Review Of 'Disney's The Little Mermaid' By BMA

Westport, CT - Broadway Method Academy opened a lovely production of DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID at the cozy Westport Country Playhouse this weekend and the great news is that it runs through next weekend. BMA is the resident conservatory of Westport Country Playhouse. At the first matinee, there were a slew of young children in the audience, as well as some older patrons with special needs, and it appeared that most all of them were thoroughly enchanted. I know that I was….

THE LITTLE MERMAID is not unexpectedly very Disney in tone, making it so appealing to both perform and experience for even the very young. The wonderful music by Alan Menkin and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater accompanies the book by Doug Wright that is based on the Disney film that was based upon the Hans Christian Anderson story. The musical version was originally produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions and for BMA the executive producers included Connor Deane (who appeared as the ship’s pilot,) Music Director J. Scott Handley and David Dreyfoos.

I mention Broadway because the BMA production features Equity members in the adult leading roles; the five worked alongside two ensembles comprised of multi-talented students of the academy in Fairfield. So I went in expecting high-quality performances from everyone in the cast and I was definitely not disappointed.

Leading the adults in the title role was Jordan Tyson, a young rising star that already has some Off-Broadway, NY and regional credits and a film credit to her name. She was awarded an Audelco Rising Star Award and gratefully thanked all of her teachers in her bio. She brought all of her talents to the role of the youngest daughter of King Triton. She possesses the beautiful voice required to enchant Prince Eric, and a lilting stage presence made her young mermaid both yearning and brave. Kudos to Ms. Tyson on a completely professional performance that set the bar quite high for those that shared the stage with her. She is listed in the program with an “introducing” credit and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to witness it.

I realized midway through the first act that I have never appreciated the importance of the role of Prince Eric in this musical. Johnny Stellard (understudy for Dmitry in the original cast of ANASTASIA on Broadway, original cast of the EVITA revival) was so magnificent in the role of the prince who is searching for a bride that I admired every minute he was on the stage. Mr. Stellard has appeared in concert with THE Kristin Chenoworth and in ANASTASIA when I saw it at Hartford Stage; he holds a BFA in his chosen field of musical theatre from Elon University.

Steve Blanchard brought his tall frame and booming voice to the role of Ariel’s bewildered father (and brother to Ursula) and made a fine king. Mr. Blanchard has appeared on Broadway in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, as Pulitzer in the national tour of NEWSIES and in the tour of THE LITTLE MERMAID. Lawrence Cummings took on the role of the loveable Jamaican crab Sebastian. He brought out all of the comedy in the role of Ariel’s overwhelmed guardian and I loved that he did the house announcements that encouraged us to “swim to the exits” in case of an emergency. Mr. Cummings appeared in the Broadway National tour of JCS with Carl Anderson, as well as the tour of CAMELOT with Lou Diamond Phillips.

I could not get enough of the commanding performance of Meredith Inglesby (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LITTLE MERMAID on Broadway, NEWSIES tour) as the sea witch Ursula. She was evil, she was funny, she was hard to like, but I relished every minute of her time on the stage. And while her gloriously nasty costume merely suggested tentacles, the outfit (matched with an incredible wig) added much to her presence in every scene.

Director Bret Shuford (Broadway’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LITTLE MERMAID, AMAZING GRACE) worked hard to ensure that the pros were at their best, the teens in the ensemble rose to the challenge of their roles and the youngest performers were comfortable on the stage. It was a special treat for me to see Connor Deane, a founder of the BMA and a friend of the Amity HS musical theatre department, on the stage in the role of the pilot of the ship. I was not surprised that he stood out in the scenes with many of the male performers and in truth, one of my favorite musical numbers was “Fathoms Below” early in act one.

The role of Flounder is shared by Griffin Delmhorst and Plum Sonnenfeld. The six mersisters featured Isabel Christoni, Sheridan Mullins, Mariam Mamadashvili, Annika Jonker, Ella Miller, and Ryanne Forrest. Tim Sorensen played the very proper Grimsby, and Jules Royca took on the role of the seafood-loving Chef Louis.

The very talented Marty Gnidula (Fester in THE ADDAMS FAMILY, Hanratty in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at Amity HS) was a riot as the goofy seagull Scuttle and maintained his “Positoovity” throughout. Jackson Wood and Kyle Geriak were the two teens that took on the slithery roles of Flotsam and Jetsam, the sea witch’s hench-eels, in wonderfully slippery costumes and matching wigs.

The older students in the ensemble played (very well) sea creatures, maids, seagulls, chefs and sailors. The children’s ensemble played “guppies,” much to the delight of their family members and friends in the audience. What a treat for the youngest performers to work with their older counterparts and Broadway professionals.

Audra Bryant choreographed the wonderful production numbers with challenging moves that were beautifully performed. Kudos to all of the young dancers for pulling it all off, especially in “Under the Sea.” There were a few sound issues that were quickly fixed. The scenic design by Ryan M. Howell featured glittering strips that worked perfectly with the lighting design of Curtis Shields to bring us “Under the Sea.” The lighting that provided the storm that hits the ship was most effective and two movable metal staircases were well-employed when needed. Costumes designed by Matthew Solomon had a decidedly land-based tone, but were colorful in nature and flowed nicely. Bobbie Zlotnik was in charge of hair and makeup and Alex Allyn was the wig supervisor.

The orchestra under the direction of the music director J. Scott Handley sounded extremely professional and made the absolute most of the glorious score. With only 13 pieces, the music sounded the best I have heard in a long while for any musical in any venue. Mr. Handley, who also managed wonderfully rehearsed singing from all on the stage, played one of the four keyboards in the pit, along with three reeds, brass and a cello; kudos to each and every musician in the pit.

The energetic and generous creative partner of Broadway Method Academy is the Jamie Hulley Arts Foundation. In the program, the foundation reminds everyone about their 17th annual Evening for the Arts coming up at the Quirk Center at Fairfield University on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 featuring direct from Las Vegas OH WHAT A NIGHT! A musical tribute to Frankie Valley and the Four Seasons.

Be aware that the productions runs two and a half hours with a 15 minute intermission, so it proved a bit too long for some of the very youngest members of the audience. I would venture that kindergarten students and up will do just fine.

Nancy Sasso Janis, writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, posts well over 100 reviews each year. In 2016, her membership in the Connecticut Critics Circle began and her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted not only in the Naugatuck Patch but also on the Patch sites closest to the venue. Follow the reviewer on her Facebook pages Nancy Sasso Janis: Theatre Reviewer and Connecticut Theatre Previews and on Twitter @nancysjanis417 Check out the NEW CCC Facebook page.

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