Theatre Review 'Little Mermaid'

The Gateway’s Little Mermaid is a Magical Show for Children of all Ages

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

Photo by Jeff Bellante

Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a musical based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale and the beloved 1989 animated film. The music is by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and the book is by Doug Wright. The story revolves around Ariel, a beautiful mermaid princess, who falls in love with a human, Prince Eric. Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail and voice for legs. The bargain is not what it seems, and Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends, Flounder, Scuttle, and Sebastian, to restore order under the sea. 

This is a visually stunning production, with well-conceived set designs, projections, sea-colored fabrics, high wires, lighting, and sound effects, which all came together to create a magical kingdom under the sea. The many underwater scenes are breathtaking, including Ariel spinning from the bottom of the ocean to the water’s surface and Prince Eric’s near-drowning escapade. The ship sailing on the high sea and the rowboat scene are well engineered, and Scuttle’s flying scenes enthralled the audience.

Brilliantly directed by Larry Raben, with upbeat, energetic choreography by Debbie Roshe, expert musical direction by Charlie Reuter, and exquisite costumes by Amy Clark and Mark Koss, this is the perfect summer show for the entire family.

Emily Grace Tucker is the quintessential Disney princess, graceful, charismatic, and lovable. Ms. Tucker’s angelic voice was perfect for her solo “Part of Your World” and for her musical asides, which revealed her inner thoughts. As Prince Eric, her human love interest, the multi-talented Patrick Ortiz delivered a perfect performance with his charming stage presence and beautiful singing voice. He aced the beautiful ballad “Her Voice” and performed a phenomenal rendition of “One Step Closer.”

Jeremy Gaston made a most likable Sebastian. His upbeat delivery of “Under the Sea,” accompanied by the Sea Creatures, was an audience favorite, as was his pitch-perfect rendition of “Kiss the Girl.”  

Cait Zuckerman gave a riveting performance as Ursula, the manipulative and diabolical sea witch. Her magnificent costume, complete with tentacles, gave her an ominous, larger-than-life appearance. The audience appeared spellbound as she belted out “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” surrounded by her sinister electric eels, Jetsam, played by Louis Williams Jr., and Flotsam, played by Joe Hornberger. Mr. Hornberger and Mr. Williams looked devious in their light-up, skintight costumes, slithering around on their hoverboards.

David Engel as King Triton, donning a majestic costume, was a force to be reckoned with. He commanded the stage and was believable as the ruler of the sea and the father of Ariel and the Mersisters. He revealed his strong vocals in his sorrowful solo “If Only (Triton’s Lament). The second act reprise of “If Only (Quartet)” was a showstopper, again revealing the powerhouse vocals of King Triton as well as Ariel, Prince Eric, and Sebastian.

Jim Borstelmann’s outstanding portrayal of Scuttle, the know-it-all seagull, received some of the biggest laughs of the evening, whether he was flying about the stage or delivering his witty lines and malapropisms with expert comedic timing. The audience showed their approval by clapping wildly when he finished his hilarious rendition of “Positoovity,” accompanied by the Gulls.

Steve Brady as Grimsby, Prince Eric’s prim and proper valet, masterfully executed this part, and the audience got a kick out of him as he pounded his staff on the ground, demanding that the princesses stop their horrific singing during “The Contest.”

My favorite performer among this stellar cast was Adolpho Blaire, who gave an unforgettable performance as Chef Louis. This part calls for an adept comedic performer, and Mr. Blaire had the audience in stitches as he prepared a gourmet seafood dinner, all the while using his sharp kitchen cutlery to accent his passion for cooking and beheading fish.     

Addison Wasylyshyn, as Flounder, Ariel’s loyal guppy friend, played this part with just the right amount of spunk and innocence.  One of the show’s highlights happened when Flounder joined the Mersisters singing and dancing along with the fun do-wop song “She’s in Love.”

Another audience favorite was “Daughters of Triton,” when the Mersisters strutted about the stage wearing colorful mermaid costumes and wigs.  

Kudos to the talented ensemble Saki Masuda, Cait Zuckerman, LaTarika Pierce, Ari Glauser, Emma Schultz, Kaitlin Niewoehner, Kaitlyn LaGrega, Shannon Conboy, Corrie Newman, Nico DiPrimio, Zare Anguay, Josh McWhortor, Logan Dolence, and Joshua Keen; and swings Grace Benedetto, Matthew Rafanelli, Jaye Pegg, and Michael Marziliano.

The Gateway’s spectacular production of The Little Mermaid has all the magic and wonder you would expect from any Disney show.

The show runs through August 7, 2022. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased as a curated or flexible subscription - giving you the best value on ticket prices or purchase a single ticket (starting at $59). Please take advantage of their Youth Ticket Price for Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Ages 5 - 16, Kids Half Off! For more information, contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133, or visit the website at TheGateway.org. 

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright. She has a BFA in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and the Long Island Authors Group. She is the author of Grant Me a Higher Love, Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships, and Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.