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Post by merprincess on Apr 21, 2016 10:35:07 GMT -5
This summer I have the opportunity to audition for FOUR separate productions of Disney's The Little Mermaid the Musical in four different community theatres across my state! I probably will only audition for the two nearest me (one of them is my local theatre company I usually do shows with each summer), since the other two are quite some hours away, but who knows! I really would love to play Ariel. It's my ultimate dream. There's a very specific reason why I need to be her because that fostered not only my love for TLM but also my love of singing and acting (and how I'm pursuing it now as a Vocal Music major), I don't think I have time to dive deep into why, it has a long story that has to do with bullying and verbal abuse by a ballet instructor and a negative environment where I used to dance and feeling completely hopeless but finding a light in rediscovering TLM, very long story, but it's plain to see that TLM and Ariel mean a great deal to me (and to all of us on here!). I'm just really afraid that I'll be setting myself up for failure. Ariel is my #1 dream role and TLM is the ONLY show where I don't think I can currently accept any other role. I don't mean to be a diva honestly because I have never felt this way about any other show. I have other dream roles in other shows but have still had great times in chorus or supporting roles, but TLM is different.
I'm definitely going to audition for both, maybe all, and give it all I've got. Anyone got any suggestions? I'm just really nervous my appearance doesn't quite fit the Ariel they have in mind, and that they might cast someone a little older than me with more lead role experience (I'm 20). Also one of these productions is doing the skate/heelies approach and I used to figure skate back in the day but I don't have a lot of experience on roller skates or at all on heelies.
I'll post a link at some point if you'd like to hear some of my singing!
The songs I have in mind to audition with are Disneyland from Smile (as originated by Jodi Benson), Live Out Loud from A Little Princess (as originated by Sierra Boggess), Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered, Belle Reprise from Beauty and the Beast, Somewhere That's Green from Little Shop of Horrors, or if they want a song from the show I'd most likely do Part of Your World Reprise.
Let me know what you think, thanks for reading, I really appreciate it!
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Post by merprincess on Jun 8, 2016 14:32:23 GMT -5
Quick update to this! 1) For my home town's production of TLM, I auditioned and did a great job! I got called back for Ariel and was in their top 3 (the other two girls had already graduated college, I'm still a college student) so they went with the oldest girl who was also Belle last year. I was really bummed out about it, but at least the director said I had the talent and grace to play the role and that nothing was wrong with my auditions, only that factors outside of my control prevented me from playing her. 2) I did another TLM audition a few days ago elsewhere and I have a callback for Ariel TONIGHT! This could be my shot, I so hope it goes swimmingly (pardon the pun!). This is more than a dream to me, but it would be such a personal triumph to play Ariel onstage. I will update you again after the cast list is up!
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Post by yougottaloveariel on Jun 8, 2016 21:42:10 GMT -5
Hope you get the part
I would have tried for the ships Captain in the opening scene
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Post by merprincess on Jun 11, 2016 20:01:07 GMT -5
Thank you yougottaloveariel, haha that would've been a fun part to try out for! Unfortunately, I didn't get Ariel at either theatre. They both wanted me for Aquata or Attina (or really any of the sisters, I think they both wanted me as the sister with the most lines/solos) and I had to decline. Normally I'd be over the moon about being cast in a role in a show, but for this one I don't think I'd be able to sit comfortably at rehearsals knowing I wasn't going to be Ariel or sing her songs. This role is so special to me. There is still hope, a couple more productions have auditions later in the year, I will learn from all past mistakes and hope that I'm the Ariel they're looking for. According to the directors, I was usually in the top 3 or top 2 choices for Ariel, but they both went with girls who were older than I am and who have already graduated college with Voice degrees, while I'm still a junior studying Voice in college. This gives me hope for the future at least! I thought being 20 years old would've worked, but I guess I was too young to play a 16 year old as opposed to the 26 yr old girls that were cast? I don't know. Yes I am really bummed about it, but I'm beyond grateful for the callbacks allowing me the opportunity to sing and act as Ariel if only for a moment. That meant a lot to me.
