‘The Little Mermaid Live’: Sebastian’s Claws, Flounder & 5 More Buzzy Moments
The latest live production on network TV was a hybrid of the classic animated film The Little Mermaid with musical performances from the cast.
Starring Auli’i Cravalho as Ariel, Graham Phillips as Prince Eric, Queen Latifah as Ursula, John Stamos as Chef Louis, and Shaggy as Sebastian, the event had people talking as several moments stood out, but perhaps not in the way they were intended.
Here, we take a look at those parts of The Little Mermaid Live.
Sebastian: Crab or Michael Jackson Circa “Thriller”?
Shaggy was dressed in red for his character, but the outfit choice didn’t quite resonate with viewers — especially since he wasn’t wearing claws… but those in the audience were?
THE AUDIENCE HAD CLAWS BUT SEBASTIAN DIDN’T. #TheLittleMermaidLive pic.twitter.com/Bq6nbjO3rZ
— GeekyGirlGab (@GeekyGirlGab) November 6, 2019
Some compared his outfit to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” get-up and even Britney Spears for “Oops I Did It Again.” According to ABC’s SVP of Live Programming, Robert Mills, “Shaggy wore crab claws in early rehearsals and it looked ridiculous.” He later shared a photo:
All done. Thanks for watching #TheLittleMermaidLive! And here you go pic.twitter.com/NKHI0qsYsa
— Robert Mills (@Millsy11374) November 6, 2019
The No-Longer Cute Flounder
Viewers were also disappointed in the Flounder puppet, especially compared to the animated version and other aspects of the production.
You vs. the flounder she told you not to worry about. #TheLittleMermaidLive pic.twitter.com/YWYY1XFF4K
— Tyler Roney (@TylerJRoney) November 6, 2019
Therapist: the Flounder puppet from #TheLittleMermaidLive isn’t real and can’t hurt you
The Flounder pupet from Little Mermaid Live: pic.twitter.com/vkhQxtwNHr— Em (@princessdiva702) November 6, 2019
The Impressive Ursula
While some were disappointed in the takes on some of the iconic characters, that was not the case with Ursula, from her costume to Queen Latifah’s performances.
The whole costume budget for #TheLittleMermaidLive went towards Queen Latifah’s Ursula and I’m 1000% okay with that. pic.twitter.com/nN3GkAGgqr
— Monica Chapman (@Muchalu) November 6, 2019
The Duet That Worked … If You Ignored the Plot
Ariel and Prince Eric’s “If Only” duet was great … if you only ignore the fact that it comes at a time after Ariel has given up her voice and before she gets it back.
Original Ariel Took the Stage
The night began with Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel, inviting viewers to join her and “dive together into a magic adventure under the sea.” “I am so thrilled to be here. I can’t believe it’s been over three decades since I sang ‘Part of Your World’ for a beautiful animated feature film called The Little Mermaid,” she said.
Which Prince?
At the end of “Les Poissons,” Stamos broke character to joke, “I knew I should’ve played Prince Albert … or Eric.”
Where Was Sebastian in the Kitchen Scene?
In the animated film, Chef Louis chases Sebastian around the kitchen. In The Little Mermaid Live‘s musical performance of “Les Poissons,” Chef Louis chases a kid in a crab costume.
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