inTO: The Little Mermaid Jr

The Lower Ossington Theatre makes a splash with an enjoyable production of The Little Mermaid Jr.

The Little Mermaid Jr. is a thoroughly enjoyable production for the young and old alike.

Who knew a grown woman surrounded by wee tots and their parents could have so much fun at a children’s play!  Lower Ossington’s The Little Mermaid Jr. was an absolute delight.  It is always so thrilling for me to see a small company deliver a quality show, combining a talented young cast, fabulous costumes and large dashes of staging creativity.

This popular tale based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and later adapted into an animated film by Disney, has been further adapted to suit a younger audience.  Most of the children in the audience the day I attended were between three and seven years old.  The show runs approximately 60 minutes without an intermission but hit just the right pace and kept even the youngest in the crowd captivated.

The LOT’s Little Mermaid takes place in an ethereal underwater land where we meet the mermaid Ariel and a host of other colorful characters.  She falls in love with the dashing Prince Eric, a young man that lives on land and even though she struggles with defying her father King Triton, ultimately love wins out.  The catch is she needs to make a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula in order to join her husband- to- be.  The evil witch wants to possess her beautiful voice and in exchange she will give Ariel the ability to go to land and try to win Eric’s affection.

Alan Kinsella does a great job creating a magical world using simple staging, props, and set pieces.  I loved the concept of having Ariel and her best friend on skate sneakers, which enabled them to glide across the stage like they were floating through the water.  During one of the numbers, bubble machines were used to great effect.  Diane Sobers was the costume coordinator and her choices for all the characters were perfection; Bright, vibrant and fun, part of why this show sparkled.

Mikael Kangas was responsible for the wonderful lighting, and the choreography designed by Emma Bartolamucci was terrific.  The cast was very solid and they all possessed strong voices and infused their performances with ample energy and large quantities of fun.

The Little Mermaid Jr. runs until the end of August and is a great outing for the entire family. For tickets, visit: www.lowerossingtontheatre.com