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Post by yougottaloveariel on Jun 11, 2016 20:47:48 GMT -5
Jodi Benson was 24 or so when she got the role
On Broadway the actress who played Adela played Ariel as The NY show closed
Saw both here and Sierra Borges on Broadway Would have seen more if the idiots at Disney played the show longer
Would loved to have seen Jodi Benson as Ursula She played the Blue Fairy in a ep of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
I do have a question Was your production's opening song World Above?
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Post by flyingdutchmermaid on Jul 9, 2016 15:33:51 GMT -5
Thank you yougottaloveariel , haha that would've been a fun part to try out for! Unfortunately, I didn't get Ariel at either theatre. They both wanted me for Aquata or Attina (or really any of the sisters, I think they both wanted me as the sister with the most lines/solos) and I had to decline. Normally I'd be over the moon about being cast in a role in a show, but for this one I don't think I'd be able to sit comfortably at rehearsals knowing I wasn't going to be Ariel or sing her songs. This role is so special to me. There is still hope, a couple more productions have auditions later in the year, I will learn from all past mistakes and hope that I'm the Ariel they're looking for. According to the directors, I was usually in the top 3 or top 2 choices for Ariel, but they both went with girls who were older than I am and who have already graduated college with Voice degrees, while I'm still a junior studying Voice in college. This gives me hope for the future at least! I thought being 20 years old would've worked, but I guess I was too young to play a 16 year old as opposed to the 26 yr old girls that were cast? I don't know. Yes I am really bummed about it, but I'm beyond grateful for the callbacks allowing me the opportunity to sing and act as Ariel if only for a moment. That meant a lot to me. This is the exact same thing I'm suffering through with my very personal favorites: Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera. Though I have already played Carlotta in Phantom, I still want to play Christine because it's the character I've always identified with and it fostered my ability to sing classical but my current physique prevented me from playing Christine sooner. Luckily I've played Carlotta more likable and blonder than the original Broadway production and it was a community production for my local church's charity. Even Christian Sebek(former Broadway Piangi as of now) came to see the production along with Sir Andrew's longtime friend Sir Bruce Forsyth As for Beauty and the Beast, Belle is my #1 dream role and nothing else as well(though people want me to be an enchanted object), I will still keep training to get that chance to be one or two of my favorite princesses. To fulfill at least one dream of singing one of her songs in costume, I built this cosplay and performance here for my school's talent show: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YyDukqsepoAlso my Part of your world performance in cosplay: www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3VSz4isPCg
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Post by flyingdutchmermaid on Aug 26, 2018 13:47:28 GMT -5
This summer I have the opportunity to audition for FOUR separate productions of Disney's The Little Mermaid the Musical in four different community theatres across my state! I probably will only audition for the two nearest me (one of them is my local theatre company I usually do shows with each summer), since the other two are quite some hours away, but who knows! I really would love to play Ariel. It's my ultimate dream. There's a very specific reason why I need to be her because that fostered not only my love for TLM but also my love of singing and acting (and how I'm pursuing it now as a Vocal Music major), I don't think I have time to dive deep into why, it has a long story that has to do with bullying and verbal abuse by a ballet instructor and a negative environment where I used to dance and feeling completely hopeless but finding a light in rediscovering TLM, very long story, but it's plain to see that TLM and Ariel mean a great deal to me (and to all of us on here!). I'm just really afraid that I'll be setting myself up for failure. Ariel is my #1 dream role and TLM is the ONLY show where I don't think I can currently accept any other role. I don't mean to be a diva honestly because I have never felt this way about any other show. I have other dream roles in other shows but have still had great times in chorus or supporting roles, but TLM is different. I'm definitely going to audition for both, maybe all, and give it all I've got. Anyone got any suggestions? I'm just really nervous my appearance doesn't quite fit the Ariel they have in mind, and that they might cast someone a little older than me with more lead role experience (I'm 20). Also one of these productions is doing the skate/heelies approach and I used to figure skate back in the day but I don't have a lot of experience on roller skates or at all on heelies. I'll post a link to my Smule Sing profile if you'd like to hear my singing: www.smule.com/_42awkwardlara_The songs I have in mind to audition with are Disneyland from Smile (as originated by Jodi Benson), Live Out Loud from A Little Princess (as originated by Sierra Boggess), Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered, Belle Reprise from Beauty and the Beast, Somewhere That's Green from Little Shop of Horrors, or if they want a song from the show I'd most likely do Part of Your World Reprise. Let me know what you think, thanks for reading, I really appreciate it! This year I auditioned for my local parish's production of Beauty and the Beast, auditioning with "Home" and reading Belle's lines. Sadly they told me that I'm going to play the Wardrobe Madame de la Grande Bouche which I didn't want to end up playing. I'm gonna decline this since it won't be paid either, I'm already not comfortable seeing another girl play Belle when I already have the hair and eyes and would have brought some body positivity examples and it's another role like Carlotta! I'm gonna keep trying for other productions if others see me as a Disney princess!
