Review: DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID at Lewis Family Playhouse

Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a joyous musical for all ages running through October 27th at the Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga. Vibrant, colorful, and charming, this Inland Valley Repertory Theatre production of the Academy Award winning 1989 animated Disney film is a delight.  Looking around the enthusiastic opening night audience, I see everyone from seniors and date-night couples to toddlers on laps completely enraptured by the music, dazzling costumes, and effervescent performances.

As lead Ariel, Amanda Minano shines with a lovely voice and fresh, dewy, engaging charm.  Other standouts in the vibrant, fun-loving cast include DarRand Hall as Flotsam and JoeJoe Mckinney as Jetsam, who bring hauntingly great voices, uncannily great timing, and a delicious, RuPaul kind of slink, whimsy and glamor to their evil eels.  Vonetta Mixson as Ursula could not be more perfect.  Her bold humor, sensuous physical relish, and wanton, full-throated evil is a joy to behold, one of the best Disney villains I have seen, with a superb voice to match.  Chef Lous is played delectably in a star turn by Andrew Gaxiola, laugh-out-loud hilarious and a charismatic powerhouse on stage.

Ariel’s sisters, who get short shift in the 1989 film, are also an absolute delight here, hilarious, quirky, and scene-stealing.  There are some misfires in the cast, but largely, this is a winning ensemble that makes the animated story burst to full kaleidoscopic life.

At times, the staging feels a little flat to me and the projections feel overly digital.  But the costumes by Mark Gamez are imaginative, whimsical, and stunningly gorgeous.  There are effervescent, candy-hued, utterly magical wigs by Kirklyn Robinson, also a tremendous actress with a gorgeous voice and electrifying stage presence who I loved in Merrily We Roll Along this summer.  That complex, bittersweet, funny, heartfelt, ultimately joyous and inspiring Sondheim production is still lingering with me powerfully months later, with brilliant direction from Frank Minano, who also brings his high-spirited touch to The Little Mermaid here.

It is a treat to hear the classic, gorgeous Academy Award winning score by Alan Menken played live at the Lewis Family Playhouse, with superb musical direction from Ronda Rubio.

And more treats are in store for the audience of Disney’s The Little Mermaid beyond the staged musical.  In the lobby of the Lewis Family Playhouse, imaginative coloring and crafts and the elaborate photo props and backgrounds make The Little Mermaid feel like a complete night out.  After the performance, the cast comes out in their dazzling costumes for photo appearances, another special treat in store for fans of all ages who love the Disney classic.

This is my second attending the Lewis Family Playhouse.  As I mentioned in my review for Beauty and The Beast, this 536 seat theatre is in a large civic complex, The Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, with a local library, a beautifully lit central square, and convenient free parking.  It is attached to Victoria Gardens, the sprawling, popular outdoor mall in Rancho Cucamonga.

The Lewis Family Playhouse has comfortable, spacious seats, a large lobby with plenty of seating and multiple concession and drink stands.  It is a good design for families, with children easily able to see past the heads in rows in front of them.  In fact, this is a universally child-friendly theatre, with everyone from concessions to box office being friendly and very welcoming to small children.  Outside of Disneyland, this is one of the most family friendly entertainment venues I have attended.   I applaud the Lewis Family Playhouse and the city of Rancho Cucamonga for thinking about the cultural needs of families and those who want to introduce their young ones, ages three year and older, to the delights and education of theatre.

Photos by DawnEllen Ferry

Disney’s The Little Mermaid runs through October 27th at the Lewis Family Playhouse. The Lewis Family Playhouse is located at 12505 Cultural Center Drive in Rancho Cucamonga. There are multiple free parking structures and lots near the cultural center.  You can get tickets and more information by calling the Lewis Family Playhouse box office at 909-477-2752 or by clicking the button below:

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