Amber Riley to Emcee ABC's THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!

Amber Riley has been cast as the emcee for ABC's upcoming live musical, The Little Mermaid Live!, according to Deadline.

She joins a cast that includes Auli'i Cravalho as Ariel, Queen Latifah as Ursula, Shaggy as Sebastian), Graham Phillips as Prince Eric, and John Stamos as Chef Louis.

ABC's tribute to the original animated classic and its timeless music will take viewers on a magical adventure under the sea as live musical performances by a star-studded cast will be interwoven into the broadcast of the original feature film. This never-before-seen hybrid format will feature beautifully intricate sets and costumes, with music from the original animated film and the Tony Award®-winning Broadway stage version, originally composed by eight-time Oscar®-winning composer, Alan Menken. Howard Ashman's iconic film lyrics will also be showcased, while lyricist for the Broadway adaptation, Glenn Slater, will contribute to the star-studded spectacular.

"The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live!" will air TUESDAY, NOV. 5 (8:00 - 10:00 p.m. EST), live on ABC.

Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney's The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner, Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs, including "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl" and "Part of Your World."

Ariel, King Triton's youngest daughter, wishes to pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above, bargaining with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends, Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea.

Riley is best known for starring as Mercedes Jones for the entire run of Fox's musical drama Glee. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Effie White in the 2016 West End revival of Dreamgirls. She recently starred in The Pasadena Playhouse Production of Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey II.

Read the original article on Deadline.