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Post by merprincess on Aug 26, 2018 17:00:27 GMT -5
flyingdutchmermaid I know exactly the feeling! It happened to me with The Little Mermaid, I just couldn't bring myself to be a part of the show. I don't think there is a single other show where I would be like that, for most shows I'm really happy so long as I'm a part of it and get to collaborate with awesome performers! I've done Beauty and the Beast twice now as ensemble and was called back for Belle (another dream role of mine as well!) but usually ended up too young to play her back then alongside an older Beast. I do hope you get to play her, you have a lovely voice (I commented on your YouTube videos! Those were really great!) and you would make a great Belle in the show! I'm still auditioning for local productions of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast- there haven't been a whole lot recently since there were several summers in a row filled with local theatre companies doing these shows, but they're making a comeback and now I'm in that sweet spot where I'm old enough to be considered for these roles but not too old that it would age me out, so fingers crossed! oh I WISH a local theatre around here would do Phantom! Christine is my dream role, but I'd be happy with ensemble or really any other role so long as I got to be a part of Masquerade, haha! Your Carlotta looks awesome! What an epic dress!! I would love to play her sometime when my voice has finished developing. Cool to see some POTO cast members and friends of the show visiting your performance! I have some of my cosplay posts in these boards if you wanna check out my Ariel and Belle, among other characters!: littleariel.proboards.com/thread/5768/laras-party-princess-threadAnd here's a performance I did a few years back of Part of Your World at Carnegie Hall! I felt unbelievably honored to be a part of this event, and this was just a little while after I had been rejected to play Ariel by my local summer community theatre that summer!): www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWMbvqQEJoM&feature=youtu.be
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Post by flyingdutchmermaid on Aug 27, 2018 14:15:09 GMT -5
flyingdutchmermaid I know exactly the feeling! It happened to me with The Little Mermaid, I just couldn't bring myself to be a part of the show. I don't think there is a single other show where I would be like that, for most shows I'm really happy so long as I'm a part of it and get to collaborate with awesome performers! I've done Beauty and the Beast twice now as ensemble and was called back for Belle (another dream role of mine as well!) but usually ended up too young to play her back then alongside an older Beast. I do hope you get to play her, you have a lovely voice (I commented on your YouTube videos! Those were really great!) and you would make a great Belle in the show! I'm still auditioning for local productions of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast- there haven't been a whole lot recently since there were several summers in a row filled with local theatre companies doing these shows, but they're making a comeback and now I'm in that sweet spot where I'm old enough to be considered for these roles but not too old that it would age me out, so fingers crossed! oh I WISH a local theatre around here would do Phantom! Christine is my dream role, but I'd be happy with ensemble or really any other role so long as I got to be a part of Masquerade, haha! Your Carlotta looks awesome! What an epic dress!! I would love to play her sometime when my voice has finished developing. Cool to see some POTO cast members and friends of the show visiting your performance! I have some of my cosplay posts in these boards if you wanna check out my Ariel and Belle, among other characters!: littleariel.proboards.com/thread/5768/laras-party-princess-threadAnd here's a performance I did a few years back of Part of Your World at Carnegie Hall! I felt unbelievably honored to be a part of this event, and this was just a little while after I had been rejected to play Ariel by my local summer community theatre that summer!): www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWMbvqQEJoM&feature=youtu.be And I've done "Les Miserables" twice in the parish as ensemble and FACTORY GIRL after understudying in rehearsals as Cosette and Fantine(gee I never got to do these roles fully where I could have either ended up getting married at the end or singing "I dreamed a dream" and dying then. So long as it wasn't Mme Thenardier after noticing many Carlottas end up as her and I would want to break that like Claire Moore who was a former Christine then the villain roles but still had a piece of portraying a "princess" in her resume!). Oh it's amazing if in Phantom I could do both sopranos like Kimilee Bryant playing all the main POTO leads: Christine, Carlotta and MMe Giry. There are so many ways you could approach Carlotta(like mixing Sharpay Evans and Chanel Oberlin from Scream Queens cause she is one after nearly getting killed by the Phantom! I made her shriek equally like the ballerinas and a slasher victim portraying her!). If that "Beauty and the Beast" just wasn't the one, there could be a choice of saving to mount a future production taking the 5 star theatricals one with Susan Egan for example. She could play Belle again even in her late 40's! That news made me feel hopeful for a while. You were so amazing on that stage! I've only stepped on Radio City Music Hall and the New Amsterdam Theatre where Aladdin is playing and Carnegie Hall is on my bucket list.
