‘Little Mermaid’ makes splash
What’s a community theater to do when it wants to put on a large-scale family musical in the age of Covid? Well, if you’re Napa’s Lucky Penny Productions, you hire Scottie Woodard to direct the show and follow his lead in assembling a really creative design team and cast. Their production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid runs through Sept. 26.
The story of undersea Ariel falling for a land-living prince has been a kids’ favorite since the 1989 animated film. The stage show adds a few numbers—and pads its running time to two-and-a-half hours—but keeps all the favorite songs and characters. It’s usually produced on a large stage with a large cast, neither of which the relatively small Lucky Penny space can or, in these times, should accommodate.
There’s a small but magnificently detailed set by Brian Watson that transforms from a ship’s deck to an undersea kingdom and its various lairs with relative simplicity, aided immensely by April George’s terrific lighting design. Music tracks are used in place of a live orchestra, which is an understandable adjustment.
Woodard pared a listed cast of 20 down to nine and assigned most of the cast members multiple roles. They also act as stagehands and, in some cases, puppeteers. Even the audience is recruited to safely participate in a large ensemble number.
Kirstin Pieschke makes for a charming Ariel, and Tommy Lassiter is just fine as the typically bland but handsome Disney prince. Ariel’s friends Flounder, Sebastian and Scuttle are portrayed by puppets that are manipulated and voiced by Michael Doppe, Chanel Tilghman and the aforementioned Watson. As puppets, the characters lose some of their—for lack of a better word—humanity. While Watson’s Scuttle is appropriately silly and Doppe’s Flounder is lovingly earnest, I wish Tilghman’s Sebastian was bigger in voice and personality. All are supported by a strong ensemble.
Woodard also helmed the choreography and sound design. The character switches and hand-offs that occur onstage come off flawlessly. Sound levels were an issue, however, particularly with Tayler Bartolucci’s Ursula. Ursula is a character you should not have a problem hearing.
Minor performance and tech issues aside, if you’re looking to reward your kids for handling the last 18 months like champs, by all means pack ’em up and head under the sea. Just don’t forget your masks!
