The Little Mermaid at HCT

Last year I had the opportunity to see the stage musical The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn Amphitheatre with my student body officers.  It was absolutely magical and I loved experiencing it with my students, who loved it as well.  When Hale Theatre announced their 2015 season, I couldn't imagine that their production would be as good as Tuacahn's.  However, I saw the HCT version last night and let me tell you that it is amazing!  It just might be the best thing HCT has done in years!  I was completely enchanted by everything!  In fact, if you have children, stop reading right now and go here for tickets because they are going quickly, with good reason!  The musical tells the well-known story of Ariel, a mermaid who just wants to be where the people are.  Everyone in the cast is phenomenal!  Bre Welch is absolutely perfect as Ariel.  In my opinion, this particular role is much better suited to her voice than some of the other roles she's played at Hale (see here and here).  She has a look of wide-eyed wonder that makes the songs "Part of Your World" and "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" so much fun to watch.  Jon Rose is endearing as Prince Eric, especially in the "Kiss the Girl" scene.  Brooklynn Pulver Kohler is a lot of fun as Ursula and I loved watching the antics of Flotsam (Jeremy David Egan) and Jetsam (Ben Buttars) as they slithered around the stage on roller blades, especially when they high-fived each other!  The costumes in this show are a dazzling array of color and texture and I particularly loved all of the sea creatures in the "Under the Sea" number and I loved the sizzling lights on Flotsam and Jetsam's costumes.  Ursula's costume is so much fun (those tentacles) and all of the mermaids are covered from head to fin in sparkles!  Geoffrey Reynolds, who is new to HCT as a choreographer, certainly outdid himself with the staging of the big production numbers! There are incredible aerialists in "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" and I laughed and laughed during the absolute chaos of "Les Poissons."  Kacey Udy, once again, worked his magic with the set.  There are clear glass bulbs suspended from the ceiling which give the effect of bubbles in the ocean and I loved Prince Eric's ship.  The entire theatre has the appearance of being under the sea with layers of seaweed and strings of pearls covering every surface.  The whole production is simply wonderful and I highly recommend getting tickets, especially if you have children!  You definitely don't want to miss this delightful show!