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Post by merprincess on Sept 2, 2018 22:51:10 GMT -5
flyingdutchmermaid I've never done Les Mis, lucky! Factory Girl is one of my fave ensemble tracks in the show lol! But I totally know what you mean. I was in a similar boat, always being told I'm "more than capable" of playing the roles I'd like to play but am turned down for "reasons beyond my control". I get it. I have yet to play a lead role, but for now I'm really happy with the shows I've done and the roles I have gotten to play. I too like to analyze the careers of people who played roles I have played/would like to play to see the trajectory of these performers (Claire Moore is one of my favorite Christines! I've never gotten to see her live but from all the audio clips I've heard of her, she is superb!), but at the same time no two people are alike and no two resumes are alike. It's a weird mix of talent and luck, seeing how some people in the biz get their start as stars. I actually just saw Susan Egan perform not too long ago when Broadway Princess Party stopped by here and her voice is in excellent health, she is still Meg and Belle even in 2018! And thank you so much, I really appreciate that! I hope you can get there someday too. I've never been to either of those theaters actually, I've seen four Broadway shows all in different theaters but never set foot on those stages (yet!...).
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Post by merprincess on Nov 22, 2018 13:30:08 GMT -5
I have another audition for The Little Mermaid coming up in a couple weeks! Just thought I'd update anyone who was interested Really hoping for a miracle here!
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Post by yougottaloveariel on Nov 22, 2018 13:40:36 GMT -5
Well Good Luck The site on facebook seems to post random things online (Someone has got a thing for Atina) saw those pics and thought would share
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Post by buckmana on Nov 22, 2018 16:23:14 GMT -5
Good luck with the audition.
If I understand all of what I read above, Ariel's sisters don't really play a major role in the production, one chorus number (without Ariel), a few scenes and we never see them again. Assuming they follow the movie version that is, it's not unknown for directors to make specific changes for reasons.
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Post by merprincess on Nov 23, 2018 15:49:46 GMT -5
buckmana Thank you! Yes, the sisters are minor supporting characters, but they get a really fun musical number all together with Flounder. In the original Broadway production and many other productions, also double as the princesses that Eric listens to singing in The Contest in Act 2 (gives them something to do the rest of the show) and also take part in chorus numbers as general undersea animals and whatnot. Depending on their dance ability, they may even be some of the tapping seagulls in Scuttle's Act 2 opening number Positoovity. The story does differ a bit in Act 2, as Vanessa is not a part of the story (nor is Max!) and Grimsby stages a contest for neighboring princesses to show off their singing to Eric in hopes that he finds the voice that's been haunting him the past few days (a bit reminiscent of Cinderella, but with singing instead of fitting a glass slipper). Ariel wins him over with a humble dance that he taught her in their time together, but then he hears her voice coming out of Ursula's shell, as Ursula appears (in her normal octopus form and not as Vanessa or any other form) to crash the contest. Ariel ends up saving the day by retrieving Ursula's shell and breaking it, killing her and restoring her voice (which in this version, if the shell breaks, Ursula dies). They use the "Ursula is Triton's sister" plot point here and it's also revealed in the ending battle that it was Ursula who caused Ariel's mother's death (somehow?? I'm really not sure of the logistics of any of this, especially if we are also to believe the events of Ariel's Beginning are also true). For what it is, I enjoy this adaptation even if there are parts that don't make sense or the writing is a bit off. It's still got the magic and wonder of The Little Mermaid, and a lot of the new music added to the story I think were excellent additions.
