I thought I had seen the movie, but I didn't remember hardly any of it.
But it was like enjoying this for the first time.
Auli'i Cravalho made a fantastic Ariel. Her singing was nearly flawless and her personality came through. And she was absolutely beautiful. She was so graceful swimming, which was actually flying since it wasn't really water, so lots of credit to those who held her up and those who kept us from seeing just what help her up. I only have one complaint which is hardly worth mentioning--her high note at the end of her first song maybe could have been lower.
Graham Phillips also did a great job as the prince.
John Stamos I have seen in many roles over the years. Can he sing? I'm not sure. He sounded talented as a singer a few times, but mostly he was really talking. That's okay. His personality came through and he did a wonderful job. I just wish I could have heard him better.
Queen Latifah did a good job too. I have heard her sing standards, and I think she was better there, but for this role she was effective even if she didn't come across as the talented singer she is.
I'm not quite sure who Shaggy is. I think he accomplished what he intended to. There was a very specific voice and accent which were effective for his song. Still, I couldn't understand a word on "Under the Sea" because there were too many drums and other noises including the audience.
The dancers and singers did a great job but I could hardly hear them on some of their songs. The costumes for the live show were also great. And so was the set decoration, if i can include the parts of the set that moved.
Mixing live and animated was a choice made for the movie's 30th anniversary, and I won't argue with it. We got to see the best of both worlds. The excellent Disney animation and acting performances by those doing the voices, and on the stage fine performances we might have enjoyed more without all the distractions.
And, yes, the film. Pure Disney magic, and great work by everyone. The animators responsible for Ariel did an amazing job showing us her personality even when she couldn't say a word. And when she did say a word, Jodi Benson was brilliant.She also showed up to introduce the production.
Lots of funny characters, as Disney always does, and lots of emotion, giving us a full range. It was a great story.
Was the live audience really necessary? I couldn't really tell that they added much, and I couldn't see faces like I did in other live performances done with an audience in recent years. The audience did wave blue ribbons to represent the sea, and held crab legs in the scene with the chef, and held some kind of light resembling a butterfly. I don't know that any of this added to the experience for me. The applause made it feel like more people were enjoying the production with me. I do wonder how the audience knew when to applaud when the film stopped for one of the live performances, because apparently I couldn't see what they saw.
But if you ignore the minor weaknesses, it was a great experience for the whole family.
But it was like enjoying this for the first time.
Auli'i Cravalho made a fantastic Ariel. Her singing was nearly flawless and her personality came through. And she was absolutely beautiful. She was so graceful swimming, which was actually flying since it wasn't really water, so lots of credit to those who held her up and those who kept us from seeing just what help her up. I only have one complaint which is hardly worth mentioning--her high note at the end of her first song maybe could have been lower.
Graham Phillips also did a great job as the prince.
John Stamos I have seen in many roles over the years. Can he sing? I'm not sure. He sounded talented as a singer a few times, but mostly he was really talking. That's okay. His personality came through and he did a wonderful job. I just wish I could have heard him better.
Queen Latifah did a good job too. I have heard her sing standards, and I think she was better there, but for this role she was effective even if she didn't come across as the talented singer she is.
I'm not quite sure who Shaggy is. I think he accomplished what he intended to. There was a very specific voice and accent which were effective for his song. Still, I couldn't understand a word on "Under the Sea" because there were too many drums and other noises including the audience.
The dancers and singers did a great job but I could hardly hear them on some of their songs. The costumes for the live show were also great. And so was the set decoration, if i can include the parts of the set that moved.
Mixing live and animated was a choice made for the movie's 30th anniversary, and I won't argue with it. We got to see the best of both worlds. The excellent Disney animation and acting performances by those doing the voices, and on the stage fine performances we might have enjoyed more without all the distractions.
And, yes, the film. Pure Disney magic, and great work by everyone. The animators responsible for Ariel did an amazing job showing us her personality even when she couldn't say a word. And when she did say a word, Jodi Benson was brilliant.She also showed up to introduce the production.
Lots of funny characters, as Disney always does, and lots of emotion, giving us a full range. It was a great story.
Was the live audience really necessary? I couldn't really tell that they added much, and I couldn't see faces like I did in other live performances done with an audience in recent years. The audience did wave blue ribbons to represent the sea, and held crab legs in the scene with the chef, and held some kind of light resembling a butterfly. I don't know that any of this added to the experience for me. The applause made it feel like more people were enjoying the production with me. I do wonder how the audience knew when to applaud when the film stopped for one of the live performances, because apparently I couldn't see what they saw.
But if you ignore the minor weaknesses, it was a great experience for the whole family.