Disney’s The Little Mermaid

The magic of Disney is not always easy to recreate, but Phoenix Ensemble seems to manage it again and again, and with the talent and direction of Morgan Garrity, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is indeed magical.

As Prince Eric would tell you, it's all about a voice. The prince was rescued from a watery grave by someone — or something — with the song of the angel, and he won't rest until he finds the owner of those pipes again. He's not the only one. Any theatrical company looking to plunge into the waters of producing Disney's The Little Mermaid  would be foolish not to build around the vocals of the ingénue playing the title mermaid. In this case, Lauren Ashlea Fraser is the real-life recreation of Ariel who has found her way to the Phoenix stage for the first time. With a voice like an angel and the personality to match, there is nothing this performer couldn’t do – she was well and truly as magical as a Disney princess could be imagined.

Never crabby but always the crab, Mike Zarate took on the comedic portrayal of Sebastian, not an easy role to play. Through his vigorously executed accent and recognizable songs, his performance left many in admiration. Another character who showed not only physical strength but vocal training was Ursula, played by Shelley Scott. The sinister and evil antagonist in this story was conceived and made authentic by Scott, whose energy and demanding vocal presence never faltered. The hilarious performance of David Harrison as Chef Louis left parents and children in fits of laughter, with a well-choreographed chase scene that had even the oldest of us feeling like kids watching an old-school cartoon chase.

Alexander Thanasoulis has charm as love-bound Prince Eric and David Hamblyn is suitably pushy and deferential as his guardian Grimsby. Stephen Morris puts authority and command into his performance as Ariel’s father, King Triton. The special mention of this production has to go to young Zak Drew as the ever loyal and oh-so cute Flounder, who stole the show in his moments with Ariel. Let’s not forget the wonderful ensemble of Ariel’s Sisters, who danced, sang and acted as one – great choreography and work by all of the girls. David Williamson puts a lot of energy into his role as the comical seagull Scuttle, leading a lively (if superfluous) tap dance with the other gulls to the song “Positoovity.” While silly, it is fun to see all those flapping their modern gull wings!

Whether you are a young child, have young children or are a child at heart, this show will remind you of the Disney days with every performer delivering well above an amateur theatre level performance. The music of the band, led by the wonderful Julie Whiting, is nothing short of phenomenal with strong musicians leading the Disney tunes from start to finish without falter. Everything about this production created a realm of a great childhood Disney story.

Mel Bobbermien