A sweet saltwater treat: ‘The Little Mermaid’ at Drury Lane Oakbrook
Sawyer Smith and Sarah Kay. Photo by Brett Beiner.
Drury Lane Theatre’s holiday season production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a multi-elemental experience of musical theatre delight. Guaranteed to enthrall patrons of all ages, Director Scott Weinstein assembled a truly talented team of triple and quadruple threats (acting, singing, dancing, puppeteering) who sing the daylights out of the Alan Menken/Howard Ashman/Glenn Slater songbook.
Mermaid is a difficult show to produce because its subaquatic environment requires artistic specialties subtly melded together. Tijana Bjelajac’s scenery is magnificent, especially as lit by Ryan O’Gara. Tommy Kurtzman’s wig and hair design is perfectly complementary to Ryan Park’s and Zhang Yu’s costumes. Add Cassie Schjillo’s props vis-à-vis Caitlin McLeod’s and Zachary Sun’s puppets. They’re wrapped in the gorgeous sounds of Drury’s always excellent musicians, directed by Ellie Kahn, and fine choreography by Kasey Alfonso. All of their magnificent work is enhanced by a superbly talented cast whose effervescent members sing, sway, dance and morph into their various human, aquatic and mystical characters needed for the retelling of Ariel's quest to be understood and follow her dream to be part of the human world.
To be sure, the memorable movie soundtrack—"Part of Your World," "She's in Love," "Under the Sea," and “Kiss the Girl”—is intact and brilliantly sung, along with other songs written for the stage production such as "Positoovity.” The colorful menagerie is led onstage by gorgeous Broadway veteran Sarah Kay as Ariel, who plays the role to innocent and tender perfection. So, too, does her counterpart, male lead and Columbia College senior Patrick Johnson, deliver as Prince Eric. Matching Ariel’s good looks and stunning vocals, he kicks off with "Fathoms Below" as the first in a host of solos by these two terrific leads—”Part of Your World" (Kay), "Her Voice" (Johnson), "If Only" (Kay) and "One Step Closer" (Johnson).
The romantic duo is surrounded by a school of onstage talent. Sawyer Smith is an absolutely delicious, evil be-tentacled villainess, Ursula. Kudos on her costume that, quite literally, takes four people to operate. (The Jeffs ought to consider giving them a special award.) Anand Nagraj is a studly, powerful and ultimately tender King Triton. Sidekicks Sebastian (Michael Earvin Martin), Flounder (Maya Lou Hlava) and Scuttle (Landree Fleming) are simultaneously puppet masters and musical theatre triple threats. Martin shines particularly with his vocals in two of the show’s most favored songs, “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl.” Fleming is extraordinarily memorable in joyfully kicking off act two with “Positoovity.” In truth, the entire hard-working cast of 26, many of whom play multiple characters, deliver Broadway-quality performances.
If there’s a doubt to this reviewer’s answer to the question: Should patrons swim to Drury Lane’s Little Mermaid? The answer: Positoovily!
The Little Mermaid runs through Jan. 12, 2025 at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. For tickets or more information, please call (630) 530-0111 or visit drurylanetheatre.com.
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