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Post by buckmana on Nov 23, 2018 19:58:44 GMT -5
So in this version of the story, Ursula's shell is something like Dr Facilier's necklace? That their life energy is tied to it and if it breaks, they cease to live?
It would have been interesting if they'd kept that part about Ursula being Ariel's aunt/Triton's sister in the original Disney movie. There was a partially animated deleted scene where the sailors are explaining this fact to Eric before the movie shifts to focus on Ariel. Because it shows how evil she is if she's willing to act against her own relatives in search of power. I assume nobody ever explained this to Ariel or her sisters, since they seem unaware of the knowledge.
The fact that Ursula (in this version) arranged for the death of Ariel's mother also adds an plot element that may be hinted at, if she gets rid of the entire royal family, wouldn't that make her Queen of the oceans by default, being the only living one left?
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Post by yougottaloveariel on Nov 23, 2018 21:37:34 GMT -5
It is mentioned (assuming it is the Broadway version In another adaptation based on Broadway World Above was played first And it was revealed Ursula killed Ariel' Mom assuming it is still Athena
Plus children played background characters The eels were male and female
AND POSSIBLLY to pacify "critics" like Kiera Knightly Ariel admits she was "spoiled" .
Would have MADE sense that Sally Field should have played Ariel's Mother Would have been a nice throwback to her Gidget days cause Gidget is/was KINDA like...........................................................
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Post by merprincess on Nov 24, 2018 16:30:23 GMT -5
buckmana Something like that! I do think about that plot point a lot, it would be an interesting addition to the movie to incorporate "Aunt Ursula" (I wonder if the live action version will?). In the musical, Ariel and pretty much everyone is aware that Ursula is Triton's evil sister and not to be trusted even if she is related especially now that she's been exiled. Here's the extended opening to Fathoms Below - some of these extra lyrics are actually used in the stage musical version! Compare to the musical version: yougottaloveariel Yes, there's a slightly revised version of the stage show being licensed to theaters across the country (and world) that starts with The World Above. Many versions like to play with gender- sometimes Flounder is a girl, Flotsam and Jetsam aren't always necessarily both male, some community theatres might have a lot of little kids auditioning and give them some roles as fish and sea creatures in various scenes. And many versions incorporate colorblind casting too - the characters aren't always the same race as they are in the film, so long as the person portraying the characters has the talent and skill to pull it off, in most cases it works really well! Ariel does apologize a little more in the musical version, I would assume for that reason as well.
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Post by merprincess on Dec 20, 2018 6:36:26 GMT -5
Update: I auditioned a couple days ago and had my callback for Ariel last night! I am so hoping and wishing for my life to be enchanted and for the fates to hear my my plea! (name that TLM the musical song!) Playing this role onstage is my biggest dream right now ❤️ I’ll keep you posted when the cast list goes live!
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Post by merprincess on Dec 26, 2018 15:25:13 GMT -5
Last update for this production: I didn't get the part yet again :/ I did get to go to callbacks and was chosen as the top 5 group of Ariels for them to choose from. I gave it everything I've got, but in the end wasn't chosen again due to factors out of my control. I'll have other chances, and I'm learning a lot from each new audition & callback experience! I do believe someday soon I'll get there! The fact I keep getting called back for Ariel and being put in the shortlist for the "top" group of performers for her means that I'm doing something right! There's a good chance someone somewhere out there will see me as their Ariel! <3
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Post by buckmana on Dec 26, 2018 17:23:58 GMT -5
There's a line I like from a tv show, something like "the only chances you regret in life are the ones you don't take". I think it means even if you fail, it's at least better then not trying at all, with the implication of that if you're passionate about pursuing a goal, you can't ever give up.
And I hope one day you do get this coveted role. It sounds like each time you try, you get a little closer. Even making the shortlist is not a small achievement.
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