One does not need to think back
very long to recall that one of the upcoming live-action adaptation projects by
Disney of their classic animated film canon is none other than “The Little
Mermaid,” the 1989 movie that heralded the celebrated Disney Renaissance period.
Development and casting for this has been rather hit-and-miss, with fans
approving of Harry Styles as Prince Eric but feeling leery of African-American
R&B singer Halle Bailey as red-haired fair-skinned Ariel. As if trying to
establish that vocal talent trumps character design, there is a stage musical
version also being produced for ABC, and its titular mermaid is no “Caucasian”
either.
USA Today has it that ABC Entertainment is indeed working on a “Little
Mermaid” stage musical showing later this year on “ABC Monday.” While the TV network
in question is part of the Disney umbrella, this project is a whole different
animal from the big-screen live-action production that would not start filming
until next year. With regards to the casting however, it comes across as an
effort to perhaps “normalize” the notion of an African-American playing Ariel.
Why else then would ABC cast Auli’l Cravalho, Queen Latifah and also Shaggy in
the principal character roles?
The casting for ABC’s televised “Little
Mermaid” stage musical was shared by ABC Entertainment head Karey Burke during
the recent Television Critics’ Association press tour. Right off the bat there
is a native Hawaiian in the title role, though Cravalho is probably better
known lately as the speaking and singing voice of the lead in Disney’s 2016
animation “Moana.” Her co-stars though are eye-popping choices, with rapper
Queen Latifah as Ursula the Sea Witch and “Mister Bombastic” artist Shaggy as
Sebastian the Crab. Only Cravalho and Latifah have counterparts on the percolating
Disney live-action adaptation, the latter being Melissa McCarthy.
In actuality, a stage musical of “The
Little Mermaid” on ABC was originally planned for the network back in 2017. It
was cancelled due to the projected high costs of production, to the tune of $25
million particularly in set designs. It was possible that ABC also considered
what, at the time, was some lackluster ratings for televised musicals by one of
its broadcast rivals, NBC. With the original Disney animated “Little Mermaid”
film soon to turn three decades old, ABC has decided to take the plunge all the
way, but on a more manageable budget that will cover large puppet characters
and extended versions of the memorable Disney soundtrack.
Auli’l Cravalho noted similarities
in personality between her and Ariel as key to her being cast, while Shaggy was
a fan of his character Sebastian, even performing his “Under the Sea” song in
the 1990s for a Disney compilation album. ABC’s “The Little Mermaid” will air
on November, the same month as the 1989 premiere.
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