VIDEO: On This Day, January 10- Broadway Goes Under the Sea With THE LITTLE MERMAID

Based on the animated Disney film and the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, performances of THE LITTLE MERMAID officially opened on Broadway on this day in 2008.

The original company of The Little Mermaid featured Sierra Boggess as 'Ariel,' Sean Palmer as 'Prince Eric,' Norm Lewis as 'King Triton,' Tituss Burgess as 'Sebastian,' Eddie Korbich as 'Scuttle,' Jonathan Freeman as 'Grimsby,' Derrick Baskin as 'Jetsam,' Tyler Maynard as 'Flotsam,' Trevor Braun, Brian D'Addario, Cody Hanford and J.J. Singleton as 'Flounder,' and Sherie Rene Scott as 'Ursula.'

THE LITTLE MERMAID takes place in a magical kingdom beneath the sea, where a beautiful young mermaid named Ariel longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above. First, she'll have to defy her father, the king of the sea, escape the clutches of an evil sea witch and convince a prince that she's the girl with the perfect voice.

Led by the award-winning director, Francesca Zambello, some of the theatre's most innovative artists collaborated to create THE LITTLE MERMAID. The score features the classic songs: "Part of Your World," "Kiss the Girl" and the Academy Award®-winning Best Original Song, "Under the Sea," composed by eight-time Academy Award® winner Alan Menken and his longtime collaborator, the late Howard Ashman, as well as 10 new songs by Mr. Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater. The book for the new musical is by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning playwright Doug Wright.

THE LITTLE MERMAID's visionary team also included: Olivier Award winner Stephen Mear (choreography), George Tsypin (scenic design), Tatiana Noginova (costume design), Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (lighting design), John Shivers (sound design), David BrIan Brown (hair design), Angelina Avallone (make-up design), Sven Ortel (projection & video designer), Danny Troob (orchestrations) and Michael Kosarin(musical direction).