The Little Mermaid, accompanied by two water people, swims through the ocean. [T-B:Giselle MacDonald, LeonardoVictorino,and A. Logan Hillman). Photo by Margot Schulman.
Imagination Stage in collaboration with The Washington Ballet transports the audience to a magical underwater world in a world premiere production of The Little Mermaid. Adapted from the original tale by Hans Christian Andersen by Imagination Stage’s Artistic Director Janet Stanford and directed by Kathryn Chase Bryer, Imagination Stage’s Associate Artistic Director. The Washington Ballet provides the graceful choreography by Septime Webre and David Palmer.
…a unique theatre experience and one that I’m sure adults and children will enjoy.
The Little Mermaid story in this production is different from the Disney tale. It stays closer to Andersen’s version of a mermaid who longs to be human and falls in love with a human prince. Because of this love, she makes great sacrifices and takes great risks. The story is moving and interwoven with a bit of sadness, and the Imagination stage reflects the mood. No brightly colored and singing sea life here. Instead, there are beautiful puppet fish swimming in schools and brought to life with twirling dancers carrying each school on poles high above their heads.
The clever choreography and directing come together to interchange the actors with the dancers in a seamless exchange of emotion. During the introductory talk with the director and the choreographers, they commented that they saw the dancers showing what is the “heart” of the characters. Each actor has its dancer counterpart and when an actor plays a particularly happy, sad or loving scene, the dance counterpart takes to the stage to dance the emotion.
Deep under the sea is where the ballet shines. There is one scene when Giselle MacDonald, dancing as the Little Mermaid herself (who is named Pearl, not Ariel), deep under water, and two male dancers, dressed in blue costumes that look like the ocean, hold MacDonald level with their heads by her underarms as she rolls her body like a mermaid swimming. Beautiful.
Justine Icy Moral plays Pearl, the actress, and has a wonderful singing voice. She is very expressive and sweet. Todd Scofield is the Mer-father and commands the stage. Pearl’s sisters Coral (Emily Zickler) and Amber (Afua Busia) add to the story with Zickler’s strong will and Busia’s quiet strength. Jennie Lutz does double duty as the flighty and very funny Froken Wulff, and then in an entirely opposite role as the evil Enchantress, who makes a striking impression with her voice and her stage presence.
Scenic Designer Milagros Ponce de Leon, Lighting Designer Jason Arnold, and Sound Designer Christopher Baine, all work together to immerse the audience under the sea. The entire theatre is incorporated into the production, from three wave-like structures hanging from the ceiling to the sounds and lights projected throughout the theatre that evoke the deep ocean and the land above the water.
All of these elements come together strikingly to produce a unique theatre experience and one that I’m sure adults and children will enjoy.
Running Time: 90 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.
The Little Mermaid runs through August 14, 2016 at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20814. For tickets call the Box Office at 301-280-1660 or click here.
