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The Muny is the country's oldest and largest outdoor musical theater, located in the heart of Forest Park in St. Louis.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” made a splash as an animated film in 1989 — and again when it debuted in 2008 as a Broadway musical, inspiring a new generation of theater fans.
The enchanting musical is the third production in the 106th Muny season and is onstage from July 8 to 16. It was previously presented at The Muny in 2011 and 2017.
Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s beloved tale follows young Ariel, who yearns to venture beyond her underwater home and go where the people are, up on land. The animated movie and musical — plus a 2023 live-action Disney remake — include beloved tunes such as “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”
“What Disney did with the film ‘The Little Mermaid’ truly was revolutionary,” said Mike Isaacson, The Muny’s artistic director and executive producer. “It was the first of the Disney films to inspire kids to like musicals again and understand the art form. As we saw last season with ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ there’s something about the music of Alan Menken that — on our stage, with the stars in the sky — just opens everybody's hearts.”
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Ashman and Menken structured their animated movie like a traditional stage musical, knowing it was bound for Broadway.
“They have always been heroes to me,” said John Tartaglia, who will direct Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” at The Muny, of the famed songwriting duo. “I think that they really did redefine musical theater — and animation.”
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Disney's "The Little Mermaid" returns to The Muny stage, with performances at 8:15 p.m. nightly, July 8-16.
Tartaglia has directed many of The Muny’s family-friendly offerings, including Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s “Mary Poppins,” “Matilda,” “Annie,” “The Wizard of Oz,” Disney’s “Tarzan” and “Shrek.” With each show, he says, he is reminded of the willingness of the Muny audience to go along for the ride.
“What is so beautiful to me is that over 10,000 people sit there so attentively and quietly,” Tartaglia said. “There's no other audience that is as quiet as the Muny audience. Everyone is there because they're so excited to take this journey.”
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” stars Savy Jackson (Ariel), Michael Maliakel (Prince Eric), Nicole Parker (Ursula), Christopher Sieber (Chef Louis), Ben Davis (King Triton), Fergie L. Philippe (Sebastian), Jen Cody (Scuttle), Kennedy Kanagawa (Flotsam), Adam Fane (Jetsam) and Rich Pisarkiewicz (Grimsby).
The show’s creative team also includes choreographer Patrick O’Neill and music director/conductor Annbritt duChateau.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is sponsored by Edward Jones.
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Tickets for the 106th Muny season — plus a special concert event starring John Legend with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra — are available at muny.org.
As the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theater, The Muny welcomes more than 350,000 audience members each summer for seven world-class productions. The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theater, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park.
Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”
- When: 8:15 p.m. July 8-16; free preshow festival begins at 6:45 p.m. nightly
- Where: The Muny, 1 Theatre Drive, Forest Park
- How much: $21-$135, plus the first-come, first-served free seats
- More info: 314.361.1900, muny.org/show/the-little-mermaid