In October 2022 I wrote that Area Stage’s immersive “Beauty and the Beast” was a true original, after that blockbuster adaptation debuted at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Since then, Giancarlo Rodaz took home two Carbonell Awards for “Beast” for outstanding direction and outstanding production of a musical, making him the youngest director in Carbonell history to receive these honors. Then last month, his succession as Area Stage’s new artistic director was announced.
So, how does the talented young director plan to best “Beast?”
On the heels of the successful Disney live-action adventure adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” Rodaz is bringing the classic story to the stage as another highly untraditional, immersive experience from Aug. 9-27 in the Arsht’s Carnival Studio Theater.
Timing is everything, and this production may not have happened if Disney hadn’t pulled through.
“After ‘Beast’ we have a strong relationship with Disney … Disney has been great with us … I told the head of licensing that I wanted to do ‘Mermaid,’ but it would be only if we could get access to the original Broadway script,” said Rodaz.
Much to his surprise, Disney said yes, making Area Stage the first company to obtain the rights.
“So, when they said yes, I said we have to do it right now!”
“Mermaid” has come a long way from Hans Christian Andersen’s literary fairy tale first published in 1837, and now it’s going to get the Rodaz treatment. He describes it as twice the work and twice the scale of “Beast.”
“This is a rough-and-tumble seaport tavern. It’s more circular in its design to give it a rowdier, party-like atmosphere. We put the room on a diagonal. The audience is all around. With ‘Beast’ it was three runways; now it’s more of a spiral,” said Rodaz in early July about plans for the “Mermaid” set.
“With ‘Beast’ people walked in and said, where’s the stage? There is a defined point in the middle this time, but some scenes are in different places. With ‘Beast’ you had three tables; here you have a watch tower, staircases, piles of crates. The audience will be constantly guessing about where the next action will come from. It’s going to be surprising,” Rodaz continued. “There are lots of surprises throughout that keep it very thrilling … in an immerse design you want everyone to get a front-row seat to the action.”
(Joan Marcus/Playbill)
Derrick Baskin, Sierra Boggess, Tyler Maynard and Sherie Rene Scott in “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” on Broadway in 2008.
The original Broadway musical production of “Disney’s The Little Mermaid” opened in January 2008 and closed in August 2009. It certainly didn’t enjoy the kind of success on stage as “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Lion King.”
The New York Times review wasn’t terribly kind, which made a particular point of knocking the plastic costumes as overdone.
“So many of the cast members seem distracted, as if they were trying to remember when and how to pull their tails, flippers, wings or whatever else they’ve been assigned,” said critic Brent Brantley at the time.
Not to worry: Area Stage doesn’t plan on making those same mistakes.
Fins or Puppets?
“For us it’s about capturing the feeling of being underwater and less so about the fins,” said Rodaz. “I think of it as a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story and it’s as simple as that … and a teenager arguing with their father is something everybody can relate to.”
Josslyn Shaw, who’s playing Ariel in this production, is also
(Courtesy of Giancarlo Rodaz)
Katie Duerr and Annette Rodriguez (hidden) operate the seagull puppet Scuttle in Area Stage's "The Little Mermaid" at the Arsht Center.
taking a more progressive approach to her character.
“She’s been portrayed as a girl who gave up everything for a man. We’re not approaching it this way. She wanted to be on land before Eric came along,” said Shaw. “It’s a love story about her and the land besides being a love story about her and Eric. That’s how I’m approaching it … keeping it very truthful. She’s just a young teenager and wants what she wants and she’s a go-getter, and I admire that immensely.”
Don’t expect the cast to simulate water by gliding around on wheels in Heelys either, like they did in the original Broadway production.
Shaw said she wondered about it, but Rodaz put that to rest pretty quickly and also told her she probably wouldn’t even have a tail.
“His approach is very character driven,” Shaw said. “The costumes are more based on the movie … I like that we’re going back to the roots.”
(Courtesy of Ariany Cespedes)
Jonathan Chisolm's fabulous Ursula cooks up evil plots under the sea in Area Stage Company's "The Little Mermaid."
The New York-based actor playing Ursula the sea witch is even more pointed about Area Stage’s more abstract approach to costuming, which was achieved quite successfully in “Beast.”
“Audiences are much more intelligent than we give them credit for. You can suggest a tentacle or a tail, you don’t have to actually see it,” said Jonathan Chisolm. “There is no realistic way to have a mermaid tail and still expect actors to walk around. You can suggest what each character is, but let the actor shine completely.”
Annette Rodriquez will be challenged, however, with maneuvering a puppet as Scuttle the seagull, created specifically for this show by Phantom Limb Company in New York.
“It’s a gorgeous puppet, not an ‘Avenue Q’-style puppet,” said Rodaz. “I treat Scuttle like he’s his own actor.”
Chisolm will play Ursula in drag to honor the character’s roots in Disney’s 1989 animated classic – modeled after drag queen and actor Divine – and they're looking forward to putting their own spin on the role.
“She’s just so delicious. I love her so much. She and I have a bit of a history because I’ve been singing her material now for about 10 years for auditions and cabarets,” Chisolm said. “The role has been on my radar to play … so it’s been kind of a dream. She’s such a fun villainess – scary but funny.”
Chisolm and Shaw join three other actors cast out of New York in the roles of Eric, Flounder and one of the Eels. The rest of the 21 actors are local; several are part of Rodaz’s core group whom we’ve seen many times before – actors like Frank Montolo, who alternated as Gaston and Lumiere in Area Stage’s “Beauty and the Beast” last year, will trade in his candelabra for a trident to play King Triton this go-around.
“This is not your mama’s ‘Little Mermaid.’ It’s a surreal experience that’s quite new to me,” Shaw said. “I love that we’re breaking down this production … that it feels like whole new work. It’s feels so cool to just play.”
Chisolm says they have a feeling Disney isn’t the only one giving Rodaz the green light to recreate “Mermaid.”
“The original voice actress, Pat Carroll, passed away about a year ago and we share a birthday,” they said. “I think she’s looking down from heaven and is approving of what we’re doing.”
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(Courtesy of Giancarlo Rodaz)
The use of brightly colored flowing fabrics immerse the audience in underwater scenes.
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(Courtesy of Giancarlo Rodaz)
Josslyn Shaw's Ariel and Henry Thrasher's Prince Eric circle the set as Aaron Hagos's Sebastian urges him to "Kiss the Girl."
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(Courtesy of Giancarlo Rodaz)
Frank Montoto is a stern King Triton in Area Stage Company's production of "The Little Mermaid" at the Arsht Center.