REVIEW: The LOT’s ‘Little Mermaid Jr’ Is Colourful, Catchy and Captivating

With camp out and the list of things to keep your kids occupied with getting shorter and shorter as school approaches, Lower Ossington Theatre’s production of The Little Mermaid Jr. might be something you want to look into. Currently onstage at the Al Green Theatre, the hit Broadway musical is an adaptation of the Disney’s 1989 film, although a bit shorter.

Our journey under the sea begins with King Triton (William Doyle) welcoming the audience into ongoing festivities where his daughters will be performing. However, due to her adventurous nature and unyielding curiosity of humans, King Triton’s youngest daughter, Ariel (Rebecca Sadowski), completely misses the party. This kickstarts the entire storyline, in which Ariel is reprimanded for her love of humans (or one human in particular) and her general waywardness that leads the entire kingdom into some tight situations.

Highlights of this musical include Sebastian, played by Chris Vergara, whose anxiety over being King Triton’s advisor and Ariel’s advisor, results in ridiculous amounts of laughter. Watching Sebastian sing, dance and attempt to convince Ariel to obey her father is by far the most entertaining aspect of this production. In addition, Ursula (Bianca Huevelmans), steals the show with her amazing voice and near-perfect characterization of the evil sea witch. In “I Want the Good Times Back”, Huevelmans captures Ursula by emphasizing her characteristic and over-the-top sass and is absolutely fascinating to watch.

Only an hour long, The Little Mermaid Jr. presents a concise, yet engaging adaption of its’ Disney film counterpart. Of course, because of the time constraint, the production throws in a few things you don’t see in the film. Regardless, children are enthralled by the colourful characters and catchy tunes.

The Little Mermaid Jr. runs until August 31st at the Al Green Theatre. For more information and tickets, visithttp://lowerossingtontheatre.com/.