Review: THE LITTLE MERMAID Swims into Imagination Stage

Many are familiar with the story of The Little Mermaid through Disney, however; few are familiar the original story of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author known for his fairy tales. In Imagination Stage's The Little Mermaid, Pearl (Justine Icy Moral) fantasizes about being with humans on the shore, but her family including her Mer-father (Todd Scofield) and her sisters, Amber (Afua Busia) and Coral (Emily Zickler), do not care for her fascination with the world above the sea. Ultimately, Pearl decides that she must go to surface to meet her favorite human, Prince Edvard (Tiziano D'Affuso), but in order to do so, she must get help from the wicked Enchantress (Jennie Latz). Imagination Stage's world premiere production of The Little Mermaid, directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer, adapts Andersen's story into a musical interpretation filled with original songs and choreography.

In Imagination Stage's The Little Mermaid, there are hints of potential with the songs, but only a few songs are memorable. Of all of the songs, the solos by Tiziano D'Affuso as Prince Edvard, Justine Icy Moral as Pearl, and Jennie Lutz as the Enchantress are the strongest. D'Affuso's passionate voice is full of sorrow as he sings "only then - I can be free" as he laments about finding his true love. Moral's voice is exquisite, but perhaps her strongest solos are ones that reflect Pearl's inner thoughts about Prince Edvard. Jennie Lutz's solo as the Enchantress is a catchy jazz tune that captures the essence of the Enchantress' desire manipulate others and ultimately "take want she can get." Overall, The Little Mermaid's lyrics by Janet Stanford are a bit unpolished in the beginning of the production, but they ultimately are able to come together during the second half of the production with the cases of Pearl, the Enchantress, and Prince Edvard's solos. Despite at times struggling lyrics, the music, composed by Matthew Pierce, meshes well with Standford's lyrics. Stanford's book is on the same level as the lyrics. Some characters are more memorable than others. Moral, D'Affuso, and Lutz embody their characters well and make them lovable. One of the perhaps most lovable characters turns out to be the supporting character of Riborg (Emily Kester), a local school girl who finds Prince Edvard ashore. Lester's Riborg is hysterically funny and charming at the same time from her fascination with the mythological god of Neptune to her bumbling dance moves.

Imagination Stage's The Little Mermaid throws in choreography into the mix despite the hurdles of a small stage and large cast. However, this production often deviates from the typical musical choreography. Most characters within the production, such as Pearl and Prince Edvard, are complimented by a dance counterpart, who dances to reflect the character's inner desires. The dancing, choreographed by Septime Webre and David Palmer, is beautifully done. The dancers (Aidan Carrasquel, Christopher Collins, Amelia Grubb, A. Logan Hillman, MariAna Lopez, Giselle MacDonald, Ben Rabe, and Sarah Steele) personify their characters with their movements well. However, it often becomes a distraction from the singer or actor onstage. While the concept works during certain moments, such as one scene in which the dancer Pearl struggles with the other Pearl in a dance of the conscious and subconscious, there are moments in which it drags on, such as a scene in which involves characters dancing with food. The constant switching between dancers and actors onstage is at first confusing, but as the production progresses to becomes easier to be able to tell which dancer represents the main characters.

The set, designed by Milagros Ponce de Leon, and the lighting, designed by Jason Arnold, are visual eye candy. From Prince Edvard's throne room to underwater, the set is full of a rainbow of colors. It is easy to tell when the characters are underwater versus on land due to the contrast between the water cues and land cues. The costumes, designed by Helen Q. Huang, for the mermaids, as well as the townsfolk, are well done. Huang's designs for the mermaids' costumes allow the actors and dancers to be able to move without be restricted to a certain range. Huang's townsfolk costumes reflect the style of Andersen's time.

Parents don't expect Disney's The Little Mermaid. Brush up on your Hans Christian Andersen before you go. Imagination Stage's The Little Mermaid is a visually stunning production with great solos and well-choreographed numbers, but there are still elements of this production that need to be polished in order for them to shine brighter than a sea pearl.

Imagination Stage's The Little Mermaid runs until August 14th, 2016. The production runs at about 1 hours and 30 minutes without an intermission. Tickets can be purchased online.

Photo caption and credit: Pearl shares with Prince Edvard one of the many wonders of the sea. [L-R: Justine Ice Moral,Tiziano D'Affuso] Photo by Margot Schulman.

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