Theater Thursday - Disney's The Little Mermaid and Sweetee

We were given free tickets to Disney's The Little Mermaid for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Disney's The  Little Mermaid

Where: Kelsey Theatre
            1200 Old Trenton Rd.
            West Windsor, NJ

Who: All ages

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday through June 4

 

Me - Disney's The Little Mermaid  at Kelsey Theatre was good. It was the same version of the show that was on Broadway a few years ago. I never saw it on Broadway, but I saw the movie a bunch of times. It is one of my favorite princess movies. The show was really different than the movie. I like the movie better but even though I like the movie better I still like the show too. Some of the changes made sense because there were things in the movie that you couldn't do in a show like have someone's voice coming out of another person. Other changes I didn't like. All the songs in the movie were in the show. There were also a bunch of new songs. The new songs were okay. Kelsey's version of the show was entertaining. The acting in the show was good. The singing was nice. My favorite characters are Ariel and Flounder. They also were two of the best performers in the show. It was cool the way they moved around on the stage. It sort of looked like they were really flying or swimming or whatever even though you could see the wires. Over all, it was a fun show, and I would recommend going to see it before it closes next weekend.

Mom - Although Disney's The Little Mermaid is more similar to the animated movie than other stage versions of the story, it is not a carbon copy of the movie. You will find all the familiar songs from the movie including Part of Your World, Kiss the Girl, and Under the Sea. There are also a bunch of other songs. Most of them are not very memorable. Some of the story has been changed as well. For instance, in this version King Triton and Ursula the Sea Witch are estranged siblings. Ultimately the story ends up in the same place as the movie, however with Ariel getting her prince. This really isn't much of a spoiler though. Did you really think a Disney show would end any other way? The production of the show currently at Kelsey Theater in West Windsor, NJ is very enjoyable. Rachael Shadle is particularly good in the title role and has a beautiful voice. Tristan Takacs as Prince Eric starts out slow but gets better as the show goes along. James LeGette as Sebastian is  very good too although it sometimes hard to understand what he is saying. Dylan Katz is adorable as Flounder. The rest of the cast varies. The show is very well staged with actors at times rolling around on skates or flying in a manner similar to in productions of shows like Peter Pan to make it look as if they are gliding through the water, swimming or flying. All in all, it is an entertaining show and even if your child is obsessed with the movie and will definitely notice the changes in the story they should still enjoy it.

For more information or to purchase tickets go to 

http://www.kelseyatmccc.org/The%20Little%20Mermaid.shtml

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We were given free tickets to Sweetee for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Sweetee

Where: Pershing Square Signature Center
             480 W. 42nd St.
             New York, NY

Who: Teens and Up

When: Through June 19, 2017

Me - Sweetee was really good. It is the story of a minister who forms a band out of orphans. Sweetee is one of the orphans. The story was interesting. I liked most of the songs. I wish the show had a CD. I would definitely get it. The acting was especially good. The singing was nice. The girl who played Sweetee had a particularly nice voice. The orphan kids played their own instruments so in that way it was like School of Rock except these kids were a lot older than the kids in School of Rock. They had to be older because the show takes place over a longer period of time. Therefore, the kids had to go from being kids to being grownups. Most of the kids played at least two instruments in the show. Some of them played things though that wouldn't ordinarily be instruments. They were all very talented music players. There wasn't a lot of set or props in the show except for the instruments in the show, but they worked well with what they had. The show was in a small theater which made us feel closer to the action especially because we were in the second row. Also, sometimes, they came through the audience. All in all, it was a great show, and I would highly recommend seeing it.

Mom - Sweetee is delight. It is a very entertaining show with an interesting plot and fascinating characters. There is Reverend Dan, a minister who truly believes that all people are equal and should have an equal chance in life. However, it's a belief that has gotten him kicked out of a lot of places. There are the orphans whom he forms into a band. There is Sweetee, herself, tough as nails because she had to be growing up with a mother who barely provided for Sweetee by selling her own body. When it turns out Sweetee has a beautiful voice, and she is persuaded to join the band as their singer it brings the band to a whole different level. However, that doesn't necessarily end all their problems in a world full of poverty and injustice. There is much more to the story than that but if you want to know more you should see the show. It is definitely worth seeing. The acting in the show is extremely good.  From Jeremiah James in an excellent turn as the not always so admirable Reverend Dan to Jordan Tyson in a touching performance in the lead role, right on down through the ensemble, there is not one role that has not been perfectly cast. The songs in the show are quite engaging as well. Even if you can't remember all of them when you leave the theater, there is a good chance some of them will stick in your head. They are definitely songs worth listening to again. This is a show that definitely stirs your emotions. At times, it will make you smile. At times, it will make you cry or at least feel like crying. At times, it will even disgust you. If you like theater that really touches you emotionally, you will love this show. Just keep in mind, however, that while the show is perfectly suitable for teens and above, it is not a good choice for younger children due to some of the subject matter.

For more information about Sweetee or to purchase tickets go to http://sweetiethemusical.com/

And that's our view. Funtivity Friday will be closed this week. Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.
Photo credits: All Sweetee production photos by Matthew Murphy