(Source: Wikipedia)
I had such high hopes for this production, since I knew if it was successful, it could have lead to similar shows based on Disney's other stage adaptations. Matter of fact, I am not the biggest fan of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and even I found it nothing short of disappointing. I expected a production similar to other networks' broadcasts of stage musicals, such as A Christmas Story Live, where they would essentially broadcast the stage adaptation in its entirety (based on the marketing of this "event"). Unfortunately, that is not what I saw being played out; instead, I was treated to a mere broadcast of the 1989 film intermixed with "live action" segments whenever it was time for a musical number.
The constant switch between the animated and live action segments broke the immersion, and made the production seem inconsistent overall. If they wanted to broadcast the original film, then they should have done so, and the same could be said if they wanted to show the stage musical. It did not need to be this poorly-executed hybrid of both; consequently, it was difficult to understand what was going on in some segments due to the constant switch between the two. Adding insult to injury, the production was wrought with technical issues, such as inconsistencies with volume. Even by the end, it seemed like they simply gave up on the live action segments, because they did not even perform a live version of the finale.
In regard to the new versions of the iconic songs, these were arguably the weakest part of the production. However, I will say I enjoyed the new versions of Fathoms Below and Poor Unfortunate Souls, purely because of the re-integration of some of Howard Ashman's cut lyrics (I have a bit of a fascination for deleted Disney lyrics).
The musical numbers lacked the energy of their animated counterparts, with the "live action" performers seeming like they were doing it for the big paycheck from Disney. This also ruined the emotional impact of certain songs such as Her Voice and If Only (the only two songs that carried over from the stage counterparts, and major moments for Ariel and Eric). The costumes also looked cheap and inconsistent, looking like they were bought from Wal-Mart's clearance aisle. Sebastian's took the biggest hit, being simply a red leather jacket (I wonder which Michael Jackson impersonator they took that from) without any claws, while the ensemble's crab costumes looked more like the character than he did.
In regard to the performers, I feel there were a few miscasts, such as Ariel herself and Chef Louis during the Les Poissons number. I enjoyed Cravalho's role as Moana, but I felt like her Ariel was underwhelming; during Part of Your World and its respective reprise, it seemed like she had trouble hitting those high notes, such as during the closing lyrics of the latter. I think at one point during the production, her voice may have given out; because part of a song sounded like it was being overdubbed by Jodi Benson (Ariel's original voice actress) herself. Her singing was a poor fit for Ariel, and felt lifeless and off-key, making it difficult to invest in her performance. The only performer that I felt was making any effort was Queen Latifah as Ursula, since it seemed like she was having at least some fun in the role. Her take on Poor Unfortunate Souls had a bit of energy to it, and was at least tolerable.
Overall, I would not call this production "bad" (even though it was painful to watch), but "poorly-executed". It seemed like Disney did not know what they wanted to do beforehand, whether it was to re-broadcast the animated film or perform the stage adaptation; they should have either done one or the other, but not both. While it may work in a theatrical setting, the hybrid/live concert concept translates poorly to television, since it breaks the viewer's immersion and confuses them. If I could give some advice for future productions of this nature, please stick to one medium, and give the viewers what you advertised (and Disney, if you do Aladdin, include Proud of Your Boy). For fans of The Little Mermaid, stick with the original film, the stage musical, or the upcoming live-action remake; this is one production that is not really worth seeing unless you are curious.
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