THE LITTLE MERMAID AT LA MIRADA

The La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts is a wonderful, easy theatre for us SoCal denizens. We’re lucky to have it in our environs; their productions are so worth the drive from LA, (and other surrounding areas, as well, of course.)

And there’s plentiful free parking within steps of the place! Where else does that happen???

Sadly for me, though, I had not been there in quite a while, but the allure of The Little Mermaid drew me back. I’m a sucker for a good Disney musical! (I even colored my hair redder the night before, as a tiny tribute to the title character.)

Because of my crazy life, I had to attend the Saturday afternoon preview, as opposed to the actual opening later that night. So I was expecting to see a not-quite-perfect presentation, which would have still been fine. But I was sooo wrong–it was perfect! My friend and I, and the entire sold-out audience, actually, were enthralled by it all.

Actually, one of the perks of seeing a matinee is that there are many kids and teens in the audience. I love hearing their laughter, and the ones that day were very appreciative and ruly, so that made the experience even more special.

The Little Mermaid is charming, and, of course, very colorful. And the show is full of fun songs and clever lines and touches. All the “sea life” references and puns are cute and amusing. And the way the production indicates when the characters are “under the sea” is fabulous. (Are there enough “and”s in this paragraph???)

I don’t know who came up with this motion, but in addition to all the suspended-on-wires work done by some of the characters, the mermaid and her sisters and pals have to undulate their bodies the entire time to indicate the movement in the ocean! That has got to be exhausting. (And calorie-burning, so that’s a bonus for the actors. I just may start walking around town that way!)

And in the case of Leianna Weaver, (who plays the title character of Ariel,) she also has to keep “rowing” her arms, as well. What a work-out!

Leianna sings beautifully, and her petite stature makes her the perfect “Little Mermaid.” They were lucky to find her.

I loved hearing all the familiar songs—Kiss the Girl, Part of Your World, and, of course, the big number, Under the Sea, which I didn’t want to end. (But when it did, it did so with a fun surprise.)

There are a few additional musical numbers that are not in the movie, (which were written expressly for the Broadway show,) and they’re also entertaining.

This seems to be the newer official Disney version of their show, so if you ever saw this musical before, prior to 2012, you’re not crazy if you notice that it differs a bit from back then. It also differs somewhat from the 1989 animated film. (And while we’re on it, they all differ from the 1837 original Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, thank goodness, because that story is far from the happy Disney one!)

In addition to Leianna, everyone in this big cast is excellent. I had a few faves though. I was worried about how they would do the pivotal role of Sebastian, the crab, but Dana Orange brought a smile to my face right away. And Kevin Kulp as Flounder is adorbs. I would have been just as happy if Ariel had wound-up with him!

My favorite voice, (both singing and talking,) belongs to Trent Mills as Ariel’s father; it’s so lovely and, well, Broadway. The guy is definitely versatile–I loved Trent as the goofy and lovable title ogre in Shrek in a production elsewhere almost six years ago, and would not have imagined that young guy’s powerful portrayal of King Triton in this one.

I don’t usually mention so many of the actors in a show, but in this case, I must also laud Regina Le Vert as the evil Ursula, Coleman Cummings as Prince Eric, Quinton Craig as Scuttle, the tap-dancing bird, and Jeff Skowron, who absolutely energizes the audience with his brief bits as Chef Louis. (I don’t love that the Chef cooks fish for dinner—for a mermaid–though! But that’s the joke.)

On the technical side, this is the perfect show for so much “rigging” work. It’s produced by Cathy Rigby, (who has been flying around stages for decades as Peter Pan,) and her humorous husband Tom McCoy. (I know he’s humorous because he spoke before the show.)

As to the costumes by Amy Clark, all the mermaids’ uber-long green dresses with exact-color-matching boots are perfect so that we don’t see their feet, but they can still move and dance. (I noticed the boots only because I was sitting in the second row, and specifically looked for their footwear.)

I have to also give a big shout-out to the outstanding musicians. As the orchestra was playing the overture, my friend leaned over and whispered to me that they were “very full sounding.” And this one is far from a big compliment giver!

On a side note, I’m just a tad jealous of Music Director Brent Crayon’s name; I keep planning to change “Karen” to “Crayon” because I love those coloring sticks so much! (So if I then married him, my name would be “Crayon Crayon!” I’d love it! Though he might not.) I even have a room dubbed “The Crayon Room” in my house! Don’t ask.

I’ll leave you with one more personal confession: I got choked-up at the end of this The Little Mermaid; I love me a happy ending. And I have a feeling that all of you, who are lucky enough to see it, will, too.

The Little Mermaid running through June 23, 2024
La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts
14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
714-994-6310 www.lamiradatheatre.com