“The Little Mermaid” is getting ready to make a big splash in Uphams Corner.
From Nov. 27 through Dec. 6, the Fiddlehead Theatre Company, the resident company at the Strand, will present the sub-aquatic hit musical as the second in its four-show 2015-2016 season at the former movie palace.
Dot resident Christopher Pittman plays malevolent moray eel Flotsam in Fiddlehead Theatre Company’s production of The Little Mermaid.The stage musical is derived from the über-popular Disney animated movie, which in turn was based on the beloved fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Like the even more successful Andersen-derived Disney hit “Frozen,” this show swaps the original downbeat ending for a happily-ever-after, in this case, for Ariel, an underwater princess who finds love (and a pair of legs) on dry land.
Starting with the calypso-flavored “Under the Sea,” the number that won the Best Song Oscar in 1989, the show bubbles with memorable melodies including “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”
Directing this production is Jones Hill resident Stacey Stephens, who received great reviews for his creativity in the recent Fiddlehead production of “West Side Story” at the Strand. The Boston Globe noted, “Stephens smartly floods the stage with his 30-person cast, and the ensemble dance numbers are uniformly excellent.”
Just as his “West Side Story” didn’t mimic the design of Broadway original, so his “Mermaid” harks back not the movie, but to Andersen’s era to find its own special ambience.
Stephens told the Reporter, “At Fiddlehead we try to bring a fresh interpretation and look to each show we produce. With Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” we have chosen to set it in a children’s Victorian toy theatre, giving broad nods to the animated film, letting our audience take new look at the themes and story of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale.”
In the title role of this high-profile show, Emerson College Junior Jesse Lynne Harte will make her debut with a professional Boston company as Ariel. Boston Conservatory-trained Jared Troilo is Prince Eric. And as the evil sea witch Ursula Shana Dirk returns, having played Addaperle in “The Wiz” at the Strand. To portray Flotsam, one of Ursula’s moray eel minions, Stephens again called on fellow Dot resident Christopher Leon Pittman, whom he cast in three previous Fiddlehead shows.
Fiddlehead’s most ambitious season to date will continue with the hit Broadway sensation “RENT” (Feb. 5-21), and the timeless classic “Show Boat” (April 22-May 1).
To purchase tickets for Fiddlehead’s 2015-2016 season, or to book rides on Fiddlehead’s new free Olde Towne Trolley service to and from Copley Square, call 617-514-6497. Dorchester residents’ discounted tickets are available starting two hours before the performance time only at the Strand box office. A valid ID is required to verify Dorchester residency.
