A lovely mermaid who longs to replace her fins with feet… a dashing prince looking for true love… and an evil sea witch bent on revenge: Disney’s The Little Mermaid, first released in November 1989, retold the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name in a colorful, tuneful way—and it signaled a renaissance of sorts, ushering in a whole new era of Disney animated films. Featuring a score by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (the first of their trio of Disney collaborations), the movie went on to win two Academy Awards®—and has delighted audiences for almost 30 years. And now, fans of the film can be a “part of its world” in a brand-new and amazingly special way.
Disney’s The Little Mermaid Live in Concert will take the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California, “under the sea” on Friday, June 3; Saturday, June 4; and Monday, June 6. A 71-piece live orchestra will accompany the film as it plays on the Bowl’s gigantic movie screen… and a truly star-studded cast of performers will sing the songs from the film—as well as a few from The Little Mermaid stage musical—live on stage! Grammy® nominee Sara Bareilles stars as Ariel; joining her are Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) as Ursula, Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) as Sebastian, Darren Criss (Glee) as Prince Eric, Norm Lewis (Broadway’s Porgy and Bess) as King Triton, and John Stamos (Fuller House) as Chef Louis. As an added bonus, for the June 6 show, the film’s original Ariel—Disney Legend Jody Benson—will be reprising her role live and in person… and a special opening medley will be offered by Disney Legend Susan Egan (voice of Belle in Beauty and the Beast) and Brad Kane (singing voice of Aladdin in Aladdin) that same evening.
Every performance will include a costume contest, a fireworks finale, and many more surprises… plus, the June 3 and 4 shows will open with a gaggle of tunes performed live by the film’s composer, Alan Menken! Recently, D23 was lucky enough to chat with the Disney Legend and Oscar® winner about what’s sure to make The Little Mermaid Live in Concert so marvelous.
D23: This concert sounds so exciting! When did you first hear there was interest in bringing something like this to the Hollywood Bowl?
Alan Menken (AM): I think it was a few months ago. As I remember, [it was] while we were doing some recording sessions for ABC’s Galavant; [The Little Mermaid Live in Concert creative director] Richard Kraft mentioned the idea to me, which sounded intriguing… I mean, I’ve seen events like this before, and they’re thrilling. You have a live orchestra playing against the film, which is just such a thrilling combination—it’s something that you’re familiar with, and yet it feels reinvented to you, and just totally fresh.
D23: And the cast is fantastic… What do you think these particular performers are going to bring to the material?
AM: Well, in the case of so many of them, they’re the generation that grew up with this movie. So it’s an entirely fresh take, as far as their talents, and yet it goes back to the root of their childhood—in terms of how they feel about it—which is wonderful to be around. It’s exciting for me and exciting for them, in different ways.
“It’s going to be a richer, deeper Little Mermaid experience than it’s ever been before.”
D23: Is this the first time that you, personally, have performed at the Hollywood Bowl?
AM: Actually, no—I performed at the Bowl in an evening with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted by John Mauceri, [when] they did a night of Disney music… I played a medley for that as well.
D23: Are you excited to be back?
AM: Yes! It’s a special, unique, and beautiful venue, and I think the audience will be really excited about [the show]… it’ll just be fun to be around, I think.
D23: What do you think audiences will take home from this particular event, as opposed watching the film on DVD or seeing the stage musical?
AM: Well, this’ll be sort of a hybrid between the film and the stage version—we’re putting in some material from the stage show, interpolated into the film. So it’s going to be a richer, deeper The Little Mermaid experience than it’s ever been before. Certainly, it’ll be very fresh… very fresh indeed!
D23: Is there anything else you’d like D23 members and fans to know about The Little Mermaid Live in Concert?
AM: The Little Mermaid was the bloom of our innocence, y’know? It was written when Howard [Ashman] and I first came to Disney, and it’s hard to believe how many years have gone by since then, because it still feels so fresh and immediate in my life. And it’s so amazing to have a new generation embracing it in the way they are. I can’t wait to see what this’ll be like!
How many wonders can one cavern hold? If you’re a D23 Member in the Los Angeles area, you can find out firsthand by securing a seat for Disney’s The Little Mermaid Live in Concert—while supplies last, and at 10 percent off, to boot! Get all the info you need here.
