**Update 12/20** Theatre Under The Stars has decided to cancel all remaining performances of The Little Mermaid due to breakthrough cases of Covid-19 in the cast and crew. Please check tuts.com for more information or for details about other upcoming performances.
Each year, Theatre Under The Stars produces a family-friendly musical for the holiday season, the most recent incarnation of which opened at the Hobby Center December 7th. TUTS brought to life the classic animated film Disney’s The Little Mermaid in a magical spectacle, full of the same vivid colors as the original. The score contains all of the recognizable hits from the original, along with songs specifically written for stage productions by original composer Alan Menken. The show featured a combination of live actors and larger than life sea creatures, mostly adorned with either glow-in-the-dark features or string lights, adding another layer of complexity to the design features in the show.
As usual, Theatre Under The Stars features a cast of both local Houston actors and national stars from Broadway and beyond. Although the show is centered around Ariel, played by repeat TUTS actress Delphi Borich, she was outperformed vocally by some of those opposite her on stage. Noah Ricketts, portraying Prince Eric, had a voice range perfectly fit for the role, where he had both a beautiful chest belt and a smooth and silky lower range. Ursula, the villainous sister of King Triton, was given the most applause of any character on each of her entrances. Christina Wells, a former semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent, was able to make the audience sympathize with her through her bellowing voice and manipulating lyrics. In addition to the adult cast composed of mostly Actors Equity members, The Little Mermaid cast over 20 students from TUTS youth programs, The River and Humphrey’s School, as is their tradition for family-friendly musicals. One such student was Lia Zitvar who landed the role of Flounder, Ariel’s best friend, and I thought she gave one of the best performances of the night. The other students were cast into ensemble roles and helped to fill the stage with characters like fish, chefs, or butlers. The great thing about The River youth program from TUTS is that it provides acting opportunities for students with disabilities and their siblings. This is an initiative that TUTS has embraced, making an effort to represent students with multiple disabilities in each of their mainstage casts.
Overall, Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Theatre Under the Stars is an entertaining and stimulating family-friendly show that makes for a wonderful holiday-season outing for all ages. With a tale (no pun intended) as recognizable as The Little Mermaid, fans young and old will find themselves drawn into the magical underwater universe that the designers and actors have created in The Hobby Center. Disney’s The Little Mermaid is on stage at the Hobby Center through December 24th. For more information about Disney’s The Little Mermaid and upcoming TUTS shows, please visit tuts.com. For more Broadway updates, tune into my KTRU specialty show “Showstoppers” weekly on Sundays from 1:45 to 2:45 pm on air and online at ktru.org.