Review: DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre's production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID tells the classic tale of Ariel as she falls in love with a human prince and makes a deal with an evil sea witch to become human herself and try to win his heart. 

THE LITTLE MERMAID is a story everyone knows and loves, and it is so exciting to see it on stage rather than screen. Broadway Palm brought this story to life with beautiful visuals, an incredible cast, and more. 

Ariel is played by Grace Atherholt, and she does a magnificent job. Not only does she portray Ariel's personality perfectly, but she also has a beautiful voice, and she executes the "swimming" movements of Ariel in a very realistic way. It is stunning to see her be lifted to "swim" with the help of some theatre magic - it's truly a magical moment each time it happens. Prince Eric is played by William Draper, who did a wonderful job bringing the charming character to life. Atherholt and Draper had wonderful on-stage chemistry, and they were excellent as the beloved duo of Ariel and Prince Eric.

Flounder is played by Amy Fenicle, who was fantastic - or should I say fin-tastic? She was so charismatic and brought such life to this character. Truly a pleasure to watch. I also thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed James Major Burns as Sebastian. He mastered the "crab walk" Sebastian does, and was hilarious. Steffen Whorton played King Triton, and he brought more of a vulnerable side to the character, which I thought was a nice note. You can truly see how his character cares for Ariel. I also really enjoyed all of Ariel's sisters, and how involved their characters were in the story in comparison to the film version. Ariel's other sidekick, Scuttle, is played by Chris Trombetta. He did a great job portraying such a silly and fun character.

Ursula is played by the amazing Shannon Connolly, who was perfect for this role. She was flanked by Johann Santiago Santos as Flotsam and Jelani Bell as Jetsam, and I really enjoyed the deviousness all 3 of them brought to the characters. 

I also have to give mention to Frank Hughes as Chef Louis. "Les Poissons" was one of the most fun numbers to watch in the show, and Hughes did a great job as this character. This entire cast, truly, was full of talent.

This production was directed by Dean Sobon, with choreography by Kerry Lambert and Associate Choreographer Amy Fenicle. They all did an incredible job bringing this show to the Broadway Palm stage, along with the rest of the creative team. I have to mention Costume Designer John P. White, who did a magnificent job with all of the costumes. They were absolutely beautiful, and very unique. Musical Director Lizzie Webb did great work with all of the well-know songs from THE LITTLE MERMAID, and I have to applaud the entire Orchestra for playing these classic songs so well. Some of my favorite numbers included "Part of Your World," "She's In Love," "Under The Sea," "Poor Unfortunate Soul," "Beyond My Wildest Dreams," and "Kiss the Girl."

THE LITTLE MERMAID is very nostalgic for me, and this production was a joy to watch. I highly recommend checking it out while it's playing, now through August 12. It is colorful, fun, and classic, and you will fall in love with these iconic characters all over again. For tickets and more information, click the link below. 

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