL Wilson as Ursula, John Stamos as Chef Louis, Tituss Burgess as Sebastian, Norm Lewis as King Triton, Darren Criss as Prince Eric and Joshua Colley as Flounder.
Click here to read to full interview.
Fans of THE LITTLE MERMAID and Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's Oscar-winning songs will enjoy this never-before-seen live action/animation hybrid television experience featuring a soon-to-be announced roster of some of their favorite celebrity artists, whose performances will weave seamlessly throughout the original animated film.
THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE! is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 3. The special is produced by Done + Dusted with Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, David Jammy, Katy Mullan, and Richard Kraft, of Kraft-Engel Productions, serving as executive producers.
This is the latest live event in a string of recent announcements, joining FOX's A CHRISTMAS STORY and RENT, as well as NBC's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. A live-action adaptation of THE LITTLE MERMAID is also in the works at Disney, with new songs by HAMILTON's Lin-Manuel Miranda and original composer Alan Menken.
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